40 Weeks/1 Week

So yesterday my offical "due date" came and went and I was SO thrilled that I had already had my baby boy for a week! This week had flown by, and it makes me nervous for how quickly the rest of my little one's life is going to go by!

Jordon, Tyler and I arrived home from the hospital on Sunday night, and were lucky enough to have plenty of friends and family bringing meals and other fun gifts by all week. Jordon and I have been busy trying to take care of our newest addition, as well as entertain plenty of visitors who want to see our little man!

Everyone keeps asking us if we're getting any sleep, and honestly we really aren't, but I could not care less about it because I have this awesome incentive to stay up. There is nothing like rocking Tyler all night long and having him look up at me with those baby blue eyes :-) Jordon and I have been trying to rotate shifts of staying up, but it is pretty hard to do since I'm breastfeeding and have to be an on-demand restaurant for our little boy haha. The other night I actually fell asleep while feeding him, and woke up about 25 minutes later and he was still going at it and looking at me like "Yeah, I saw that Mom." He just cracks me up. We're also enjoying dressing him up in cute little outfits, however we realized that we were not quite as prepared as we thought we'd be in the clothing department. I was just convinced we'd have a big boy, so I didn't buy ANY newborn clothes. Thankfully, we had gotten some newborn onesies as gifts, and Luke and Jenna had given us a bunch of newborn clothes that little Lucas had either worn once or never fit into (because he actually was a big boy at birth!), so we've been able to get by. But compared to the amount of 0-3 month and 3-6 month clothing we have, we barely have anything for out little one!

We took Tyler to the doctor on Tuesday for his newborn check-up, which went well. We LOVE the pediatrician we are using (we stuck with the same one who saw him in the hospital). Tyler was looking perfectly healthy, but did loose a lot of weight. He was 7lb 5 oz at birth, and had dropped to 6lb 14oz at discharge. Newborns typically loose 6 to 10oz from their birth weight, so it wasn't a big deal. However, when they weighed him at his appointment he weighed 6 lb 3 oz, which the doctor said was more weight loss than he'd like to see, however it wasn't abnormal for a first-time breastfeeding mom to have a baby loose a little more because of how hard it is to get the hang of feeding them! Thankfully, since then, Tyler has been eating SO much better, so we expect he will have definitely gained some weight when we go to see the pediatrician again next week.

So our first week in parenthood has definitely been a learning experience, and exhausting, but Jordon and I are loving every minute of it. The best part of my day is holding Tyler and I'm so happy I get to do it so often :-)

Happy Birthday Jordon Tyler Jr!

So after 39 weeks and 1 day, the moment I had been waiting for finally arrived, and I am so pleased to be able to share our wonderful birth story with you all!

On the 21st, I started to have some mild contractions around 10pm, but they were very similar to the false labor I'd had in the past, so I pretty much ignored them. Around 11:30pm, Jordon and I went to bed, but I was having a hard time sleeping, so I decided to time the contractions, which were pretty consistently 5.5-6.5 minutes apart. I couldn't sleep so I went downstairs to watch TV, and the contractions didn't get any closer together or more intense, but actually got more irregular, so at that point I pretty much convinced myself I wasn't going into real labor. I finally fell asleep around 3:30am, but kept waking up every 15 minutes or so, and finally decided to try to go back up to bed around 4:15am. After another hour of not sleeping, I decided to get out of bed. The contractions I had in the past always went away with sleep, but since I couldn't sleep, I was having a hard time figuring out if these were real or false labor (especially because I didn't want to get my hopes up!).

Around 5:30am, I decided to go for a walk and thought if I was in real labor, the walk would progress the labor and make the contractions worse, and if it was false labor, maybe it would just subside. Well they eased up a lot while I was walking, but were still there after the walk, so around 9am I called the OB office and asked what they thought... Since I had an appointment already scheduled for 1:40 that afternoon, they told me I could come in early and get check for any progress, but they thought waiting until 1:40 would be fine; I decided to wait.

On our way to the appointment, Jordon noticed my contractions were coming pretty regularly at 5-6 minutes apart, but I still wasn't in too much pain, so I wasn't convinced I was in labor. We had brought our hospital bag with us just in case, but I thought we were just jinxing ourselves ;-) Well low and behold, at my appointment, the midwife checked me and was shocked because I was just shy of 7cm dialated, 80% effaced, and IN LABOR.

We made our way over to the hospital and checked in at about 3pm. They monitored me and baby for about 15 minutes, everything looked good, so they let me disconnect and do whatever. Jordon and I did laps around the labor and delivery floor because my contractions were barley noticeable if I was moving but were getting a little more painful when I was just sitting in bed. My midwife told us the nurses didn't believe I was already 7cm along because I was too happy haha.

By 6:30pm, my water still hadn't broken on its own and when she checked me I was still only 7cm, but now 90% effaced. She decided to break my water, and monitor me for another 15 minutes. By the time the 15 minutes was up my contractions were already much more painful and intense. I wanted to walk the floor some more to help speed up my progression, but by the time I got disconnected from the monitor and walked out of my room, I was in so much pain. I had to stop walking whenever I had a contraction and Jordon told me (after the fact) that I would dig my forehead into his shoulder haha. So we only ended up walking for about 20 minutes before heading back into the room.

I decided to labor some in the jacuzzi tubs they have in each room, which was a great decision. It definitely didn't take away any of the pain from the contractions, but definitely made it a lot easier to cope with the pain. I stayed in for about an hour and a half then got out. I got hooked back up to monitors to check on baby, and my pain was just awful, but the baby's heart rate was steady and looked great the entire time.

My midwife came in and had me switch to a position laying on my side to labor. My contractions were about 2-3 minutes apart now, and very intense. Jordon was an awesome coach, by my side the whole time, which helped a ton. Our midwife stayed in the room from the point on as well and rubbed my legs and hips. Finally my contractions were absolutely unbearable, to the point that I would just writhe in pain at the peak of them and wanted to push so bad, so the midwife checked me and I was just shy of 10cm. She let me push once, which finished dialating me, so we could start the real pushing.

I had originally planned to push while standing or squatting, so I could use gravity to my advantage, but #1 I was in way to much pain to stand up and #2 my midwife suggested I push while laying on my side and I was in too much pain not to agree with her. I pushed for a little over an hour, and finally his head and shoulders came out. At that point, my midwife had me reach down and pull out my own baby! He came straight up to my chest where he stayed for the next 15 minutes and Jordon cut the cord. Then they weighed him (7lb 5 oz) and checked his vitals, then gave him back to me. Apparently I was saying the craziest things (I guess because of all those hormones/endorphins?) like "Oh my gosh, that hurt so bad!" and "I can't believe he's ours to keep!" I can barely remember those moments after the birth, other than the intense joy of finally having my baby! Jordon and I were able to keep him with us for over an hour before they took him to the nursery to be checked out, and after that we had him stay in our room during our entire stay other than during his circumcision and the pediatrician rounds.

Jordon and I were just so impressed with the entire experience. We were thrilled that I was able to do it without any pain meds as planned, but it would not have been possible had I been confined to one position in bed with constant monitoring like a lot of hospitals still make you do. Also, our midwife (who was the one we had hoped would be on call when we delivered!) was just amazing, giving me a lot of suggestions for dealing with pain. She didn't even mention the word "epidural" my entire labor, and stayed with me for the entire last 3 hours of my labor. I just cannot get over how perfectly things went for us! I guess after going through such a hard pregnancy, Tyler decided I deserved a (relatively) easy labor! Right after the birth I told Jordon I was glad I did a natural birth but was definitely having c-sections with the rest of our kids! haha. It was so incredibly painful, but now, being further out from the experience, I definitely would and definitely WILL do it again. You just have so much more control and awareness over your body and it makes the whole process easier and more rewarding.


We stayed in the hospital for a little under 48 hours, and were so excited to bring Tyler home on Sunday. I definitely have not gotten much sleep, but it is worth it. The night he was born, I just held him and looked at him for 2 hours because I was just so excited to finally have him in my arms! The pediatrician at the hospital said he looked checked out great, and despite all the scares we had with him during my pregnancy, is perfectly healthy. Jordon and I could not be more thankful for that. We're slowly adjusting to life with a little one, and are spending most of our time paying attention to him. It's wild how much you're priorities change when you have a baby! This morning I had been up since 7am, and it wasn't until 10am that I realized I hadn't even eaten breakfast when that is normally the very first thing I do in the morning. But again, he is totally worth it and I wouldn't change a thing!

39 Weeks

SO I wrote this blog yesterday, and was waiting to "publish" it until I had Jordon take a belly picture for the week... well the background to the picture is RMH... I'm in labor! So ignore all the ranting about not going into labor yet:


Bah... I never thought I'd had to write a blog titled "39 weeks" but I guess the further along I am, the closer I must be to seeing Tyler. After all the false labor I had between 35 and 37 weeks and the progress I made so early on, I was SURE I would have gone into labor by now, but I guess my son is just content as can be inside momma, and I've learned my lesson about expectations for my next pregnancy!

So I've been pretty darn miserable this week. I literally cannot think about anything else during the day other than "When the heck am I going to go into labor?" or "I'm never going into labor!" It doesn't help that I stay home all day long while my darling husband is off at work! Yesterday, he took the afternoon off and drove to Winchester with me just to look around and window shop because I had a mental breakdown at lunch and HAD to get out of the house (Yes, even in the 98 degree weather!). I've been trying to distract myself with things around the house like packing for our big move, but we don't have many boxes to pack much right now, plus it is hard packing when you're not positive when you're actually moving! As an obsessive-compulsive planner and organizer, Tyler is killing me! Do you know how painful it was to write "baby?" on the 28th in my planner? haha. I would have much rather written "baby!"

I also went on a mad cleaning streak throughout my entire house on Tuesday and Wednesday. I had literally had it up to my nose with sitting on the couch and it was way too hot to go walking outside, so I popped my ipod earphones in and started cleaning like a mad woman. It all started out because there were some odds and ends in the living room that didn't belong there (as usual haha), so I started just putting "stuff" way. Then I noticed how dirty the floors were so I vacuumed every room in the house. Then I noticed how dusty it was so I dusted everything... and so on and so on until my house was spotless. I even got on my hands and knees and scrubbed the kitchen floor (it's the only way to clean linoleum in my opinion!). Anyways, if THAT didn't put me into labor, I don't know what will!

I've started to become convinced that I will never go into labor. I've tried labor cookies, spicy foods, walking (a ton!), sitting on a yoga ball, red raspberry leaf tea, etc (pretty much anything but castor oil... yuck!). Still nothing. And other than my burst of "nesting" this week, I don't think I have any of the signs of impending labor, even though I've been trying to over analyze those all week as well. The internet is dangerous haha.

I did, however, set up Tyler's pack and play! I figured it has a changing table attachment, and since we aren't setting up the crib/changing table until we move into our house in Ferrum, we'll need something to change him on! Plus, I thought it may entice him to come on out, but again, no luck! I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be for this little guy to come out, so please be sending labor thoughts my way!

38 Weeks

38 weeks and still no baby :-( I guess he just wants to hang out inside momma a little longer, but I can't help but wish he was here!! Not only am I uncomfortable, but I am just so anxious to meet my little guy!

It's hard having to wait around for him to come especially when the rest of Jordon and I's life is kind of on hold until he makes his debut. We're planning on moving down to Ferrum after Tyler comes, so I feel so apprehensive to start packing or anything until our baby comes, because I don't know if we're going to be moving a couple weeks from now, or a month from now. Plus, I don't get to decorate a nursery, because his nursery will be in our new house, so all of my nesting instincts have had to be put on hold. I did, however, go through the hundreds of diapers we'd been handed down from Luke and Jenna and our neighbors who had a baby in May (so lots of newborn and size 1 diapers their little one's had outgrown), and organized them into boxes based on size and counted them haha. I have to do something with my time! I also put together Tyler's stroller because it had been in the same box as the car seat, which we had to take out and set up obviously, and because I thought maybe it'd entice Tyler to come out. No such luck, but I do love the stroller!

So I've been trying everything (that I consider safe to try that is) under the sun to get Tyler to come if he's ready. On Saturday, Grace and Perri came over and we made labor cookies, which taste like ginger snaps with an after-kick of cayenne pepper, and they obviously didn't work, but they sure are tasty when frosted with cream cheese icing! I've also been walking a TON, which like I said before, may not guarantee I'll go into labor, but it helps me feel proactive and I enjoy being physically active. Jordon and I have been talking to Tyler and telling him that we'd love for him to come out if he's ready, but either he's still cooking in there, or he's just already misbehaving and not listening to us haha. Also, my yoga ball has become a permanent fixture in our living room, as I've been sitting and bouncing on it whenever I watch TV to get Tyler locked and loaded into the ideal birthing position haha.

Today, Jordon and I had a full day of doctor's appointments. We went to UVA early in the morning for another check-up of Tyler's ventricles. I had been hoping and hoping, and sort of expecting to go into labor before this appointment rolled around, and of course had no such luck, so we were out of the door by 6:50 am this morning to get to Charlottesville. Tyler's head was nice and nestled into my pelvis, but they were still about to get some decent images of his brain... It turns out that his ventricles were measuring MUCH more in the normal range than ever (at 7.5mm when >10mm is considered ventriculomegaly) which was SO reassuring! We saw a different doctor than we had the last two appointments (much to Jordon's dismay because our normal OB there was an awesome Jamaican woman named Dr. Lashley haha) but he seemed convinced everything was normal and that we shouldn't expect any complications with our little man after birth :-) Praise the Lord! They also said he was measuring at about 7 lb 10 oz now, so I'm hoping he comes soon before he gains too much more weight!!

Then, this afternoon we had an appointment at our regular OB office and it was the most uneventful thing ever. The nurse who weighed me told me it looked like I had a ball under my shirt because all my baby weight was there and then my midwife said I was "all baby"... I think they love to make pregnant women feel good about themselves there!! Although I will agree that my belly is straight-up baby, because you can literally see where he is in there by the distorted shape of my baby bump (see photo above... I mean, who has a lopsided baby bump?)! But that was pretty much the visit... I was hoping my midwife would tell me the exact day and hour I'd go into labor, but alas, no luck. Jordon says it's going to be this week, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up!

Last night I could literally feel Tyler moving into my hips... I felt like he was trying to wedge his head in there or pry open my hips with his hands which was by far the strangest feeling ever. Plus I had shooting nerve pains down my legs from where he's laying/resting on nerves in my pelvis. After walking around town today I literally felt like he was just going to fall out or something because of all the pelvic pressure I've had, and now I'm getting Braxton Hicks contractions ALL the time (the non-painful kind though thankfully! although I wouldn't complain if I had painful ones, if they were real!). This baby has got to be coming soon!!! I mean, even the old lady working at Michael's told me I looked like my bump had dropped so much that he'd fall out if it dropped anymore haha... I love how strangers put their two cents into everything when you're pregnant ;-)

So long story short for the week, I'm still pregnant, I'm SO ready for baby to be here, and according to everyone the baby should be coming any day now... I guess it's just up to my little man now! Come on Tyler, let's go!!

37 Weeks

The big 3-7, or "full-term," is finally here!! Dearest son, if you are ready, I'm ready! I am trying SO hard to be patient for my little man's arrival, but I cannot wait to hold him in my arms! Plus, the longer he is in there, the bigger his head is going to get, and I'm assuming since his noggin is in the 88th percentile for his age, his head is either as big, or bigger than the normal 40 week gestation baby, so I'm ready to get him out!

Other signs of my "maternal misery" include a lack of sleep, back pain, and false labor nearly every other day. Yes, I do understand that I won't get sleep when the baby comes (you do not know how often I've gotten that advice!!), but I will be much more OK with not sleeping because I'm taking care of my child rather than not sleeping because my belly is the size of a watermelon and I have to pee every hour. I've also had bout after bout of false labor, most of the time brought on by doing something physical (like walking or what not). On the 4th of July, I had awful contractions that started in my lower back and moved forward and hurt like crazy. For hours I had these but they were so irregular that I was convinced they couldn't be real labor. I tried everything from laying on the couch to soaking in the tub and they would not cease!! Jordon and I almost convinced ourselves it was the real thing, but eventually, like 6 hours later, they slowed down enough for me to sleep. Last time this happened, I ended up being nearly 2 cm dilated, but my midwife didn't check me at my appointment today, so who knows where I am now! But she did say his head is low and engaged in my pelvis, so he's definitely dropped and in position... just a waiting game until he decides to come out. False labor has happened at least 3 or 4 times though, so I know I am never going to know/admit I'm really in labor unless my water breaks!

To compete with my constant anxiety over going into labor, I've been trying to keep myself as busy as possible. I've been babysitting this week and spend most of my time taking the kids to the pool because it is the only place I'm fairly comfortable. I've also been walking TONS, which I figure will either spur on labor eventually, or keep me healthy and in shape, so I suppose it's a win/win situation either way. I played tennis the other day too (against the wall, as my husband's skills far surpass mine, especially while I'm 37 weeks pregnant) which felt great. I think my tennis game is actually better than it was 3 months ago, which is kind of hard to believe!!

I've been getting SO many stares these days... I know people don't see massively pregnant women walking around everyday, but I feel like a freak sometimes!! I've started wearing Jordon's tee-shirts because they fit much better than mine these days, and make my bump a little less outrageous. I can't wait to have people staring at my little boy and not my belly!!

As you can tell, I'm definitely ready to have Tyler come into the world. I'm so anxious and excited for the day I can finally share a picture of my little man with ya'll and not just bump pictures!! Please send your labor-vibes my way over the next 3 weeks and let's hope I don't go past due!

36 Weeks

Officially only a month left! Yikes! Time is certainly flying. I am feeling extra pregnant these days, because *I think* the baby "dropped." Now I've never been pregnant before and don't know exactly what it feels like to have the baby drop, but judging by the fact that my belly is definitely hanging lower (the picture in purple is this week), and I feel like Tyler is literally waving around in my hips, I'm assuming he's shimmied his way down towards his exit. It's reassuring to know I'm one step closer to labor, but now my hips hurt more than ever, and I feel like I really have to do the pregnant waddle now to get around.

Jordon and I had an OB appointment on Wednesday which went well. I had been having a ton of Braxton Hicks contractions recently and my belly was looking a little lower, so I asked her what she though about me traveling this weekend (Jordon and I had plans to go house hunting in Ferrum, then head to visit my family in Columbia and I don't want to go into labor while we're out of town!). She checked me and I was just shy of 2cm dilated... she said she definitely wouldn't expect that much in a first time mom this early, but it wasn't a certain indication that I was going to go into labor anytime soon. Professionally, she advised not to travel, but I'm pretty sure I can hang in there this weekend and want to see my family, so we decided to risk it. But, we will see what happens in the upcoming week! Next Thursday will mark the 37 week mark, so if he decides to show anytime after that, I'll be fine with that!

As far as development goes, by this week it's pretty boring. I read pretty much everything is formed, and now he is just packing on the baby fat, and getting ready to come out to the world. His head is down and butt is up towards my ribs (as it should be apparently). Crazy how much he's developed in 36 weeks, isn't it??