My birth story (part 1)

Evan will be 2 months old tomorrow and I can't believe it!  You never understand how fast time can actually fly past you until you have a baby.  When reading all the mommy blogs I could absorb during pregnancy, I told myself I wouldn't say those words that all mamas say (I can't believe how fast you've grown), but seriously folks, it's inevitable.  Evan really is growing so fast.  In just 2 short weeks, he's become an entirely different baby.  It brings tears to my eyes just typing those words.  Wow, time really does fly by.

Speaking of flying by, my maternity leave is almost over and in a few weeks I'll be returning to work.    I had a few goals that I wanted to complete during my maternity leave. Don't worry I only had a few: Love Evan with all my heart, pump/store as much milk as possible (no quota, just do the best I can), and put into words my birth story.  One of my goals for maternity leave hasn't been met and so with this post, I check it off the list.

Giving birth is an overwhelming event.  It's overwhelming in the fact that it is beautiful, painful, empowering, and amazing.  It's a rite of passage.  It's a chance to show the world just how strong you are.  It's a chance to prove to yourself that you can conquer anything you put your mind to.  For nine months, a woman's body prepares for this journey into motherhood.  And then, after just a few short hours (comparatively) your body has accomplished it's goal.

Here's my story (discontinue reading if you get uncomfortable with TMI topics):

Evan William Jimenez was born on Sunday, June 26th.  I want to start my story on the Thursday before that.  I had my 39 week appointment with my doctor and asked if she could strip my membranes.  She was successful at doing so and I walked away from the appointment hoping that by the end of the weekend I would have my baby boy in my arms and no longer in my belly.  That afternoon, while at work, I starting having horrible back pain.  No amount of stretching, pelvic tilt exercises, Tylenol, or different sitting positions helped.  I was walking around the office more than I was sitting in my office chair doing work.  It was so bad that I finally went home early and laid down in my bed to rest.  I finally was able to sleep around 10:30 that night and I woke up Friday morning around 7:30.  It was glorious...until I tried to sit up in bed and was blinded with the same back pain, same spot, more intense.

I called my doctor as soon as the office opened.  I told her about my situation and she asked a lot of questions (any contractions? no, any bleeding? no, drinking enough water? yes, etc).  After answering all her questions, she advised me to go to the hospital and check myself in.  She wanted to have me monitored in case contractions where happening and I couldn't feel them.  I checked in around 10 am. and was monitored for about 2 hours.  They gave me more pain medicine and alternated ice/hot on my back.  I had one contraction after 2 hours, when the nurse came to discharge me.  She told me that my son had moved down enough to where he was probably sitting on my sciatic nerve.  My options were pretty limited.  I could go to a chiropractor and see if an adjustment would help.  Walking wouldn't help, it would probably just bring more pain.  She basically said, go home, alternate ice and heat, relax and pray your baby comes soon.  great!

I went home, in pain, not knowing what the next few days would bring.  My mind was going 100 mph.  Am I going to have to deal with this pain for another 3 weeks possibly?  I really wanted to work every day possible until the baby came; how was I going to endure?  Now I know why women take leave before the baby comes.  I can't do this!  I don't want to do this.  So this is the pain of pregnancy (yes it was pretty much for first real pain from being pregnant).  I hoped and prayed that this was the onset of labor and that I would have my son in my arms soon!  I called my sister and told her to come over, bring some movies and bring some spicy foods and green grapes (the grapes sent my aunt into labor years and years ago, so I decided to try those too).  Both of my sisters came down, we enjoyed our food and before we started watching the movies, I tuckered out and went to bed (around 11:30).

I was awakened at 12:30 am Saturday by cramping and gas pains, went to the restroom and laid back down to go to sleep.  Then the pains came again about 5 minutes later.  After about 30 minutes of this pattern it donned on me...this might actually be labor, but I didn't want to rush things so I grabbed my exercise ball and, while playing sudoku and bejewled on my phone, rolled back and forth on the ball.  I was trying not to pay attention to the time, but by 3:30 am, the contractions were happening every 3-4 minutes and, though they weren't as painful as I thought they would/should be, were becoming more intense.  I finally woke Rolando up and told him that I thought we should go to the hospital.  My sisters were sleeping in the living room, so I woke them up too and off we went.  I was elated.  It was time and soon enough I would be gazing in my son's eyes and falling head over heals in love!

While Rolando drove us to the hospital, Janelle called mom and told her it was time.  I was taken up to the room and hooked up to the monitors.  I saw the contractions coming and going and was feeling every emotion on the spectrum.

Nervous...will I be able to do this?  what is it really going to be like?
Anxious...the nurse checked me and I was only 2 cm dilated and 50-60% effaced, not a huge change from my 39 week appointment.  She advised me to use the hot tub and told me that if contractions continued it was probably real labor, but I could see in her eyes that she had her doubts.
Elated...the contractions continued while in the hot tub.  My mind was made up, this was it and I was going to meet my son.
Frustrated...the nurse came in and checked me again.  No progress, in fact, she said I was more like 1 cm dilated.  WHAT?!?!?  is that possible?  you can go backward?  NO WAY!
Angry/upset...after 3 hours of napping at the hospital (with the help of ambien and morphine) the nurses decide to send me home.  There would be no baby this afternoon.

I was so sad, upset and just plain frustrated.  My heart was broken.  I wanted to cry a river.  I was told to rest, relax, walk if possible, and when contractions started again, to wait until they were 3 minutes apart, lasting at least a minute, and painful/intense.  I was given homework.  I can do that!  Focus on the homework and wait.

Fortunately I didn't have to wait too long!

To Be Continued...

Constipation Remedies 101

Here's everything you need to know about solving the horrible bout of your child's constipation:

1.  Wake up every hour on the hour during the night and walk with your child (can you say sleep deprivation).

2.  Try to figure out if your child is hungry or just in pain.  (note: you can usually tell the difference between the two cries, but not this time...totally throwing off your mama instincts and confidence)

3.  Pray for your child.  

4. Walk and bounce and shush and sing for hours today.

5. Change your child's diaper many times hoping that a clean diaper will spur on the feeling of needing to pee or poop (because every. other. time. you change your child's diaper it spurs on the feeling of needing to pee or poop!!).

6.  Walk to your office and back (1.5 miles total) hoping that the cinched action of the wrap will help squeeze it out (you are definitely getting your exercise today).

7.  Strip yourself and your child naked and take a shower hoping that the warm water and nakedness will help move it out.

8.  Let your child sleep on his stomach for his nap, hoping that the pressure on his stomach will help it move on the way out (and then check on him every minute to make sure he hasn't fallen victim to SIDS {Gosh there are so many things to worry and fret about when you are a mom}).

9.  Listen to your child scream a TOTALLY different scream then you've ever heard. 

10.  Cry with your child.  It might help. 

11. Call a friend and talk to them about their child's experience with constipation.  Let their words comfort you and listen when they tell you they are praying for you and your child.

12.  Change your child's diaper one more time and hold up his legs a little higher than normal.  Watch as a sight normally unseen (and should probably remain unseen) unfolds before your eyes.  More poop than you can ever imagine will come running out of your sweet child's behind.

You will laugh.  You will cry.  You will shout for joy.  Must most importantly...

You will cheer on your son as he does an amazing job and relieving himself all over your shirt. 

I love my son!

Pregnancy Survey - 37 weeks

How far along are you? 37 weeks...only 19 days till my due date (will I make it that long?)

How big is Baby? about 6 2/3 pounds and about 18-19 inches long.

Weight Gain? all for the baby!!

Gender? Still a Boy (having weird dreams of delivering a girl though)

Maternity Clothes? Skirts, dresses and leggings are still a God-send!

Stretch Marks? 3 new stretch marks showed up over night this past weekend!  That's ok, though...I'll consider them victory marks. :)

Sleep? Pretty choppy...not gonna lie.  I'll sleep about 2 hours max before waking up and having to turn over or go to the bathroom. 

Symptoms? Restlessness - nesting, but not a lot of energy.  Having the desire to have a clean house but really just wanting to lie down and do nothing.  Anxious for Sweet Pea's arrival.  Still pretty uncomfortable.  Still very forgetful. 

Movement? I'm lucky to have quite the mover on me! All. The. Time!  He likes to stretch which is getting uncomfortable for mommy.

Food Cravings? peanut butter and jelly still is the best thing on earth!  Also, El Tapatio is making a fortune off of me! :)

Labor Signs? I've been having more frequent Braxton-Hicks contractions.  It seems every time I stand up I feel one.  I keep hoping that today will be the day!

Belly Button in or out? 100% innie! It hasn't changed even a little bit.

What I miss? Being able to sleep on my stomach. Not going to the bathroom every half hour. Being able to see my toes.  Exercising like I want to, not having to modify everything.

What I am looking forward to? maternity leave where it's just me and baby and daddy and not a thing to do except just be! Learning how I cope with labor.

Best moment of the week? My family went on a mini vacation to Astoria and I climbed all the way to the top of the Astoria Column.  I didn't think I would be able to do it, but I did!  YAY!  It was well worth the 164 spiral stairs (up and down!!)

bite and chew

You know that old saying, "Don't bite off more than you can chew?"  Can someone please tell me that again and again and again?!?!

This weekend was a very busy weekend.  Saturday I had to work in the morning, I had musical rehearsal in the afternoon, and Rolando and I had dinner at a friends house in the evening.  Sunday is the day that someone should have yelled at me to sit down for 2 minutes.  Here's what I decided was a good idea to tackle.

Last weekend my family made a trip to Idaho and came back with a truck load of baby gear! YAY!!!  Well, it was all piled into the garage (thank you Janelle, Tyler, Mom and Dad) and I wanted to dig in!!  There were buckets of baby clothes that needed to be sorted and looked at and washed.  Two loads of laundry later, task complete.  Not to mention the two loads of laundry that I brought over of Rolando's and my clothing! YIKES!  I better get used to that. 

I brought over bread mix to bake and little cubical storage containers to build.  I also wanted to start making a grocery list for Freezer Food Saturday coming up, but that didn't happen.

Rolando and I are going to sell the jeep so I decided (with the help of my dad) to fix a couple of parts that have been broken for a while.  Well, in the process of fixing one part, we totally pulled off the back window zipper.  The zipper has been broken for some time now, but Rolando and I just vowed never to touch it and it would be fine.  It took my dad and I two hours to zip the window back up.  We fixed it (WD-40 is a miracle worker)  and now I can take it through the car wash/detailer to get it looking good as new. :)

Well, all that work took a toll on my pregnant body.  I couldn't get comfortable last night, so I tossed and turned and shifted and groaned and grunted!  Not a good night sleep.  I'm feeling a little more than run down this morning.  Is this what sleep deprivation looks like?

I'm here at work today, but it's going to be a LONG 10 hour day!  Maybe I'll only make it 9 hours and go home, stick in a good movie, and FOLD all those baby boy clothes that I have. :)

Added a few hours later: I just wanted to let everyone know that my wonderful dad was the one handling the WD-40.  We were outside and he was spraying it on the window.  I was more than 5 feet away from the chemical so I don't think any damage was done to my little sweet pea.  Just wanted to clarify for any concerned mothers out there!  :)