Introducing...

Matthew Locutus Sebastian!

He was born Saturday, July 14, 2012 at 9:49am via emergency c-section. He weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.

Obviously, he's the most beautiful baby in the world. I'm sure you'll all agree. ;)

Sorry I haven't updated sooner. I'm still trying to get my feet under me, and honestly, one of the last things I've been wanting to do since having him is be on the internet. Hopefully I'll get my rhythm again, and then I'll probably start blogging more regularly.

Until then, just gaze at this wonderful face and wait in great anticipation for my birth story and how in the heck he got stuck with a huge mouthful of a name, even leaving out our last name, which is long all by itself. Poor kid. :)

Pregnancy: 39th week

Week 39
July 10 - 16

Progression. That's what I think I'm having. Lots of Braxton Hicks, some real contractions (though short and not very painful) and lots of cervix hits. It's still pretty surreal for me... I mean, I know I'm pregnant, as that fact would be hard to miss seeing as though I'm roughly the size of a small house. Cliche, I know. But it's true. Anyway, it's hard to grasp the fact that within a week, DH and I will be solely responsible for another human being. We've waited so long to get to this point, and now that it's here, it's scary as hell. Which is normal, I'm sure.

Physically, I'm doing as well as can be expected. My feet are pretty swollen, but not painful. It's kinda weird walking though. With every step, I can feel the water sloshing a bit. After a brief hiatus, my nose is back to being stuffy. Rash is still gone! ECP still here. And fingers now feel arthritic in the morning, and periodically throughout the day.

My 39 week appointment was another short one. I'm measuring good, blood pressure is good, baby's heart rate is good. She offered a cervical check, but I declined until next week, if I get that far. I just felt that I could go for weeks being 2cm dilated, and besides, there's nothing I can do about it. Baby will come when it wants to come.

But the next day, I was wishing that my appointment would be the next day, as the baby was trying its hardest to make an escape. And that included a lot of cervix hits. So I'm guessing I'm closer to 3cm now, although I can't back that up without her actually checking me.

Pregnancy: 38th week

Week 38
July 3 - 9

Well, things are starting to progress and I'm excited about it, in a terrified kind of way.

My 38 week appointment included another cervical check, and my doctor determined that I'm between 2-3 cm, but closer to 2. And it's apparently thinning out nicely, too. So yay! I know it can still be a few weeks before the big event, but every cm I get will just be less work for me when that time comes. And I'm Group B Strep negative! That's one less thing to worry about.

On the 4th of July, DH persuaded me to go with him and some friends while they disc golfed, just to walk around. I was feeling a little crampy, probably from the cervical check the day before, so I told him I would walk the first 9, but then I was going home while they finished up the back 9 (he brought his bike so I wouldn't have to go back and get him). Pretty much as soon as we started walking, I started having some minor contractions. Most of them were Braxton Hicks, but a few of them were uncomfortable enough for me to stop walking. It didn't help that the park we were at is pretty hilly and the baby was pressing on my cervix. DH was teasing me that when I was in actual labor in the hospital that I'd just want to lay in bed since I didn't seem interested in walking any more to see if things progressed. But I replied that there are no hills in the hospital halls, and that was my biggest problem... I didn't want to tumble down a hill. That, and I was exhausted. 

After they got through the first 9, I went home and did something I rarely do... I took a nap. And it was glorious! I was originally planning on going with DH & some friends to the lake for a bit to swim after that, but figured I should stay home since I was exhausted (they went swimming while I was napping). Besides, every time I go to the lake, no matter how diligent I am about sun block, I always end up burned. And I didn't want to tempt fate by getting burned and then going into labor. I can't even imagine how much that would suck. I continued to have contractions throughout the day, but not nearly consistent enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. I was hoping that I'd continue having them the next day, but alas, they stopped. I've definitely dropped though, so that's something.

And I'm sad to report that my Evil Crotch Pain has reappeared after a brief hiatus. Not cool. But what IS cool, is that my rash has seemingly disappeared. Guess the threat of that monster tub of steroid cream scared it off. Either that, or the antibiotic I took to get rid of my bladder infection helped it go away. Who knows? All I know is that I don't care, just as long as it stays gone! But another annoying thing has cropped up at night: restless legs. It's not horrible, but prevalent enough to keep me from falling asleep in a timely manner. I've heard that putting a bar of soap at the foot of the bed works, so I'm going to try that if it keeps up.

I'm also finishing off buying all the little things we'll need right away, so that's a relief. I finally got the garbage can that will hold all the dirty cloth diapers, as well as baby nail clippers & files, brush & comb set and a pack of socks. I also rearranged some shelves in our kitchen in order to have space for the bottles we have. DH was especially impressed by this, as he has a weird thing about cupboard space. I intend to breastfeed, but just in case, we have a dozen or so bottles and 2 sample packs of formula. Hope we don't need them, but it's nice to be prepared so the baby won't starve if breastfeeding doesn't work. 

And finally, the most daunting part... I need to finish up the nursery/find home for stuff in the nursery. But that means I need to get on some sewing, as some of the mess is fabric/sewing stuff. I also need to make a painting for over the crib. That's not as important, but it'd be nice to have that done before the baby arrives. So maybe DH should get on making me a frame for my canvas, huh? I'm also waiting to find out what we're having before I do the curtains. I have a few fabrics I've been looking at, but a few of them are more girly, and although I originally aimed to keep the nursery gender neutral, I decided that fun curtains would be the exception. So now we wait. But for the most part, the nursery is done... just a little messy, but that comes to no surprise to those who know me. :) There'll be pictures at some point, but I can't guarantee a time-frame for them. Soon though. :)

Thoughts on maternity clothes

So I was thinking the other day what, if anything, I'd change about my maternity wardrobe if I got to build it all over again. And technically I could buy more mat clothes, but with only 2 or so weeks to go, it'd kinda be pointless unless I REALLY needed something, which I don't.

But anyway, here's my conclusion on maternity clothing, and what I recommend for a first time preggo who is wondering what they'll need. But note: I do not work outside the home, so you're on your own for figuring out work clothes. :) Oh, and my style is decidedly very casual... I am far from being fashionable, and am the first to admit it. So if you're a t-shirt & jeans type of girl, this is more up your alley.

Anyway....

1) You can never have too many tank tops!!! I wear them about 95% of the time, although part of that has to do with the fact that it's warm out. But I honestly think I'd wear them that much in the winter, too, only I'd layer stuff on top. I have 6 that I'm rotating between, and I feel as though I could use a couple more, even though 6 sounds more than sufficient. It's not. Next time I get pg, most of my maternity purchases will likely be tank tops.

2) They might look weird, but the stretchy panels on pants, shorts & skirts are the bomb! The bottoms I have that do not have this panel, I'm always having to pull back up because they slip down so easily. And it also offers a barrier between your skin and your shirt when your belly becomes big and itchy.

3) Maternity jeans suck. Now it could be the reason I think this is because my 2 pairs don't have the stretchy panel, but they are so uncomfortable that I only wear them when everything else is dirty... which is never because I do a lot of laundry. Instead, I'm wearing gray cargo pants that roll into capris (awesome purchase, by the way), khaki shorts, black leggings and skirts for my bottoms.

4) Casual dresses and skirts are your friends! I have 2 skirts and 1 maxi dress that I absolutely love. They lend an airiness factor that you can't really get with shorts or pants. It's hard to explain. But if you've been pregnant, you'll understand.

5) Empire waisted shirts & dresses: do it! I've found that the further along I get, if my clothes don't have this waist, it makes me feel huge and dumpy. Now all of my tank tops don't have this feature, and for those, I don't seem to mind. But all my other shirts, I do. Just a personal thing, I think.

6) Seasonal weather doesn't factor in very much, so think before you buy. When I found out I was pregnant, it was heading into winter. So of course my first purchases were long-sleeved t-shirts. How many times have I worn said shirts? Maybe 2-3 each. I was so warm even in the cold of a ND winter that I would just get too sweaty in them. So I'd end up wearing short-sleeved t-shirts and tank tops, and bringing a sweater just in case I did get cold. Yeah, I got a lot of weird looks, especially since at the time, I hadn't told anyone I was pregnant. But weird looks are infinitely better than huge sweaty pit stains.

7) Maternity clothing leaves a lot to be desired, so if you're able to, go to your favorite clothing stores and just buy the next size up. My favorites are t-shirts from Old Navy. They run a little big anyway, so my medium shirts lasted quite a while. If I tried any on right now, I'm thinking I could get away with wearing an XL. And I had one pair of pre-pregnancy jeans that worked a lot longer than I thought they would. I was able to get away with this up until my 7th month before I needed to have a 100% maternity wardrobe, although I realize that a lot of women won't get as far as that.

8) Unless you buy a lot of maternity clothes, you WILL get bored with your wardrobe. I purposely didn't buy a lot because I was only going to wear this stuff for a couple of months and didn't want to spend a lot of money. But now I wish I had bought a few more things, because I feel I'm constantly wearing the same thing over and over again. It also makes it hard to pack your hospital back with extra clothes when your wardrobe is so limited anyway. And I look at all my pre-pregnancy clothes just hanging there in all their wonderful colorfulness in my closet, and I wish I could wear them still. Just a few more weeks, and maybe I'll be able to fit back into some of the looser articles I have. And perhaps that pre-pregnancy pair of jeans that worked for such a long time will fit soon, too. We shall see.

Pregnancy: 37th week

Week 37
June 27 - July 2

Woot! I'm full term now! It's an awesome feeling to know that should I go into labor, my baby would be considered fully developed. So this baby can come any day now. Truly, it's okay.

Because I got the official PUPPP diagnosis from my doctor, although she said my rash isn't typical, so it could also be Papular Dermatitis of Pregnancy, which is very similar, but not as extreme-looking. And since it's now on my feet, ankles, whole upper legs, lower belly and parts of my arms, she re-ordered the steroid cream. To avoid having me ask her every week for a new container, she just went ahead and ordered a 1 pound container. The picture is blurry, but that doesn't matter. I just wanted to show you exactly how huge this container is! I don't know if I need quite THAT much, but I guess it's nice to know I've got enough to see me through until it goes away.

Anyway, my 37 week appointment went fine. It was a short one. But I forgot to ask about the results from my Group B Strep test, and she was pre-occupied with my rash so she forgot to mention it as well. I would call, but I'll see her again next week, so no biggie. There is one thing I noticed the past 2 weeks that has me a little alert though. Usually when she measures my belly, she'll say "looks good" or something along those lines. But there's been no comment at all the past 2 appointments. I'm sure it's nothing, and the baby has been active, so it isn't causing panic. But just the same, I'm curious about it. Has the baby's growth slowed? Is she just assuming that I know that I'm measuring fine? I don't know.

I am now at the point where I'm super uncomfortable. The hot weather has made my feet swell, and now it's working its way into my face. It's more painful to be up and moving, but by the same token, I'm not that much more comfortable just sitting around either. And lately, I've noticed my fingers feel arthritic, especially in the morning. At first, I thought it was just that I'd slept with my hands in weird positions, but they've hurt every day for a week now. And some of my July baby internet friends are reporting the same thing, so it's just one of those fun things you get late in pregnancy I guess.

And finally, I've been having moments of panic regarding money, especially since I've been looking into insurance stuff. Sometimes I'm convinced that we seriously cannot afford to have children, which then leads me into feeling guilty that I don't work outside the home, not bringing in any money. But then I have to remember that wise old saying of "if people waited until they could afford to do something, they'd never do it" and then I calm down and realize that we'll find ways to make it work. Heck, that's what got my DH to finally propose to me... he expressed to his mom that he couldn't afford to get married and she told him that saying. It worked, because not too much later, he asked me to marry him. And we've made it work. So this will, too, even if it means me getting a job and bubs being put into daycare. But that's a last resort option before more drastic measures, like selling our house, happen.

Yeah, another not fun & cheery post. But I'm not that perky normally, and I tend to worry a bit, so it's reflected in what I write about, which I consider keeping it real anyway.