Zoo Day

After the Rose Garden, we decided to head to the zoo -- a first for Ken and Katie. We went because we wanted to walk around but lacked the appropriate trail shoes. So off we went, only to be stopped by the $17 admission charge (each). Instead, we chose the family pass. For $79, we got free admission for all three of us for a year. Great choice for a possibly-screaming-at-any-time child. Especially since we just wanted to go in for a bit at 3:30 p.m.

Here are few from today:

The ocelot

Orangataun


Polar bears


Anemones



Lorikeets



The mongoose-viewing dome



The otters



All-in-all, I'd say she was a fan. I think we'll definitely be getting our money's worth.

Baby's First Bar

We start dodgeball tomorrow night (both of us) and have one of our friends watching Katie in the stands (the organizers have given us the side with bleachers so we can keep Katie out of the fray each week).

In addition, we just learned that Katie will be able to join us at the bar afterwards. Hooray! We are excellent parents.

Daycare Transportation

Day 2's trip to daycare involved breaking out the Chariot bike stroller. I took these pictures this morning:

Katie getting bundled up and strapped into the infant sling.


Strapped in and ready to go!


I asked Ken how it went and he said:

Trip went well. need to work out the kinks like remembering to take my keys and wallet...but all in all, it was a good drop off. Katie was quiet the whole way and smiled when I opened up the cover.

Katie in Daycare, Day 1

From Ken about a minute ago:

I just spoke with (name deleted). Katie is doing great. Just had her lunch, she had about a 2-hour nap and played with the kids (which apparently was a little overwhelming and only lasted about 10 minutes). All in all, things seem to be doing just fine Karen will have a sheet filled out with the day recap. She said Katie is very talkative and friendly and seems upbeat!

This blog is not dead

It's just been hibernating for a while. Here's what we've been doing since we posted last:

Katie was born
Our daughter arrived October 9th after a long pregnancy (not longer than anyone elses, just long for me). I gained 50 pounds, a shoe size and lost feeling in my fingers from swelling-induced carpal tunnel. Needless to say, I was very happy when I went into labor that morning. The anesthesiologist, who announced his arrival as the "drink cart", made me very happy with an epidural. I can't sing its praises enough. Labor was a breeze. But, they broke my water and somewhere in the process, I developed an infection and a 103 fever. By the time the day was over, I had lost a fifth of my blood and had an emergency C section due to the fever causing high blood pressure. Katie arrived at 8 lbs, 11 ounces and was 21.5 inches long. They took her to the neonatal ICU overnight due to the fever. It was an exhausting night for everyone. We all went home, healthy but exhausted, a few days later.

Here I am at 9 months. I wasn't about to have anyone take my picture, so this is one in front of a mirror about a week before Katie arrived.


Here's Katie the day after she was born. I don't even recognize her (or remember her looking like this) -- the only reason I know she's the same girl is you can see the bump on the left side of her chin.


Nana holding Katie when she was just a few days old.


Katie at 1 week old

Maternity leave
My folks stayed for 2.5 weeks which was so helpful. At the end of their time here, I still could barely move from the surgery, so my mom stayed an extra 9 days. I had the baby blues, cried daily for two weeks and needed a step stool to get into/out of bed for about 4 weeks. It was harder than I thought. After my mom left, Ken took 2 weeks off which was nice as we figured out to handle this thing that was our daughter. We got into a routine and developed a game plan, which was nice. She woke every 3 hours to eat. It was exhausting. I missed work. I thought maternity leave would be a breeze but it's been a lot more work than I expected. I miss feeling accomplished at the end of the day. Some days, all I can show for myself is some drool marks, oily hair and maybe the dishwasher is half unloaded. Other days are much, much better. Either way, I've learned that planning is out the window. I'll do my best and be happy with that. I've become more flexible and realistic in my expectations.

Ken learning Katie's routine and that Portland's rain doesn't cause all of the "wet" days.


Me and Katie around 5 weeks. The numbness in my hands is gone and my feet have shrunk a half size. I'm losing weight but it isn't all gone yet. That will take a while.

Ken preparing to tie a leg of lamb for dinner -- or prepping Katie for her first bath.


Ken giving Katie her first bath at ~4 weeks


Hughes and Kinley discover Katie
The animals are getting adjusted to Katie. Kinley was very protective in the beginning and would go to my mom's room to lick her hand at night when he heard Katie cry since I was having trouble getting out of bed. It was very sweet. He has now realized Katie is not leaving. He's ok with this now, but it took a little bit. Early excitement went to sadness and then acceptance.

Watching her on the activity mat (~5 weeks)

Ken, Katie and Kinley around 9 weeks

Hughes discovered Katie for the first time around 8 weeks. He doesn't seem to mind her. He likes the nighttime feedings because it means someone will turn on the water briefly for him in the tub (Hughes' favorite). Here he is when he jumped on the couch for the first time to see her:


Katie's Snowshoeing
Ken, the gadget fiend, scouted craigslist for a Chariot (closed stroller of sorts that connects to the back of our bike). He got that -- and the cross country ski attachment. We took Katie snowshoeing for the first time around 7-8 weeks. She was bundled up where her arms and legs were perfectly outstretched. She cried when we put her in and then fell asleep immediately for the entire trip.

Here's Katie bundled up and placed in the infant sling of the Chariot.


Ken, Kinley and Katie head off trail in the Chariot on Mt Hood


Snowshoeing is a family affair. It was my first time walking 2+ miles since pregnancy. I can feel it in my hips, which ache.


Katie sound asleep on the trail. This picture was taken through the window of the Chariot. She was zonked.



Katie's Surgery
In early December, Katie went in for surgery for a bump she had on her chin since birth. They didn't know what it was and we knew we wanted it removed before she started dating, so they decided to take it off so they could biopsy it (rather than biopsy it when it was on her face and cause her undue pain). She needed general anesthesia. I cried. I spent 9 months + 2 months getting attached to this child, only to lose it due to an unnecessary surgery. Needless to say, she came through fine -- the bump was a hemangioma, a benign accumulation of blood vessels that was different than the doctors had seen before. I told them maybe they could get a case study paper out of it. The doctor chuckled. I would be very proud if my daughter had a publication before the age of 1. :)

View of Katie's bump on her chin before surgery (~8 weeks)

Scar from Katie's surgery (11 weeks). It's just below her chin.


Sleeping through the Night
It happened for the first time the night before Thanksgiving. We were very thankful. She now sleeps somewhere between 4-8 hours at a stretch each night. Sometimes she'll make it all the way through, sometimes not. Again, I've learned not to plan for it. She falls asleep to the "ocean sound" of a sound machine. I can't sing the praises of white noise enough.

Sleepy Katie. She has Ken's furrowed brow and my love for sleep (per Chuck)



Eating Rice Cereal
My folks came out for Christmas so we decided since she was already eating 5+ ounces every 3 hours that we could try rice cereal with her. We did it for the first time last week on December 22nd. She made a mess and we laughed. She's eaten it once a day since. We still laugh.

Here's the first rice cereal feeding. We took Rob & Jana's advice and got an adjustable "high" chair. Fits onto any chair and can recline so we can feed her now or when she's 2.

She's not so sure about rice cereal.


These are a Few of her Favorite Things
Katie loves looking at lights. Sunlight, contrast, etc. She loves playing under an activity mat where she can stare and bat at things. She just started reaching for things in the past two weeks (especially plastic rings -- though she gets surprised when she actually touches them). It's not an "I want this, I'm going to grab for it" thing. It's more of a "let me flail my arms and see what I can touch". She also loves sitting up and watching people/things. Also, she seems to enjoy when people read to her. This last part is just starting up.

Katie loved sitting in the plants and looking at the lights and contrast through the leaves. Here's one around 6 weeks, which is also the wallpaper of my phone (this was the turning point when I realized I was a mom because I had a picture of my kid as my phone's wallpaper).


Nana reading to Katie (10 weeks). She seems to love Goodnight Moon, Jamboree and Goodnight Gorilla best so far. Here's Goodnight Moon.

Katie (11 weeks) exploring under the activity mat. Those plastic linking rings are a huge hit since she can grab them which make her smile. I never thought I'd have this type of thing in our house -- let alone in our living room.


Katie loves sitting up and watching what is going on. Ken framed this picture of her at 11 weeks for my office. I love it.


Going back to Work and Daycare
Daycare, what a racket. We signed up in April before I was showing. Each would take your deposit and say they "may" have a space for you. Suffice it to say, no place did. And they don't call you to tell you that either. Starting in November, we started scrambling again. It turns out we found a place through our county's child services department -- all certified daycares have to be certified/registered with the state. We got a list for all within a 2 mile radius of our house. We found two places with openings and are going with the french immersion one since we liked their philosophy and how they deal with kids best. It's run out of someone's house. We also looked into nanny's but they were 2.5x the price and if they were sick/on vacation/etc, we'd be SOL and need to take time off of work. I go back to work next monday. I'm looking forward to it but still feel guilty. Hormones suck and are pretty powerful in creating a bond for your child. For example, I'll put her to sleep and then look at pictures on my phone in the next room minutes later because I miss her. Ridiculous. I try to be tough and not admit that I care so much for her, but I do. She's wonderful and I love her.

Heading into 2010
I'm optimistic. She's starting to do so much more and get a personality. It makes taking her places more fun. She's becoming more of our family. I like that a lot. I'm looking forward to gardening with her. And go camping. Ken can't wait to get her outside more. He's already done a google search for "baby and whitewater rafting". Um, yeah, there's a reason there aren't any hits for that. Growing up with both of them should be interesting.

Stay tuned for more updates. I'm hoping to be better about all this. Just need a blogger app for the iPhone and I'll be all set. (The iPhone has been the only thing keeping me in touch with the world in the last 3 months).

Happy holidays!

Nothing yet

I've received a few emails asking if the baby has arrived yet. Not yet. My due date is this Sunday (10/4) but it could happen anytime from two weeks ago to two weeks from Sunday. A nice and vague month window.

Signs that it may come sooner:

• I was 2 cm dilated and 75% effaced as of my last appointment (last friday). Apparently labor is considered to be started at 3 cm and 85% effacement.
• The receptionist told me that it looks like the baby has dropped. (apparently she has a good eye for these things). The doctor also felt the head at the last appointment. Creepy.
  

Signs that it may come later:

• I was late and I've heard that births go similar to their mom's. Along those lines, I didn't feel kicking until 10 weeks past when I should have. Plus, I haven't felt a single contraction -- braxton hicks or regular. So, it's possible she could be a sleeper like me.
• It's entirely normal for first births to run late
  

So, stay tuned. For those of you on Facebook, Ken will be giving updates in real time. Blog posts will be a little slower but we'll get things posted ASAP.

Week 37 comes to a close

Had my doctor's appt today. 203 lbs. Baby's heartbeat is 150-160 (normal) and her head is down. I'm 1.5 cm dilated (need 10 for delivery; was 1 cm last time they checked) and 75% effaced (softened uterus for delivery). My belly is measuring 38 cm (right on track) and Katie kicked when the doctor was taking the measurement. The baby could come today or 4 weeks from now. My uterus is a time bomb.

Things at home are pretty much finished. I have our bag ready to go -- or at least all of our stuff on the dresser with the backpack on the floor next to it. We have the carseat and such, just need to install it in the car. So big items are complete with little pieces here and there.

Regarding cravings, no more blueberries for me. I've been eating a lot of nectarines but my biggest craving is milk. I've purchased 6 gallons of milk this week alone and I'm on my 5th one. Wow.

Still working. Very slow in moving. Fingers on my right hand are still numb.

35 weeks

I'm 35 weeks and 5 days today. 40 weeks is finito (give or take). I had my doctor's appointment today and things are coming along. Here are the latest stats:

• Belly measurement is back down to 36.5 cm. (1 cm for every week, so I'm back to normal since I was 3 cm over last week). Ken was a little sad by this. He wanted another ultrasound.
• I'm at 199.2 lbs. I'm almost breaking 200 which is unbelievable. (I started at 156). Yes, I feel ginormous. I'm not worrying about it though.
• Baby's heart beat is 160 bpm (on the high side of normal). Apparently if this gets higher and stays that way, they induce early. So far, everything's fine though.
• She did the first exam today and found that my cervix has already started to "soften" and that I'm already 1 cm dilated. It can stay that way for weeks, but it mean's I'm at least started along the process. Very strange.
  

Otherwise, I feel fine. It's still hard to get to sleep and it's hard to walk. My feet are giant sausages. We were going to go to the hog roast this weekend, but we decided to stay home and relax instead. I'm going to finish Katie's room (that's my goal) so stay tuned for pictures next week.

Katie's Lanterns

I'm making chinese lanterns out of tissue paper for above Katie's crib. They're taking a lot more time than I thought and I don't even know if they'll work/look reasonable. I feel ridiculous spending so much time on them when I'm swamped in pretty much every other way imaginable, but I am continuing with my efforts anyway:

Materials: balloon, white tissue paper, glue, acrylic paint, water.
How to: blow up balloon and set inside a solo cup. Tear up tissue paper and use 1 part paint:2 parts glue:3 parts water to add a bunch of layers. Allow to dry.

Picture taken from my phone showing the 10 lanterns I made in different colors.


Close up of the lanterns. I popped one (on purpose) this morning and it looked pretty stable. I was very excited.

Belly pictures

I hate belly pictures. They make me miserable. But my mom is afar and wants to see the explosion that has become her daughter, so here they are. As a side note, I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and I am measuring 3 cm over my week, meaning I may have a ginormous baby inside me or a lot of fluid in there. If I'm still 3 cm over next week, they're giving me another ultrasound to find out. Maybe Katie is a giant blueberry after all.

And now for your afternoon enjoyment... I think the 2nd one really gives you the full profile shot.

Kickin' Katie - 6 weeks to go

I'm at 34 weeks and weigh 194 lbs (40 lb weight gain thus far... and I still have 6 weeks to go). Average is 25-35 lbs, but everyone is different. The doctor's not worried about it so I'm not going to either. I'm feeling great but am having trouble moving around (getting to sleep is a lot harder now since there's so much weight and it's hard to shift around to get comfortable. But once I'm asleep, I'm golden. Walking is also hard so I've been limiting distance. Other than that, things are fine. She's kicking a lot now. Ken put his head next to my belly last night and started calling her name and she immediately kicked him in the nose. literally. It was pretty insane. One of the bigger kicks and it was completely in time with him calling her. Weird. We both looked at each other in amazement and fear of what's to come.

The nursery is coming along. My mom and her friends are having a shower in my absence next week - very sweet. They did the same thing when we got married. Ken and I went into a baby big box last weekend and we both had a meltdown. I'm under the impression we don't need much for an infant. Ken and my mom think we need to have lots of toys, equipment, etc for her. It's pretty funny. I'm like "all she needs is a spoon and an old pot" but then ken looks at me like I'm insane. Since I'm in the minority, I've been relenting, but it's hard. Plus, the decor I like is really simple (i.e. polka dots and nothing too "baby-y") whereas Ken's first choice was a 4 piece set that I hated most in the store and embodied everything I despise in kid stuff). We compromised on some simple/cute animal stuff and we both got to pick half the items with veto power over the other. It was a fairly effective strategy. Much like the great tomato draft of 2009.

My doctor's appt today went well. I'm not sure if we'll have another ultrasound before she's born (ken feels a little ripped off by this) but my measurements look good (i.e. my belly 35 cm at 34 weeks -- i.e. anything more than 3 cm over your week # and they schedule an ultrasound to see if the baby is ginormous). So I'm happy I'm not having a 10 pounder thus far.

I haven't had any contractions (I hear braxton hicks "practice" contractions are common for my stage), but I haven't felt anything. Either my uterus is still steel or my body's a little late in this whole pregnancy thing. I was 10 weeks late on the kicking, so it's possible I'll be late on this too. I'm not worried. I work at a hospital so whenever she comes, she comes. I know they won't let me go past 42 weeks, so it won't be more than 8 weeks. Awesome and crazy we're in the single digits now.

Nursery Prep

Now that we've moved the office down to the basement, we've been working on getting Katie's room in order and taking care of other items on the to-do list before she arrives. This weekend, we:

• installed the new computer in the basement
• Hemmed and doctored curtains
• picked up a new chair
• installed a closet system
• made curtain sheers from scratch
• painted the garage exterior's first coat

I also learned why there's no good reason to make your own curtains unless you can't find what you want or are high on pregnancy hormones.

I expected it to be much easier/faster but making those curtains ended up taking most of the weekend. My back ached by the end and it was more expensive to buy the fabric than it would have been to buy pre-made curtains. Once I realized this, I bought pre-made curtain panels instead, hemmed them to fit and added a band of fun fabric on the bottom to doctor them up. The banding can be easily removed later if a different look is desired.

I made the sheers myself though (latter being $30 in fabric rather than $20 to buy premade in the store). I do love the softness of the sheers though -- better than any I found in stores. But still, they took quite a bit of time to make and were not any cheaper.

Here's a picture of the chair and curtains in Katie's room. I was trying to get more of the curtains in the picture, but I only had my phone on me and couldn't get the light correct without showing more chair than curtain.

Kick It!

I felt my first kicks last night!!! 10 weeks late but at least they finally came! Plus, they were strong enough for Ken to feel too. He was very excited and felt about 3 in a few minute span.

So, I guess she's really in there. Maybe she just likes to sleep in like me, which is why it took so long.

Katie in 3D

Ken and I went in for an ultrasound today due to some potential complications they found a few weeks ago. Short version: both issues may not be issues anymore. The placenta's now 5 cm away from the cervix (instead of partially covering it) and the fibroid hasn't grown and is on the posterior uterine wall -- away from the baby (who's hanging out in the anterior portion). Either of these issues would necessitate a C-section down the road. I'm glad to hear things are ok.

But truthfully, I was most thankful that the ultrasound just happened to be today since I've been sick all weekend. I was worried that something may have happened to Katie due to fever, etc. I was nervous for the appt.

Everything is looking great. She's still a "she" and is growing right on schedule. They estimate her weight at 1 lb, 8 oz. Her kidneys are fine, heartbeat looks good, etc. She wasn't moving much and likes to keep her hand near her face (which is pretty common apparently). Still, they were able to take the following pictures. We were pretty excited to see that some of them were in 3D!

Here's Katie at 24 weeks:

Her heartbeat


Her grizzly-like feet


Side view of her arm covering her face


What the same picture looks like in 3D. You can see her arm in front of her face with the umbilical cord to the left (near the nose/mouth/eyes)


The ultrasound tech tried to digitally "remove" the arm and umbilical cord to get a better view. It created some weird shadows....


Kind of like if she were a pirate. Arrrrgh! Batten ye timbers, mateys.


Face shot


Same face shot, but in 3D. Ken and I were surprised by the "dark hair" which are actually just shadows. Surprised us both at first since I didn't have hair until I was 3 and Ken is blonde as can be.


And lastly, the distorted view that Ken and I think is creepily hilarious.


Don't worry, Katie has the back of her skull. But in this picture, I think it looks like she has horns. Ken thinks she looks like the kitten on fire from the Family Guy episode where Stewie kills Mr. Rogers (see the 0:41 second mark). Either way, we were laughing in the ultrasound and thought some of you may find the humor in it too.

Next ultrasound appointment is in 5 weeks. An unexpected bonus of complications, I suppose.