James has arrived!

Has it really been 3 weeks since the last blog post? Oh my goodness, how time flies! The past 16 days have been a whirlwind of love, happiness, and sleep deprivation. Oh, and lots of poop.

James Eric Maclauchlan was born on Tuesday, May 7, at 0855. He weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces and was 21 inches long. My c-section was textbook and James got a 5 minute apgar score of 9-nice and healthy!

They took me back around 7:00 am, and took my vitals, checked James' vitals, and had a few doctors and nurses come in to make me sign a bunch of paperwork and drink a really gross antiacid thing that tasted like rotten tequila (that's how I envision it, anyway). They wheeled me back to the OR and gave me a spinal, got me situated on the bed, then brought Matt back. After he was born and they did the apgar scores, Matt laid him next to my head so I could nuzzle and kiss him. He was very alert! He only cried when they stretched his legs out to measure his length. He looked exactly like his dad and Matt's dad. He started peeing before he was completely out of me. They had to make my incision longer than normal because of his position. Silly baby!

I'm really glad they had a narcotic in the IV I was hooked up to because having my arms strapped down was a little intense. I wasn't able to hold James until about two and a half hours after he was born because I was in recovery and he was in the observation nursery. It took a bit longer for the anesthesia to wear off than usual, and they gave me Benadryl because the narcotic in the IV made me very itchy.

Once I was out of recovery and he was out of the observation nursery, we were able to have some skin-to-skin bonding time. Holding him for the first time was just...beyond incredible. The love a parent has for their child is just beyond compare. The other day I went to a doctor's appointment by myself and I cried because I missed James so much. He's my little man! Seeing my incredible husband and perfect little son together is just heaven.

<3

Matt posted this on facebook and said: "I thought seeing my wife walk down the aisle on our wedding day was the most beautiful sight I would ever see. Boy, was I wrong..." :) (Needless to say, that made me cry. So sweet.)

I have had some complications from my c-section but am able to manage without any pain medicines, and it's finally starting to heal. Yay! I'm very lucky that James is a great eater. He still doesn't understand the difference between night and day, but we're working on that. :)

Here are some more pictures of our handsome little man:

Some daddy and baby tummy time!

Little hand. <3

Grandma!

James' going home outfit. Cute-a-saures Rex. :)

High five!

That's grandpa's pinky he's holding. 

Uncle Keith time!

More Uncle Keith time. 

One of my favorite pictures. My man in uniform and my precious little boy. So much love!

Grandpa and Nonnie in the hospital. :)

Our first family walk together.

Aunt Dee visited us in the hospital!

Uncle Brian and Aunt Kitty! <3 

Danielle and James in the hospital. :)

Silly faces!

Hopefully I'll be able to update the blog a bit more regularly once we get into a routine. Until then, much love!

38 Weeks, 1 Day

This will probably be the last blog post until James is born-only six days to go! Six. Days. Oh my goodness. Matt and I are so excited! We haven't been sleeping very well...but that isn't going to change anytime soon! It's so amazing to think that in less than a week we'll be holding our son, our precious little baby boy, our greatest blessing...in our arms. EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! It's also May 1 today-the month that he will be born!

James is nice and healthy and moving like crazy tonight. He is moving like I had loads of caffeine and sugar, but all I had was pizza and water. Hmmm. We've had a couple of appointments this week. I had a pre-op appointment with an OB (not my regular OB) who went over the c-section surgery and answered the list of questions I had, then I met with a nurse to go over paperwork, then I had an OB appointment, then I met with an anesthesiologist regarding the c-section. Goodness gracious! I also had another nonstress test yesterday. My OB appointment went well. James's heart rate was in the 140's and 150's (normal for him, and in the normal range), my blood pressure was good, and for the first time this pregnancy, I went over my pre-pregnant weight. Eeek! I gained 6 pounds in 11 days. I have been very hungry, but haven't eaten *that* much! Good thing I won't be pregnant for very much longer at that rate. James is still in the strange breech position (no surprise there).

I feel much more emotionally and mentally prepared for the c-section now that I've been able to talk with the OB's about the procedure and what to expect. I am lucky to have time to process my emotions now, unlike some women that need a c-section after laboring for days, or that need an emergency c-section.

Baby websites James is around 6.8 pounds this week. Nah. But he probably is around their estimate of 19.5 inches or so.

He weighs about the same as a pumpkin:

This is especially appropriate because Matt loves anything pumpkin (pie, cupcakes, coffee creamer, candles....) and it's his birthday week! His birthday is on May 4. Happy birthday, sweetheart! You're the best husband and dad a gal could ask for. :) 

James is as long as a leek:

At 39 weeks (next Tuesday), James will be about the size of a watermelon:

This is what he feels like right now. Huge and heavy. But not green.

It's getting cramped in there.

He is ready for life outside the womb! All of his organs are developed. At this point, he's just hanging out and waiting. His skin is creating new layers and he is losing some of the vernix coating and the downy hairs that kept him warm a few weeks ago. 

I have one nonstress test and blood work to do on Friday morning, am getting a growth scan/ultrasound done Monday, and we're having a baby Tuesday! It will be interesting to see how big they estimate James's weight to be and how much he actually weighs the following day. I estimate his weight to be around 28 pounds, based on how my pelvis and belly feel, but I think I might be going over just a tad.

My mom is flying in Sunday and that also marks Matt's last day at work before his baby daddy leave starts. Yay!

Baby pictures to come soon. :) But for now, here's Sirius putting his paw on my belly (right where James's head is). James did not like it, but it was still adorable.

37 Weeks-Full Term (and C-Section scheduled)!

We are full term today, YAY! Good job, James. <3 If he were born today, his lungs would be developed enough to support himself...but some 34 weekers are born that way. Regardless, 37 weeks is a great milestone!

We had a semi-big day today. We had the ECV done, and it wasn't successful. James is just happy right where he is! We got to the hospital around 7:30 and they had me hooked up to the monitors by 8:10, and James's heart rate and my vitals were great. He was wiggly, but cooperated. Then we waited. And waited some more. And then (surprise!) had some more time to pass by waiting. They had to do an emergency c-section on another patient, and that was, of course, a higher priority than my ECV. My friend Beth asked if there was any update and I said that the doctor is doing an emergency c-section. I forgot to mention that it was on someone else, oops!

The team of nurses and doctors were awesome! There was only one nurse that was a grumpy gill. As my OB had previously mentioned, some doctors like to use an epidural during an ECV, and others do not. The doctor that was on staff today does not like using epidurals for an ECV because then the mother's gauge of pain is thrown off-and if it's incredibly painful for the mom, they need to know that because they don't want to hurt baby. The success rate is only 50/50 for ECV's, and even though the higher fluid levels can make it easier to move a baby, it also means that the baby is more likely to not stay head down, so our chances weren't very high to begin with. The procedure was uncomfortable and was quite painful, but I am glad that we tried. I did laugh at first because it was ticklish, then the pain overrode the tickling. They said they had never had someone laugh during the procedure...but I also tend to giggle during ultrasounds. It gets awkward. They were able to move his legs, but his head wouldn't move very much. Once they left the room, the moved right back into the position that he was in when we started. Ha! I guess he found a comfortable spot. There is a slight chance he will move head-down by himself, but it's not very likely, and even if he did move head down, he'd probably go head-up again anyway because of the higher fluid levels.

He's also in an odd position-he's sort of sideways, but he's face up with his legs underneath him. I can't figure it out, either. A baby is in distress when the heart rate drops, but his heart rate rose because he was moving and wiggling. I think he might have liked it, silly boy. They monitored us for two hours after the attempted ECV and we were both doing well. My pulse was high, but that was because of a uterine relaxant they gave me. It felt like I had an overly caffeinated beverage. We left the hospital around 2:30pm, got some food and water (by that point I had been fasting for about 18 hours...I was pretty cranky-sorry, Matt!), came home, and slept. I didn't sleep well last night because I was anxious and had horrible heartburn, so it was nice to take a nap. My belly is sore, like someone punched it, and I was instructed to take Tylenol. It seems to be helping. I'm so glad Matt was able to be with me today! He only has two more shifts on the night shift, then he switches back to days. Woohoo! He was such a sweetheart, stroking my hair and holding my hand during the procedure. I love being married to my best friend. :) James is so lucky to have him as his daddy, he doesn't even know!

So, in summary, I am scheduled to have a c-section on Tuesday, May 7 in the morning. Yay! I only have 3 more nonstress tests, 1 OB appointment, 1 growth scan, and a pre-op appointment left before we get to meet our baby boy! My mom is flying up May 5. I can't wait to see her. :)

Babies typically gain half a pound a week during the last 4 weeks, so James is somewhere around 8 pounds right now based on the ultrasound 8 days ago. According to baby websites, he's either 6 1/3 pounds (baby center) or 6.2-9.2 pounds (thebump)...but The Bump has that range for each week from now until 40 weeks. He's probably around 19-20 inches. It feels like he's six feet tall already. Those legs sure can kick!

James is the size of a winter melon or the length of a stalk of swiss chard (ew).

 

He is continuing to add layers of fat (hence the 1/2 pound weight gain) and his lungs are continuing to develop. His head diameter is over 3.5 inches. Oh my goodness, he's getting so big.

Size=accurate(ish). Position=nowhere close.

I have been working on some sewing projects for James, including bow ties, bibs, burp cloths, and a swaddle wrap.

  
Sewing has been a way to keep my mind busy so I don't freak out about the fact that I'm going to be a mom in 2 weeks. I am so excited, but nervous, too. We are just so ridiculously blessed!

Let's add some humor to our day!

Not James's exact position, but this sums it up. ;)

Have a great week! :)

36 Weeks, 2 Days

Only 5 days until James is considered to be a full term baby-woohoo!

It has been a crazy week so far. On Monday I went in for our growth scan ultrasound. It was great to see James! He is still breech. He is kind of at an angle-not sideways, but not completely head up. My fluid levels are higher (still). They estimate his weight (based on his size and measurements of his head, belly, bones, etc.) to be 7 pounds, 10 ounces. Already! Of course, he feels like he weighs 25 pounds to me. His belly was measuring like that of a 40 weeker, so they wanted to test me for gestational diabetes again (I have been checked twice so far, and my blood sugar levels were on the low side but good) based on his size and the excess fluid. I took the glucose test Tuesday morning. They have a 1-hour version (the version I took earlier in pregnancy, most recently at 27 weeks) but it has a higher false positive rate, so they had me do the 3 hour test. Ugh. It is no fun! The test came back with my numbers very low, and they wanted me to take it again. I was so upset because they said the lab had messed up, but then the doctor called and spoke to the lab tech who ran the test and they did run the test correctly. My body just processes sugar "very well," which is interesting. They said to make sure to eat frequently. Ok, I can do that. :)

The maternal and fetal assessment doctor (not my OB, but one of the doctors that oversees the growth scans and nonstress tests) said the likelihood of needing a c-section is higher because of James's size, his position, and my higher fluid levels. That frustrated me, but then I remembered...the ultimate goal is to have a happy and healthy baby. If he needs to be born via c-section, then that is what we will do!

I had another OB appointment today. The game plan is to have the External Cephalic Version (ECV) procedure done next Tuesday, where a doctor in labor and delivery will try to move James head-down by pressing on my belly. It only has a 50% success rate, but my OB, Matt, and I agree that we want to try this so we know we did everything we could to try and get him head-down to avoid a c-section. The rate is higher for women who have had more than one pregnancy, but having the extra fluid can actually be beneficial in this case-it may allow them to manipulate him a bit more. Some doctors will use an epidural depending on how they like to do the procedure. Some women say it's very painful, and others say it's mildly uncomfortable. So...yeah...I'll take whatever pain medicine they offer. ;) They do a nonstress test before beginning the procedure to make sure James isn't in distress, and to confirm that he is still head-up. If the ECV is successful, they will schedule my induction to take place around May 7 (when I will be 39 weeks). If the ECV is not successful and they are unable to get him to turn head-down, they will schedule a c-section to take place around May 7. This is assuming, of course, that I don't go into labor beforehand. If he is breech, they will have to do a c-section (so, we will have a c-section if he is born before Tuesday, or if the ECV isn't successful and he doesn't move head-down on his own). The good news is that it seems unlikely for them to do a c-section just because of James's size-he'd have to be over 10 pounds for them to do that.

I had painful contractions twice yesterday, one set in the afternoon and one in the evening. They were not labor contractions (they went away after about an hour and a half) but nothing helped, like walking, lying down, or drinking lots of water, so they were much more intense than the Braxton Hicks contractions I have had up to this point. They did not check to see if I was dilated or effaced today, but will check that at my next OB appointment. They usually don't check until 37 weeks or so, at least at this hospital.

Fruit time! According to baby websites, James is 4.2-6 pounds. The 7 pound, 10 oz  (or 7.625 pounds) from the ultrasound is just an estimate, but is usually accurate within 10% or so, which puts him between 6.9 and 8.4 pounds. He's a big boy! So he is bigger than these fruits, but hey, just for fun...

Crenshaw Melon (ew) or Honeydew (again). 

He is still probably around 18-18.5 inches. 

More updates to come next week (hopefully he'll stay put until then!). :)

35 Weeks, 5 Days

Oh my goodness, time has flown by since the last blog post! We have been busy nesting and I have been busy sewing (bibs, bow ties, burp cloths and other baby-related goodies). It's helping me rid of some of that nervous energy I have now that our little boy's arrival is just around the corner!

James is doing well! He is over 18 inches long now (almost 19 inches) and won't gain much more length before he's born, but will gain some more weight. He weighs between 5-6 pounds right now, but we'll have a more accurate guess (a more accurate guess just seems like an oxymoron) after the growth scan ultrasound tomorrow.

Fruits of the week:

Coconut and Honeydew! (Although the website that says Coconut for 35 weeks says Honeydew for 36 weeks...I think they're running out of produce to compare baby to). If I had to guess his size and weight and compare it to a fruit, I'd say a watermelon considering how huge I am and how heavy I feel. I am getting to the point where quite a few strangers are asking me when I am due. Half the time I'm caught off guard and wonder why they're asking me "what I do"-that's so rude!-and then I realize what they really asked. 23 days or less as of today, but I just started saying "3 weeks" because I'm lazy.

This, but sideways. 

His hearing is now fully developed, and his testes have fully descended. Atta boy. Earlier today Sirius yelped (Matt accidentally stepped on his paw) and James responded to that. Apparently they hear higher pitched frequencies better. I guess James would love Mariah Carey, then, yes?

The past 4-5 days he has been much more active than usual, but today he has been pretty quiet. I have been noticing more false contractions, lower back/pelvis/hip pain, and other changes that tell me that labor is coming within a couple of weeks. Yay! Now if we could only get him to flip head down....That would be great.

We will find out his position, estimated weight, growth, and my fluid levels tomorrow. Wednesday I have another nonstress test, and Thursday is an OB appointment. This is the first appointment where they start checking me for signs of labor, I believe. They will also discuss trying to move James manually. This is called External Cephalic Version, which is latin for "pushing very hard on a pregnant woman's belly to get the baby to move downwards." I believe James has started to rotate more downwards, but don't think his head is engaged like it used to be.

I will be updating the blog with more info this week. We're getting very close. Thanks for reading!

34 Weeks

Oh. My. Goodness. We will be parents within 5 weeks (May 7). FIVE WEEKS! That's a mere 35 days. 35 days! (Can you tell this is still sinking in?) We are so excited! I'm more nervous/anxious than Matt is, but that's typical. We have both been nesting, and I don't think our apartment has ever been more clean or organized. Having my mom here to help us encouraged the nesting instinct, I think. She was the baby laundry queen.

Baby James is continuing to put on more weight in the form of fat. He (still) weighs between 4.2-5.8 pounds and is getting closer to 18 inches. We'll find out a closer estimate of his weight at his next growth scan on April 15. He is either a cantaloupe or butternut squash, both of which have already been used. I guess I should say he is the size/weight of either a cantaloupe or butternut squash. He is still a baby.

And for a more realistic portrayal:

He is responding to voices more, especially Matt's...which is just the most precious thing ever. :) His fingernails have reached the end of his fingertips. He continues to wiggle quite a bit. Usually he'll be very active for a day or two, then more quiet for a day or two. Of course I start worrying when he's not moving as much, because I am a worrier...but he's doing just fine! Antibodies are crossing through the placenta building up his immune system, while his skin is less wrinkly because his fat is building up. He'll be our little chunky monkey! He is also urinating a pint a day. Productive!

My mom and I went to the Childbirth Prep class on Saturday. It was informative and the instructor was great. The class went over the basics of childbirth, like going natural and pain options, why a c-section would be necessary, how an induction works, and what happens after the baby is delivered. As long as everything goes as planned and both of us are fine, baby James and I will be able to bond for an hour or so after birth and try to breastfeed. Then it's bath time! Matt gets to help the corpsman with that. Two or so hours after birth we'll be transferred into a postpartum room, where we'll stay for 48 hours. We will probably let family in to the room after the first hour of bonding time. The labor and delivery takes place in one room, and it has a nice layout. It is a hospital so it has a sterile atmosphere, but isn't as militaristic as I anticipated. All the nurses we ran into were very friendly. I would have a hard time being an L&D nurse, putting up with (mostly) cranky women all day. 

The nursery is almost done! We just need to anchor the bookshelf...and I think that's it. It looks wonderful. It is very bright and happy, as it should be. :)

One of the great baby shower gifts I received was a sewing machine from my Navy support group (mostly Navy moms). We started making a nursing cover with it, yay! I am excited to finish that up. I'm also working on some nursing pads. 

My mom bought this precious little hat for James at the NEX when we were leaving the hospital (and I was taking her to the airport). Navy pride!

Happy Tuesday, everyone. Hope you have a great week. :)

33 Weeks, 3 Days

We've been very busy this week prepping the nursery, washing ten (!!) loads of baby clothes and linens, and packing James's bag to take to the hospital. There's a general consensus among family that James will be born in April. We can't wait to meet our little boy! 

James is now about 4.2-5.8 pounds (probably closer to 5ish by now based on previous ultrasounds) and about 17 inches long. My ribs definitely feel his legs stretching. This morning he was pushing his butt up, making my belly a very odd shape. So silly! James is either a Durian (a really ugly and creepy-looking fruit) or a pineapple (again). 

His breathing and sucking are continuing to develop and his bones are hardening. His pupils constrict, dilate, and detect light. James's brain is growing, but I'm convinced he's stealing all of my brain cells. :)

We've had a very busy week! My baby shower was on Saturday and it was so much fun. James and I were completely spoiled, and the food was amazing. It was so nice of friends and family to travel to celebrate little James with us. Katie and Michele put so much work into the shower, and I can't thank them enough for that. It was just perfect!

A week ago I had another OB appointment. It went great! My mom was able to come with me, and the doctor was nice enough to do a little ultrasound so she could see James. His head is too low to see (the doctor originally thought he wasn't head down...then realized his head was just so low she couldn't see it from the angle of the ultrasound), but we got to see his torso and legs, and he confirmed that he is indeed a boy. We were able to see his ribs, which was awesome-I've never seen those in previous ultrasounds. His bones are getting so big and strong! I also had another nonstress test on Wednesday, and James was perfect. He definitely doesn't like having the monitor on my belly and kicked it throughout the entire test, but we were able to get a good 30-minute reading. The nurse rechecked my fluid levels and they're within the normal limits now-yay! They're on the high side of normal, so they will continue to monitor them, but that's a relief. 

I can definitely feel James getting heavier and longer. His movements are not so much "kicks" anymore because he can't stretch and move around as much-space is getting tight! My breathing is much more labored, and I find myself waddling more each day. It is harder to get comfortable, but I'm still able to get a decent amount of sleep most nights. I'm enjoying that while I can. :) I feel huge most days, but that's par for the course at this point...and I have a pretty good reason. I am still having nausea but am getting sick every other day or so, which isn't too bad. I have been craving more sweets...but that could have something to do with the Girl Scout cookies in the pantry.

It has been so much fun to have my mom visiting us, and I'm sad to see her leave tomorrow after our childbirth class and hospital tour. The next time she visits us will be after James is born. Oh my goodness! Time is flying by. I'm going to miss being pregnant and feeling him move, but can't wait for Matt to be able to hold his son, and for his grandma and grandpas and aunts and uncles to meet him. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend!