Welcome Our Son! Baby Easton is here!

LOOK WHO JOINED THE PARTY!

Easton was born 11/8/12 @ 7:16 pm to two VERY proud and exhausted parents.

(Thank you to Daddy for delivering him safely and soundly!)

He weighed in at a sturdy 8 pounds 5 oz and was 21 1/2 in long!

So new and so alert.  I was amazed by this little face.

Fortunately for him, he favors his father.  Check out these profiles.

Deep (space) discussions with Daddy inspired by adorable space jammies.

Mommy & Easton falling more and more in love by the minute!

Our first day home is a success!  Maybe they will let us keep him after all?

Allow me to show you my surprised face! Ooooooh!

Daddy has never claimed to be stylish.....at least we have stripes as a constant here?

Showing off the Herrmann nose and lips.

When it comes to saving the world, he's your man. Check out those muscles!

There just aren't words....  "Love" is so inadequate a word.

Ok, so sorry for the delay in posting this gorgeous piece of news out here.  I honestly have no idea how you all do it the day of or the day after delivery.  I was busy trying to recover.  Yikes!  I will post his birth story in the next few days.  Now that I feel less like a swamp monster, I think I can squeeze it in!  We have his newborn photo session tomorrow so maybe after that, I'll take a little time and jot it all down before I forget (or block it out).  I am 100% amazed at how much my heart has grown in the past week and a half.  I never knew.  I thought I knew.....I had no idea.  My friends have all told me, just wait till you have your own.  They were right.  It's honestly a religious experience to look at the face of your child and KNOW that God blessed you with them and that your body was just a vessel in the process.  I've never been more thankful for anything in my life.  The relationship that Rik and I have is forever changed, deepened, opened, strengthened.  It's amazing.  It's like I went in to the hospital one person and came out two days later someone completely different.  The world is a whole new place.  This little boy has made me new/whole again.  I can't wait to share him with all of you.  I hope you love him too.  :)

Finally a Mommy,

Shannon

38 Weeks & 6 Days - L&D Thoughts

Yes, I could have waited one more day to post a 39 week update, but in all likelihood, I will forget tomorrow and then you won't get another update for a week or more and who knows if I'll be able to update then?  So, today it is!

We're still on baby watch.  So far, I am dilated 1-2 cm and I am 70% effaced (this is as of last week's appt so who knows what tomorrow will hold for us) at a -2 station!  The doctor said I could have Easton at any point,  and honestly, I wish she hadn't said that.  What I've managed to convince myself she said was, "Easton will be born today and you will be holding him by the end of the afternoon!"....NOT the case at all, but when you're excited, well, you're just excited.  I've been doing my level best not to put too much pressure on the situation because I really do want him to come whenever he is most ready but the last week has been one of those crazy weeks where all we do is walk around the house cleaning things up, moving things from one place to another, stocking diapers in every corner of the house and looking rather expectantly at each other all day long.  I am assuming everyone that makes it "full term" goes through this and so far, we've done really well.  Hurry up and wait.

Everyone is so excited for us that we're getting texts all day that say things like, "You need to hurry up!" or "You need to tell that baby to get a move on!  I'm excited to meet him!"  or "Tell him not to come until XYZ day!" and so...I am feeling the stress a bit more.  Silly, huh?  :)  It's nerves, obviously.   It's not like I can control his arrival so I might as well not feel the pressure, but I do.  I had a friend who would literally CRY daily after she hit 35 weeks because she felt like she was failing everyone for not having her daughter sooner.  I remember thinking she was NUTS b/c after all, she has no control over any part of it!  I chalked it up to her age b/c she was "young".  I sort of understand her now, though.  I don't feel like a failure by any means, but I definitely feel like people are sitting around waiting on me to have this baby and are just as antsy as we are about it (which is pretty freakin' antsy).  I know they aren't but you know how it is when you're excited and nervous about something so huge....Which leads me to my next point!

The labor and delivery portion of the show.  Oh what a topic!  We have chosen a birthing location here in town that is less hospital, more birthing center.  It's a women's center that caters more to the birthing experience than your standard hospital does.  The accommodations are awesome, they supply you with birthing balls, squatting bars, more freedom to move about, etc.   My biggest disappointment was finding out they recently have gotten rid of their birthing tubs which I was extremely excited to use.  Argh.  Anyway, because I have decided to go as natural as possible for as long as I can handle it (I know, I know) I don't want any "extra" distractions, visitors, pressures, etc.  I know me and I know I need to be able to focus 100% of my concentration on every part of my L&D just so I give us the best chance of success.  It's so important to me.  Obviously, if I'm feeling pressure from text messages about having this little guy, knowing there are 13 people in the waiting room WAITING on us to get the job done so they can meet our son, well, that's a huge distraction for me.

Originally, we were going to labor as long as possible at home, head to the center whenever we felt ready and send out a baby alert when we were about 7-8 cm dilated.  That way, family could come out then and would not be out there for hours and hours just pacing the halls and waiting on us to deliver.  There is also the fact that we plan on having an hour or more with just us and the baby after he is born and cleaned up and returned to us to bond, try our hand at breastfeeding, enjoy meeting our son, rest a bit and then have visitors.  We neither one wanted to feel rushed through this special time.  We've waited a long time for this and we really do want to enjoy those first moments as a family so that we don't "forget" what it was like before the room was filled up with people and he was passed from one eager, loving person to another for a while.

This information (our plan) was handled pretty well by most people, but there were a few family members and friends who protested and have been so adamant about being in the waiting room while we labor that we've finally relented b/c it's just too exhausting trying to explain my heart and to continue arguing about it is not how I want to spend my last week or two.  My mom's argument is that she wants to be there in case something goes wrong or we have an emergency.  She says she'd never be able to live with NOT being there if something horrible happened to me.  (Let's hope and pray THAT isn't an issue, shall we?)    She just keeps saying I don't understand and one day, if I have a daughter I will understand.  Maybe I will, but I also would like to think that I'd try to understand where she's coming from, who she is as a person and why her wishes are so important to her.  It's not that I'm being selfish or overly independent - it's that a natural birth is important to me and if I know something is going to jeopardize that (b/c I know me), then I want to try and prevent that from happening.

I may not make it three hours naturally, but dangit, I wanna give myself the best chance possible.  I want to limit the chance for a c-section, I want L&D to go as quickly as possible, and I want to do it the way we've hoped for.  I know I have NO control over what happens to an extent, but some of it, I can.  (Side note-Don't you love when people say, "I can't wait to see how long it takes you to ask for an epidural!" - Some folks just don't get it!  Support, not hope for failure is what is needed here!)

Anyway, we've heard it from several folks and honestly, it's not about everyone else's interpretation of the situation or their intentions, it's about cause and effect for ME.  It doesn't matter how or why from everyone else's perspective, it matters how it impacts me at that very important time in my life.  I just wish I could convey that without being interrupted with the "Just wait, you'll see one day" or, "You're being ridiculous, no one is pressuring you by being there!" and so forth.  Oh well...some things are just too hard to explain to everyone.  Especially if they don't really understand the reasons behind your wishes.

We've decided we'll just address the situation in another way.  We'll let our family and close friends know when we're headed to the hospital and then once there, Rik is managing the phones/texts and the nurses will be instructed NOT to mention who is in the waiting room or what they are doing.  I don't want to know if Rik's dad is pacing the halls or trying to get in to see us.  I don't want to know if my mom is a nervous wreck (she will be - she is just so excited).  I don't want to know if there are 6 people there or 16.  I don't want to know if the British are coming!  We're just gonna pretend no one is there and I'll focus all my energy on getting this little boy here safe and sound with as little medical assistance as possible.  :)  Problem solved.  Rik won't go out and visit or update, I won't be checking my phone for texts, etc.  I won't have to worry about people wanting to come in for a visit.  If we change our minds, that's our choice to make then.  No pressure, no distractions.  Everyone's happy!

There is only one exception to all this.  My best friend, Keesha, is a nurse and we have a very special relationship.  We've been best friends since we were 15 years old.  She's been one of the only people I have ever depended on for emotional support and she's never let me down or disappointed me.  When I didn't have anyone else during those tough, late teenage years, she was there for me in all her brutal honesty.  :)  When I went through rough times in my early twenties, she helped me through them like a sister would.  She always understands where I'm coming from and if she doesn't, she tries her best to.  That girl is the most supportive person I've ever met.  She's also very practical and level-headed about these types of things - she's a nurse.  Our sons very well may be born on the same day and if her baby boy isn't here yet, I have a feeling she'll be there for me if I need her support or her guidance - in house or otherwise.    It's funny how some people just have a calming effect on you - that's my Kiki.  If we have any medical questions, she'll be our go-to for sure.

Well, this post turned out to be a long post about L&D, not really an update of any kind.  I guess that means I will just have to post again tomorrow assuming Baby E isn't here by then.  I hope this doesn't come across like I'm being unreasonable or anything.  I love all the support I've gotten from my closest buddies and our family.  They are amazing and have never done anything to make me think they'll be banging the door down to get into our room, it's just ME and my anxiety.  HA!  I wish I could explain it better, but I guess I can't.  I'm usually pretty good with words but I guess this time, I am struggling.  What are your thoughts on the subject?  Am I being unreasonable?  Selfish?  I really don't want to hurt anyone - especially people I love so very much!  Who knows, I may go into labor and beg 8 different people to meet me at the entrance to the hospital to hold my hand.  :)  That's how unpredictable I feel labor and delivery might be!  I just want to be IN the moment.

Until next time,
Shannon

37 Weeks & Stuff

"My humps, my humps, my lovely ginormous lady lumps, CHECK IT OUT!"

You know, you see those memes these days that say, "What I think I look like while xyz" followed up with "What I actually look like while xyz".  Well, I'm there now.  The only problem is, the two images in my head have slowly but surely morphed and now I KNOW what I actually look like.  Luckily, I have a husband that's an excellent liar and tells me I'm beautiful every day right around the time I'm about to complain or wimper about needing help to raise myself to an upright position.  :)  He's awesome.

SO, I had my 37 week checkup yesterday.  Our normal doc was out of town so we finally met another doc in the practice.  I was glad about that b/c who knows WHO will deliver Easton with 9 other doctors in the practice?  Last week, I had my cervix checked and was happy to hear I was already dilated 1 cm!  I was surprised!  I DO wish that someone had taken to time to tell me that having your cervix checked was much like a tonsillectomy via the va-jay-jay.  Holy discomfort, Batman!  I mean, sure, I've been through worse as an infertile, but still....I just wasn't quite prepared.  Plus, my doctor has tiny, short fingers which means she was short on reach and had to really go jamming her knuckles and such all up in there.  Bruise anyone?  Not fun.  I survived.  

They measured the little rascal last week during my last ultrasound (sniff) and he was weighing in at a healthy 6 lbs 9 oz already.  I'm sure that's not 100% accurate based on everyone's stories I've heard but it's nice to pick things up that weigh about 7 lbs and be impressed with myself for carrying that around in my belly.  :)  The tech was still impressed with his fat cheeks and his hair.  Apparently, he's gonna join the Afro Circus that is my family and fit in very nicely.  I'm one proud mama.  He may hate me, but I'm definitely hoping for curls....lots of them.  Somewhere between Justin Timber.lake (of old) and Matthew McConaughey (also of old).

Baby E is insanely active.  It's one of those things that even the doctor and nurses comment on.  He usually has a higher heart rate at my appts b/c he's flipping around, doing the cha-cha-cha or the worm and they have a hard time getting a good reading on it.  

Yesterday, the new doctor checked his heart rate and for once he was still after a ten minute workout session.  It was in the 150's and she said, "Is he an active fella?"  Rik and I both had to laugh and just say yes.  He's insane.  Maybe every baby is super active and I'm just finally getting to have the experience myself, but either way, it's hilarious and amazing and I'm gonna miss it when it's not there anymore.  I wonder how often I reach up to rub his little booty that he's constantly sticking out after he is born?  I know I'll be so happy to have him in my arms, I won't be sad per se, but I will definitely miss having the little Scrip Scrap all safe and sound in my tummy cracking me up with his moves like Jagger.  He's like my own personal comedian, my pick-me-up when I'm sad, my company when I'm lonely, etc.  Once he is here, I'll have to share him.  Luckily for my family and friends, I'm dying for them to meet our little guy so, I promise not to run away with him and hide in a cave a la Lord of the Rings (My Precious).

So, at the checkup, I managed to slightly embarrass my sweet hubby.  Remember above where I mentioned my doctor has short tiny fingers?   Well, the nurse mentioned the new doctor checking my cervix, I had a thought and before I could even think it through, it came out of my mouth.  I asked, "Does Dr. Allen have long fingers?"  Her face said all I needed to know.  I looked over at Rik and he had his head down, hand over his eyes, shaking his head.  "What?  You have someone put their hand up there and check your cervix and we'll see how important finger length is!" The nurse just said, "I think her hands are slightly bigger than your doctors," and left the room.  Then it was my turn to be embarrassed.  Ugh....  Sometimes my brain is just not as quick as my mouth, but I still think it was a logical question.  And the nurse was right.  Slightly longer than my doctor.  Still uncomfy, but not like last week.  :)  I'm dilated 1-2 cm now and Scrapper was at -2.  She said she could feel his head through the bag of waters and when she touched him, he started squirming all over and it startled her.  She laughed and said, "Oh, he's on the move now!" and he kept moving his head back and forth.  It was amazing to think she was touching our sons head.  Rik didn't hear another word she said for probably five minutes b/c he was so focused on that.  :)  It was cute.  We were both a little jealous she got to feel his head.

So far, I've gained 20 lbs.  I haven't gained any in three weeks but he has so I'm not worried.  My gestational diabetes is still under tight control and I've done a great job if I do say so myself!  I feel like my tummy is massive and couldn't possibly stretch any further but it does.  The doctor thinks I'll have him a week or two early so that's a week or two away now.  I can't believe we made it full term.  When the doctor mentioned that yesterday, all I could do was grin because after all we've been through and all this time, we're closing in on the finish line/start line.  Finishing one race just to start another race.  It's unbelievable!  I'm having a son.  Pretty soon, I'll get to look at this little person that looks somewhat like me and somewhat like Rik and know that the desires of our heart were granted and we have been blessed beyond measure.  I can't wait to hold our little boy.

Alright! 35 Week Photo Update

These were taken Tuesday evening. I thought I would share our sneak peeks from the shoot! I was 35 weeks Tuesday so it is truly a 35 week update! :) Hope you like them!

Test....

Tried to post twice yesterday....no luck.

34 Weeks

Well, let's see.  I'm due an update, I think.

Weight Gain:  17 lbs.  I actually lost a lb this week, which I find strange considering the amount of food we had at the baby shower this weekend but Rik thinks it's because we've been going nonstop.  (In other words, fatty got some exercise!)

Cravings: Still none.  I'm disappointed here.  I was actually hoping for some weird cravings but so far, nothing.  I have wanted to eat hot wings more frequently but that could be just b/c we found some we really like at a restaurant downtown.

Stretch marks:  Tiny on my butt.  Nothing on the tummy so far.  Let's hope this skin of mine holds up a few more weeks!  I still can't imagine my skin stretching any further, but I know it's going to.  I feel MASSIVE.

Heartburn?  Nope, none.  Doc put me on an antacid in the first trimester and it's been wonderful.  I even eat Indian food and have ZERO problems.

How do I feel?  HUGE.  I think I've lost FAT weight while gaining a steady amount of BABY weight so I am not tiny by any means.  I went from not showing at all in July to looking like I swallowed a pumpkin.  There was no gradual growth here.  :)

Sleep:  What's that?  Between the hip pain, the cramps in my legs (not as bad as my BFF's though!), being hungry, having to pee, pre-pregnancy sleep issues that are still present and having SO much on my mind now, I'm up several hours a night.  On weekends, I'm up by 7 at least every morning.  We were at Wal.mart by 8 am on Saturday.  I managed to wake Rik up to spend some early morning time w/ me. ha!

What do I miss most?  Being able to bend over comfortably and being able to move quickly.  I never realized how fast I do things until now.  It's brutal.  I may also miss Ambien.  (See above)

What am I most concerned about?  Lately, pre-term labor.  I don't know why, but I am scared of going into early labor.  Each week has me breathing a little easier, though not comfortably yet.  I had several people tell me they don't think I'll make it full-term over the weekend.  I'm guessing it's b/c they think I look about ready to pop.  Let's hope he stays put at least till 38-39 weeks.

What am I most looking forward to?  Holding him and kissing his little face.  There are so many reasons I have these days to be grateful for my healthy boy and thankful that God has allowed us this blessing.  I just want to hold him and kiss him and let him know how precious he is to us.  I know we aren't guaranteed that everything will be a-ok but I'm going to keep believing it will be.

Showers?  I had two!  My best friend on the planet hosted one for me with my mom (pics to come).  Keesha did an AMAZING job with the decorations and the hand-made gifts for Easton.  I can't even tell you how blown away I was by her creativity and how well she obviously knows my taste.  There are few times in life when you really KNOW how much you are loved and cared for by another person and this was one of those times.  I don't know that I'll ever be able to properly thank her for her generosity and thoughtfulness.  My mom was the cook/financier of the event and I'd be completely remiss if I didn't mention that she has spoiled me absolutely rotten since I've been pregnant.  I've always been her kiddo that never needed anything from her and have always been very self-sufficient.  She has taken this opportunity to give and give and give some more b/c she knows I won't turn it away if it's for the baby boy.  ;)  I think she may need some rules put in place for when Easton gets here. haha....He'll be ROTTEN otherwise.  Our other shower was this weekend and it was an awesome couples shower thrown for me by my buddy Ashley and her husband, Easton's namesake (Andrew), Drew and my other friend April.  We reused most of Keesha's awesome decorations and ideas and had an awesome spread of food.  My step-dad made pork tenderloin and jalepeno popper thingys and then we had baked beans, cole slaw and mac n cheese catered in.  It was awesome!  I was concerned b/c many of the invitees couldn't make it but since it rained and we moved it indoors, the crowd was just the right size and it was a blast.  I can't believe how blessed we are to have such wonderful friends.  Drew gave an amazing toast that made us all cry and pledged to help us raise and love Easton as much as we have loved his children.  It was precious and I will never forget it.

Nursery:  Almost done!  I'm having commitment issues when it comes to wall art and furniture locations.  Ergh.  We finally got our glider!  It's amazing and I can't wait to spend LOTS of time in it.

Ok, that's all I can come up with right now.  I go to the doc tomorrow and will see how the little fella is doing.  He was measuring right on target again two weeks ago after having a few ultrasounds where he was measuring ahead of schedule.  Thank goodness, that was apparently just a growth spurt and not anything that needs to be a cause for concern at this point.  My gestational diabetes is under control and I'm doing well with the diet.  It's not a tough diet to stick to at all since I don't crave sweets or anything. The biggest thing that bothers me is pricking my finger so often (four times per day).  I only prick three fingers on each hand so every other day, I'm pricking those fingers again.  Ring fingers and pinky fingers are free-bleeders and they friggin hurt!  :)

I hope you all are doing well.  We've been so busy lately, I have some catching up to do on my blog reading.  Forgive me for all the late comments I'll be throwing your way!

from the couch,
Shannon

Pertussis - Whooping Cough

So, I know I said I'd post about the nursery next, but I wanted to post this little gem first before I forget and hey, you get two posts out of me instead of one!  :)

A lady at work may or may not have/had whooping cough for the past three weeks at work.  Conflicting stories from her about whether or not she had the test done has every one in panic mode.  As does her coughing fits in the staircase, breakroom and bathrooms with an uncovered mouth.  We've all complained to our manager about her coughing fits and how horrible it is and to his credit, he sent her home twice in the past three weeks.  I felt awful for her b/c she sounds like she is dying, I kid you not.  Yesterday though, it got bad.  She was so sick, she was coughing up blood in one of the downstairs bathrooms and the right people got together and it created the perfect storm of drama, panic and gossip.  Before the poor girl could blink, one of the other managers (who is terrified of germs) sent her home indefinitely and had called a serious meeting w/ all the managers to decide how to proceed.  This turned into upper management contacting the health department, researching information on the CDC's website, etc.

I got a call late last night from the CEO asking me how I felt, if I had any symptoms and if I would be willing to work from home for a few days to keep me and the baby safe.  They realize, I think, that it's a little too late to be keeping me home since my coworker has been spewing germs all over the place for three weeks (did your mother teach you to cover your mouth?  MINE DID!) but it was a nice sentiment nonetheless.   So, I'm working from home the next few days while they work out what to do.

They sent her back to the doctor and made her get the test today, because apparently, she never had it due to something that happened with the lab and the doc told her she wasn't contagious anymore anyway b/c she'd been on antibiotics for five days.  Blah, blah, blah.  My boss's want to know if we've all been exposed because the incubation period is apparently 14-21 days and they want everyone to be prepared for a possible "outbreak".  Let's hope that she didn't have it and we don't have to worry about it.

Pertussis Gate 2012

EEEEK!