Pictures of Peter on facebook

Click on this link to see more pictures of Peter on facebook. Scroll to the end of the album for the latest pics

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2540165&id=7006501&l=281973daec

What we've been up to

Here are some videos to show you what's been going on with us the last three months...

Things we can do at 8 weeks old...

Laugh...


Talk...


Rattle...






The Thompsons come to visit






Happy three months Peter and 50th birthday Mimi



He's a great baby but he is occasionally mad (especially when he doesn't want a nap)


Peter loves...

to talk to his animals


to get kisses from Mommy



At three months we can laugh and laugh and laugh


We celebrated more birthdays!


Cousin Laura loves to chat with baby Peter


We also decorated our house for Christmas and Peter hung the final ornament


We went to the Tallassee Christmas parade and saw Santa

More videos

Yeah... that didn't happen

Return to the blog!!

So now that Peter is officially one month old (yay!) I think I need to return to the blog. I've got a bunch of stuff I need to go back and post over the next week but I'm gonna have to just do it when I've got a little free time. For some reason I'm just really busy all the time... how'd that happen?

Videos!

Some people have requested more videos of Peter... so here they are... he's a baby so he doesn't do much but he sure is cute!

Also, to see all our pictures from the last month go to these links...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2472282&id=7006501&l=eb1ea157ac
this album has new pictures at the end

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2471278&id=7006501&l=e83abc4eb6

nothing new in this one, but just in case you missed it the first time

In case you missed the pics...

In case you've missed it, here are some of the many pictures we've put out there for the world to see.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2473425&id=7022868&l=b3aef2d8f2

I'll add some more which Jessica posted when she wakes up.


Here's a video of Peter with the hiccups. I thought maybe he could go viral, but it turns out there are a bunch of baby hiccup videos out there, so probably not.

My Birth Story

Birth story
Labor and Delivery: Play by Play - Read the warning first!

Warning: For posterity and for other moms to be, I'm recording my labor and delivery experience... all of it! If you're squeamish or you just don't want to know, then don't read this.

If you read the last post I made before Peter came, I had a prenatal check up on August 17 my official due date. The doctor had told us to come in at 7am on Wednesday August 18 to have labor induced. I was only one day overdue but my blood pressure was up so they decided to go ahead and induce. Paul and I went back to Tallassee and got the house ready. Everything clean, sheets changed, dishes washed, clutter picked up, bags packed, car loaded and cat fed. We laid down around 11 and Paul dozed but I never really fell asleep. First I was just a little uncomfortable, then I was really uncomfortable, then I was in some pain, then I was in a lot of pain. I got up and walked around a little but it didn't really feel like contractions, at least not like my braxton hicks ones and they didn't seem regular but the pain was so bad I decided to call the doctor at three anyway. He said to go ahead and come in since we were already planning on it. In the time that it took us to get up, get ready, and walk out the door my contractions got regular, about two minutes apart, and intense. We headed for the hospital at 3:43am and made the 45 minute drive in about 25 minutes. At least, Paul says we got there that fast. Hunched over in the passenger seat, I think they moved Opelika like three hours away! Once we got there they took me back (alone) and got me settled into my room and bed. I got an IV and some staydol (I think that's how you spell it. It's a pain med that makes you a little drowsy. And I was more than ready to get some pain help at that point.) and answered about a gazillion questions. When did I last eat? Was I taking any medicines? Was my relationship with the baby's father abusive? No lie, they ask that. I told the nurse I had a poptart on my way to the hospital and assured her that I have a very loving husband. Then she decided to check me about which I was glad about because I just KNEW I was going to be pretty far along. I had been two cm the day before at the doctors office and had now been having pretty intense contractions for a couple of hours. So she checks and.... two cm! I couldn't believe it. They went ahead and started me on the smallest dose of pitocin and then the waiting began.

I already called my mom when we left for the hospital and she and my sister arrived just a little bit after we did. Paul's mom and sister also came that morning. My contractions were still pretty regular and still pretty intense but tolerable. Plus EAMC lets you have Jello and Sprite! And I am a firm believer that everything is more tolerable if there's food. Believe it or not, the hunger that had been one of the things I was most scared about. By 8 or 9 the doctor on call (not my regular ob) came in to check me again. I had progressed to about 4 cm We talked about whether or not I would be getting an epidural because she wanted to break my water but would rather I get the epidural first. I was still wavering about whether I wanted one because I just wanted to wait and see how bad it would get. Now, I have NO problem with drugs but an epidural (as all procedures) does have some pretty substantial risks so I didn't want one if I didn't NEED it. I told her I wanted to keep waiting and she decided to go ahead and put a foley bulb in to help me progress more. As I understand it, they put this thing up past your uterus, inflate it, then as your contractions push it out it encourages your cervix to dialate more. I had never heard of it before but I liked the idea of it and if any of you ladies are anti-pitocin, this is probably a good way to go. I was already on a low drip of pitocin that seemed to be working great, but the doctor just wanted to help it along a little. So she puts it in (not terribly comfortable, but not horrible) and then she tells me it will probably make my contractions worse... WHAM!... I think I'll be having that epidural now. So they call the anestiesiologist and start giving me fluids. It will take about an hour and everybody but one person must leave the room when they come. Now up until this point Paul has been in the room (with his daddy pass) and my mom/sister have been rotating in and out with Paul's mom/sister (sharing the two visitor passes). A short discussion later, my mom stayed and Paul went to the waiting room with everyone else. The epidural.. ugh...great once I had it... not fun to get. You sit on the edge of your bed and hunch over the person that is waiting with you so that your back is rounded and then for several minutes you hold VERY still. Now keep in mind, you are in LABOR the whole time! It really didn't hurt that bad because they give you a bunch of little shots to numb the area that they put the big needle in. Then they put the big needle in the middle of your back and I was totally unable to hold still. I was freaking out and I'm not really sure why. God bless that doctor, he did so good, but I was crying and shaking and the more I tried to hold still the more I shook. They did finally get it in and I didn't really feel it going in at all. They warn you that you might hear "a crunching sound" which I did not hear (thank goodness!) cause that would have freaked me out even more. Then they put a lot of tape around it and let you lay back down and wait for the meds to kick in. I've heard people say before that their epidural didn't work or didn't work very well... mine worked great! After about an hour I was completely numb from the top of my stomach down. I couldn't even move my legs so any time they checked me they had to move my legs for me. In my opinion... epidural=good idea!

After the epidural had taken effect they put a catheder in (weird!) and broke my water (also weird!). I think the foley bulb had already come out at that point but my water did have like a brown green tinge to it which meant Peter had already had a poopy. When that happens they want to be careful to make sure that the baby doesn't breathe any of the poop in as it's being born. It's called "meconium aspiration" and it's bad. Throughout the end of my pregnancy I kept waiting for Peter to "drop" and start to engage into the birth canal and the little stinker never would! So when they broke my water the nurse had to practically lay on my tummy to press Peter down into my hips. So by now it's 11 am, I am 5 cm, have been in labor for about 10 hrs and am now very comfortable. I had some more jello and sprite and I even took a little nap. I think Paul had one too! At about 3 the doctor came and checked me again and the time had come for pushing! They said I could only keep two people in the room and Samantha couldn't get out fast enough...I think she thought the baby might pop out and into her arms!

They warned me that first time moms sometimes push for about two hours and I thought "NO WAY". So push, push, push we did. Now, if you've never tried to push a baby out with the bottom half of your body paralyzed let me give you an idea of what it's like.... Nurse: "Okay Jessica, you have another contraction coming so we're gonna get ready to push" Me: "I do?" Nurse: "Yes, you do. Okay grandma and dad, let's hold her legs up and don't squeeze too tight because you will bruise her and not realize it. Okay... and push... push... push" Me: "Am I pushing?" It's really hard to tell if you're getting anywhere if you can't feel anything. So we did that for about an hour, pushing three or four times every couple of minutes and I was absolutely exhausted. I hadn't really slept in days and I had been fat pregnant for what seemed like years so it didn't take much to get me tired and this was HARD work. Thank goodness for the epidural because I don't think I could have coped with the exhaustion and the pain. At that point they let me lay back and rest for about 30 minutes and I'm pretty sure I fell asleep. In fact, I was so tired I was falling asleep in between pushs. After my rest the doctor came in to check on me (this is about 4:15pm). Peter had moved down a lot but was facing the wrong direction. Apparently babies should have their face toward mom's back on their way out and Peter was facing my belly. So the doctor turned him (which as you'll recall they turned him lengthwise about three weeks before). After that the doctor could tell that the pushes were much more effective and we were getting close. This whole time I still had one huge question in my mind... "will he fit?" I did NOT want to have to have gone through all this labor just to be wheeled away for a C-section at the last minute. I also knew in my heart that Peter was going to be a very big baby and the doctor had also metioned that this might have been the reason he was breech because my body just knew he wouldn't fit. So the whole time I am thinking.. "is he going to fit?" "can I still do this vaginally?" Well at about 4:30 the answer was a resounding "YES" we were about to have a baby! So I keep pushing and they start prepping the room and calling my doctor (who had said that he would stop by when he got out of the office at 5). At about 5:10 they tell me to stop pushing because the baby is almost out and the doctor is on his way. I insisted that the fabulous nurse who had been with me the whole time could just deliver him but she convinced me to wait a little longer. So Dr. Golden came in and out came Peter at 5:21pm! My epideral was still working great and because I was so excited I didn't even feel him come out. They set him on my tummy all gross and crying and at that moment... I was in love. I started crying and we took lots and lots of pictures! The nurse checked him out and cleaned him up and the doctor started the long process of stitching my back up (Peter's lovely shaped head was paid for dearly). They had to cut me and I tore a little too (a 3.5 I think)! I texted my dad (who was in New York) a picture of him and pretty soon the nurse asked if I wanted my family to come back. No sooner had she made the call than we could here Samantha (now Aunt Mantny) tearing down the hallway. The next day and a half were a little blur. I remember asking for chick-fil-a about an hour after he was born (I was starving). Seeing a number of nurses and doctors. Struggling to breastfeed. And sleeping on my tummy again... how wonderful! I'm sure I have left out some very important things, but that's all I got for now.

Update 6 months later... We are officially done paying hospital bills!

Daddy Gets to Upload the Videos This Time

Today, we had a doctor's appointment at 1pm. We were psyched up to make a strong defense for Jessica NOT needing to go all the way to 42 weeks before scheduling an induction. Well, we didn't need to.



Then we went over to Building 22 to get Jessica tested. I got to sit in the waiting room long enough to get bored enough to start playing with the video camera again.


(Sorry for not speaking loud enough. I was trying to be discreet; others were not.)
I'm sure you got the rest of the details in Jessica's post.

"You can have one more good night of sleep!"... yeah right!

So at lunch Paul and I discussed our strategy to convince the doctor I needed to go ahead and have this baby.
- I'm already 40 weeks... that's full term
- The baby is clearly big enough... I mean, he weighs 53 pounds
- I've been measuring about a week or two ahead anyway so it's like waiting til 42 to induce
- I'm an emotional and physical wreck.... this point I was going to make by crying
- I've been having natural contractions for weeks and they are getting me no where
These were a few of our ideas.

So at the actual appointment I found out I've gained another three pounds and my blood pressure was pretty high. Definitely higher than it's been my whole pregnancy but I'm pretty sure I was just uber stressed out by the time we got there cause it's my due date and I did NOT want to just get sent home again. Upon the check I was almost 2 cm but Peter's head is still "bouncy" as the doctor put it. I was also measuring 41 weeks. The baby's heart rate was a great 137. So I'm all prepared to fight for delivering sooner than later and I didn't have to! Dr. Golden said he definitely wanted us to have this baby this week! I think my high blood pressure made him a little nervous so he said he wanted some blood work done and if anything looked wrong we would induce tonight and if everything looked good then we'd induce tomorrow morning. So we went to building 22 and I had blood drawn and then we waited. Dr. Golden called me at about 6 and said that everything looked good and we should be at the hospital at 7 tomorrow morning. We'll start an induction and the within 12 to 24 we'll see if we need to have a c-section or can deliver vaginally. Obviously after all this I really want to have a vaginal delivery but I'm prepared for a c-section if that's the best thing for both of us. The doctor says it's a toss up what will happen because my cervix isn't super favorable but since I've been having contractions hopefully my body will respond to the extra little push! If you're reading this anytime before Thursday morning say a prayer that both Peter and I will respond to the meds and he will engage and I'll dilate all the way.

One way or another we should have a baby by Thursday afternoon!!!

Wow... I'm so excited/nervous/speechless...

I'm afraid my cat is going to be maladjusted

So one of Paul and Malachi's rituals is called "Man Time" in which they snuggle together on the recliner. Though I have repeatedly explained it to Malachi, I'm not sure he understands that our house is getting a new man and when Paul and Peter have "Man Time", he will not be involved. Also I'm a little worried that in his old age he's losing track of time because we can only be gone for a couple hours and he acts like we've left him for days when we come home now. This picture was taken this afternoon after we had been gone for about 5 hours. I think he's attempting to become one with Paul.
Malachi is also not a fan of me sleeping in in the morning. Normally it's not an issue because Paul gets up long before me and feeds him, but on this particular morning Paul had slept in (he claims that someone kept him up crying but I'm sure that person was in pain and not feeling good so he should forgive them). I had gotten up and eaten at like 6 and then gone back to sleep. At like 9:30 when I got up to go to the bathroom this was the site I saw. Since we moved he doesn't sleep in our bed anymore and though we didn't tell him he couldn't, he also doesn't even come in our room anymore. He sleeps all over the house but if the sun has been up too long with no new food in his bowl, he sits just outside the room and waits for us to come feed him. Once he saw me moving he started crying, but I have no idea how long he had just been sitting there waiting for me.

This baby thing is really gonna throw him off...

Lock-Ins and Oreos

So it's almost 2:30 in the morning. I can't believe my baby is due in
three days! I can't believe we're so close and yet I can't believe
that I'm still pregnant on august 14! For some reason I just really
thought this baby would come early. Now I'm really glad he hasn't
though because we're having girls night to celebrate the end of
summer. A lock-in at the church is not what I thought I'd be doing at
almost 40 weeks pregnant but it's been such fun! We're finishing up
the bible study that we've been working on all summer and just hanging
out. I have 8 girls and me and it's been a very girly evening. Lots of
junk food and giggling. Right now I'm attempting to sleep but the air
mattress is not really treating me right plus my Braxton hicks always
kick up when I lay down and lately I have to be really really tired to
sleep through them. I can sort of hear the girls in the next room but
I've told them not to leave the building and beyond that I'm not too
worried about them. I just really hope I don't go into labor until
after 10 tomorrow (well... Actually... This) morning. 10:01 is fine.
As long as we are cleaned up by then!

This is my friend... I call her "Lady Spider"

Lady Spider has been living outside our kitchen for almost two months now and while the picture doesn't really do her justice, she's huge. People keep asking why we don't kill her or move her... two reasons... One, Paul says she eats the bad bugs and I do think the bug problem in the kitchen is better with her guarding the window... Two, as long as I can see her, I don't mind her. Now the day that I go look for her and she is gone, then I will have issues. The point of her getting some time here on babycaspers.blogspot is because she's been pregnant. Twice, that we know of. About two weeks after she first arrived we noticed how plump she was getting. Then one morning she was skinny again. After some looking Paul found an egg sack about the size of my thumb in the corner of the window. He promptly moved it to the other end of the yard. I can deal with one spider, but not one hundred and fifty. I don't really know if that's how many babies would have come out, but two mascot kitchen spiders is one more than I need. Congratulations Lady Spider, I was very happy for her even though we took her babies away. She didn't seem to mind though, Paul said she didn't even try to stop him when he took the egg sack. So then a couple of weeks ago she started getting fat again (which Paul said was rude to point out since I didn't like when people said it to me) and just last night I told Paul... "I bet she has her babies before I have my baby". And then this morning... there she is in the same corner putting the finishing touches on her egg sack. No congratulations this time, I'm totally jealous of a garden spider who has managed to have babies at least twice in the time I've been pregnant. She beat me, just like I said she would. If she lays another sack before Peter comes, I'm gonna go out there and squish her.

Say Cheese

Since it looks like we've still got some time to kill, Paul did another pregnant photo shoot for me. The first three are a summary of the last nine months. Me at 8 weeks, 23 weeks, and 39 weeks. And a few of my favorites. Because I figure... when am I going to be allowed to look this fat again?!





Paul thinks this view is fun

But this is my favorite!

Nothing has changed

I don't know how that's possible but nothing has changed since my
visit last week, I haven't even gained any more weight. I'm tired.

4 o clock in the morning

It's four o clock in the morning and I have done eight loads of laundry, washed three rounds of dishes, baked a pan of brownies and a pot
of macaroni, ironed baby slings, resewn a pillow case, painted my fingernails, changed the sheets on the bed (Paul is sleeping in the nursery), mopped the bathroom floor, taken a shower complete with leg shaving, charged the camcorder for my doctors appt tomorrow, and now I've updated the blog. Is this what people mean by a burst of energy at the end of their pregnancy?

I think I might lay down now...

Two Showers! They should call that a thunderstorm!

I've had not one but TWO awesome baby showers this week and my amazing nursery is now bursting at the seams. This baby needs to get here and start appreciating all his great stuff!



Sunday the ladies at church threw us a really nice shower and I got great baby stuff and some always helpful advice. I've been trying to read my books but there's just so much I don't know! I am also just so overwhelmed by the love and support that our church family has poured out on us. It is so amazing!!



Wednesday night the youth threw me a surprise shower and I was sooooo surprised. I'm apparently very gullible cause I didn't see anything coming! The video above shows my reaction. We had cake and presents and it was lots of fun. Side note: apparently all the youth think I'm fat because we played a game where you pull off crepe paper for how big around I am and only one person pulled off LESS than I actually am... thanks guys!!

I think our cat is getting senile in his old age

He stays frozen like this the majority of the time. Sometimes he's
sleeping and other times he's just waiting... for what?... I'm not sure

Squishtastic

The top six inches of my belly are way squishier than they've been in months. Keep on moving down baby!

The Pain has Moved... well... South

According to the doctor on Monday things are moving... slowly... but moving. Peter is still head down and at a -2 station. For those of you who have no idea how/why my baby ended up somewhere negative, it just means that he hasn't dropped all the way down into my pelvis yet. I'm one centimeter dilated, though the doctor said he was being generous with that number. (For some fun you should find a ruler and see what a centimeter actually is. Its like basically nothing) My belly is measuring 39 weeks though so hopefully that means something good. (I was technically 37w 6d that day). I'm definitely feeling different too. My contractions are stronger, though still not regular, and I'm in a good bit more pain than I have been. And the pain is much "lower" than before. Again hopefully that means things are getting ready for baby and that hope helps me handle the pain much better. Plus I sleep a lot... like... a lot

One word.... Pedicure!

Gran gave me the funds to get myself a pedicure and I went yesterday afternoon. It was AMAZING! I'm normally not much of a fan of pedicures, especially the massage part, but it felt so good this time. Now I have super cute toes and my feet are really soft. Paul has been great to cut and paint my toes but I think he was a little glad to have someone else do it. All pregnant women should get such a sweet luxury. THANKS GRAN!!

Five Questions Never to Ask a Pregnant Woman

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: This does not apply if we are friends or family. If I actually know you then any of these topics are fair game and I'd love to talk about them with you. I'd also love to hear your opinion or thoughts. We can joke about any of these things too! These rules apply to complete and total strangers... for instance, the man stocking shelves at Winn Dixie, the lady behind me in line at McDonalds, any random person who happens to spy my big belly. END OF VERY IMPORTANT NOTE

I have noticed something. I'm not sure if it's a Southern thing, an American thing, or just a human thing but people will ask a pregnant woman anything! Apparently when you become pregnant you not only agree to have a baby share your life and body for nine (long) months, but you also submit to intense interrogation by everyone you meet. (See important note for clarification on "everyone"). People seem to lose all sense of propriety around you and will say, quite literally, just about anything. Has the world always been like this? Did I used to do this before I was pregnant and then some lady sat at home bemoaning MY actions on her blog? Maybe I did thoughtlessly do this to women... but no longer! In order to assist us all, I've come up with five easy questions that you never ask a pregnant woman.

Less important note: Maybe not all women are like me. Maybe some like to answer the same questions over and over again for months and be subjected to comments about their weight or size. For you women.... lucky you... End less important note

Also less important note: I love my baby and most moments I love being pregnant. I am not saying any of this because I resent the miracle of the ability to grow life inside me! End also less important note

The Five Questions Never to Ask a Pregnant Woman

1. "You're just miserable aren't you?"
Do you really want an honest answer or do you want me to sugarcoat it for you?.... "No, it's not that bad. It's just that my feet are three times their normal size and my back hurts from carrying around fifty extra pounds and I've been having contractions for the last five weeks and I'm really slow so I have to stand on those fat feet extra long and I live in a place where it's like 110 degrees during the day and even if it weren't I'd still probably be sweating through my panties most of the time, and instead of getting on with my errands I'm standing in the middle of a shopping aisle on my fat feet talking to you. So no, it's not too bad."

2. "When are you due?"
If I had a dollar for every time I have uttered the words "August 17" in the last nine months, I could send this kid to college tomorrow. It's really an honest question and such a simple one that I know why people ask it. Perhaps they just want something to talk about and that's fine, but I don't need commentary on my answer. I really don't care if August 17 is your mom's cousin's hairdresser's birthday/anniversary/bar mitzvah. And no, I will not wait three days so that my baby will be born on your grandmother's birthday (seriously?), maybe for my grandmother, but not for yours.

3. "Do you know what you're having?"/"Is it a boy or a girl?"
Can I just answer "yes" and move on? No, the reason you ask the first question is to get at the second. I'd like to see a statistic on the percentage of people these days that don't find out ahead of time what they are having. I know people who didn't, but I think the majority of people do. Again, a simple question and it's not the asking that's a big deal, it's the commentary. "Oh you'll love having a boy" (how do you know?). "Little boys always love their moms best" (Even if I beat him?) Occasionally someone will try to guess the gender just by looking at me and if they are willing to accept that they're wrong if they are (I have pictures people!), then that's kinda fun. Also if I tell them it's a boy then they may want to know what I'm naming him which sort of creeps me out a little. I don't know why, but I feel like I should post a picture of this person just in case they ever come around calling "Peter, Peter". But maybe I'm paranoid

4. "Is this your first?"
Again simple but I don't really know why people are asking it. Actually, I know why some people are asking it... "Yes, it is my first but I'm not 14 years old (contrary to the way I look). I'm actually 24, I've graduated from college, and been married for over two years." Cause most people are actually not rude enough to say, "Wow, look at you all pregnant. How old are you?" I usually just say, "Yes, it's my husband and I's first"

5. "Is it twins?"
Seriously... you don't really mean that you think there are two, what you mean is... "You are way too fat to just have one perfectly healthy normal sized infant inside you. No, you are so fat, there must be two (or even three) of them." Gee thanks! Also, (like the gender thing) don't argue with me about it, I've seen the ultrasound machine and I know they're wrong sometimes, but just because your granny said you have a gift for telling stuff like this does not mean I'm going to trust your word over my trained doctor with years of experience. While we are on the subject of twins you should also refrain from making any comments about my size (I am after all carrying a child within me, cut me some slack!) These (which I have actually heard) include: "You look about ready to pop." (I started hearing that about two months ago so you people obviously can't tell that just by looking at me.) "Wow you're sure big." (Seriously... would you just say that to a 180 pound 5'2" woman who wasn't pregnant?) "It's about time, isn't it?" (If it were, would I be standing here talking to you?) Didn't your momma ever teach you, it is never polite to comment about someone's weight/size... unless that person has an obviously swollen belly, right? What if it's a tumor?

These aren't the only wrong things to say, but these just about cover 97.2% of my conversations with strangers these days. Please also refrain from asking the bizarre or intensely personal. "What kind of food do you crave?" "Can you see the baby's feet when he kicks you?" "Will you have an epidural?" "Can I hug you?" No, I don't even know you.

But just so you're not left with nothing....
What you can (AND SHOULD) say to a pregnant Woman

1. "Can I help you?"
Last week at Walmart a couple passed me while I was loading stuff in the car and the guy offered to put my cart away. "Um, yes and thank you!" I would probably never call myself a feminist so I totally think pregnant women should be given empty seats, closer parking spots, and bigger food portions (haha, oops, how did that get on there?). Now the caution to this is if I refuse your help, then you need to just let it go... pregnant women get mad... fast.

2. "You look beautiful"
I think you should tell all women this frequently, but especially pregnant ones. I'll even pretend that what you mean isn't "You look beautiful (for a heifer)."

3. Anything about my life outside of the baby and/or the physical state of being pregnant.
Pretty soon I'll define my whole life by my baby... who are you? I'm Peter's mom. So let me be my own person for a little longer. "That's a cool purse." "I love your eyeshadow." "I wonder if it'll rain today." All great small talk comments

Perhaps these tips aren't helpful to you and you don't see why I'm upset... well take this as a pregnancy rant and put it out of your head. But hopefully you're a little wiser and a little more entertained.

Important closing note: My tendency to be frustrated with strangers is obviously not much of a Christ-like attitude and I am attempting to be slightly more patient with people. Maybe the world would be better served if we acted like all people were pregnant and got right up in their business in the middle of the Piggly Wiggly aisle... maybe?

Peter has now been redirected toward the exit!

The ECV procedure worked! Thank you to all of you who were praying for us on Wednesday. We got to the hospital about thirty minutes early on Wednesday and I was checked into labor and delivery. It was kind of neat that we got to be in one of the rooms and see everything so we will (hopefully) be nice and prepared for the big day since we hadn't had a hospital tour yet or anything like that. They got me hooked up to iv and fetal monitors and we waited. Waiting is apparently the theme on the childbirth floor. Dr. Golden came by and reminded me of what we'd be doing then I got a shot to relax my uterus and we waited. It's funny, the medicine they give you is like adrenaline so it makes your whole body shaky and your heart beat fast but it stops your contractions and relaxes your belly. Then after some more waiting Ultrasound came and confirmed where the baby was (and that he's still a boy!). Then the doctor came back and boom bang... baby is facing down. Well, it wasn't quite as easy as that, but I was prepared for it to be much worse. Honestly getting the iv put in was probably worse then all the tummy squeezing. Paul got to hold my hand during the procedure and then the doctor just sort of presses on your tummy until he gets the baby squeezed between his hands and then cranks him around. Ultrasound checks every few inches to make sure the head is moving correctly. It only took about five minutes to get him turned and then the doctor held him down for a few more minutes. It's amazing to me that with all the technology we have, this relatively simple procedure was the best option. Dr. Golden was amazing and I guess that made it much more bearable. After they were done they give you pitocin to restart your contractions and boy did that work?! After some more waiting and being monitored I got to go home with baby firmly planted downward. All together we were at the hospital for about four hours and I'm really glad we decided to do it. Now I have a much better chance of a vaginal birth (though still not guaranteed). Please continue to pray that the baby does not flip back (that can happen, though rarely) and now that he is facing the exit, he needs to make his way downward and actually fit! Now we continue to wait until I go into labor on my own. I've had all the right signs to be progressing that way, it's just a matter of hours, days, or weeks now! I'm feeling much better mentally and emotionally (which helps physically) knowing he's not breech anymore and I've got a little bit of a second wind knowing that he can come soon!!

"I'm Hosed!"

That was the thought that ran through my mind around 3AM a few days ago.

You see what had happened was this. I was sleeping, sleeping hard. And then I heard the faintest hint of a baby crying. "Whehnhhh..."
I popped awake, and "My baby is crying!" went through my mind.
"Whehnhhh..."
"I must help my baby!" I may even have sat up in bed.
...
"Wait a second, I don't have a baby that can cry yet!?!"
"Whehnhhh..."
"Is that the cat? ... No, it doesn't sound like him."
"Whehnhhh..."
"Is it something outside?"
"Whehnhhh..."
"No, it's definitely coming from inside. ...in fact.
"Whehnhhh..."
"You've got to be kidding me! It's Jessica's nose whistling. I can't believe I just woke up because of a nose whistle."
"Whehnhhh..."
"I'm hosed."

That stereotypical scene where the baby cries, Mommy tells Daddy it's his turn, Daddy grunts and keeps sleeping, and Mommy has no choice but to get up and take care of her wailing infant, that will not be happening in our house. Mommy's nose whistle woke Daddy up and sent him into a paternally charged adrenaline rush, ready to satisfy the needs of his yet-to-be-born son.
I felt, selfishly, a bit robbed of the ability to sleep through the needs of my child which American entertainment and culture had promised me.

All hope of fulfilling the role of uncaring brute is not lost, though. Because a couple of nights ago, I totally responded unsympathetically (because I wasn't really awake) when informed I was snoring, slept through Jessica grumpily banging around the kitchen and chasing down a roach in the living room, then eventually let her take her pillows and go to the mother-in-law bed (a twin) in the nursery--I was awake enough for that last part so that I remember it happened.

I just hope that when "my turn" actually comes that it comes with enough Holy Ghost fire to have me respond more like the first scenario and less like the second.

More Showerings of Presents!

Thanks to all of our sweet friends who threw an amazing shower for us last weekend. It was so much fun.... games, presents, decorations, and all! The nursery is well-stocked now and beautiful!

Decisions to make

As I finish my bowl of frosted mini wheats (yum!) this morning, I'm researching and thinking about a major parenting decision we have encountered.

At currently 37 weeks, I had a doctor's appointment yesterday.... much was learned. Baby Peter and I are still doing very well physically. No blood pressure or any other issues. His heart rate was 167 and he's super active so all the signs are that he is very healthy. (I have to say though that whenever we get in the car, Peter goes nuts! I'm apparently going to have the only baby that doesn't fall asleep in the car). I've gained too much weight but I haven't actually gained any in the last week so that's good because I almost fell off the scale last weekend when I saw the number! My swelling is pretty bad but since my blood pressure is still great there's no worries there. Aside from the basic stuff the new things we learned were....

I am currently not dilated at all (boo!) but 70% effaced (yay!). I was really hoping to hear that I was farther along than that since I've been having some sort of regular contractions for weeks but no...

Also, I learned that I have a happy baby.... so happy in fact that he has decided he's not leaving.... and it's not that he's just staying around, he is staying as far away from the exit as he can get. Peter is still breech with his head right under my rib cage. He's also not engaged at all. Dr. Golden did an internal exam, ultrasound, and felt my stomach with his hands, so I feel really confident about the baby's current state.

Which brings us to the decision....

The chances of the baby turning now are not very good since I'm so far along so if I go into labor anytime in the next three weeks (or have to be scheduled after three weeks), odds are... c-section. I've read that you can try and have a vaginal birth with a breech baby but it's complicated and I am unwilling to put either one of us through that. A c-section is not the end of the world and since I, myself, made my grand entrance via this method, I don't have any harsh feelings toward it. However I've asked around a lot and all things being equal I'd like to do this the traditional way. So the only way that can happen is if the baby turns. The doctor has suggested that we try ECV (external cephalic version). I didn't really know a lot about it but I asked him a bunch of questions and have researched the mess out of it on the internet. My biggest hang-up now is that I don't actually know anyone that's had it done (anybody?). The procedure will be scheduled for tomorrow so Paul and I have until noon today to decide if we want to try it (though I bet I can change my mind between now and then too). The doctor says we are a good candidate (and I trust his judgment very much), baby is in plenty of fluid and not engaged, but the success rate is only 60%. There are not a lot of great risks (much less than the risks of a c-section and the biggest risk is you deliver early which is FINE with me), and if it works, I'll probably (though not definitely) be able to deliver vaginally. So about every five minutes I change my mind about what I want to do... first I think I don't want the procedure, I'll just wait and have a c-section if I need it.... then I think, no no, I don't really lose anything by at least trying and I gain a lot if it works... then I think, it's not worth trying... then I think it is... then I think it's not... then I think it is.... I don't know! And I've tried to get other people to just decide for me, but to no avail. I asked Dr Golden which I should do but he says they are both good options, it just depends on what I want. Then I asked my mom who refused to say which I should do. Then Paul says it's my stomach they are pressing around on so it's really up to me. Then I call my mother-in-law (I thought the point of having a mother-in-law was so she could run your life, push her opinions on you. and make your decisions for you), but NO, she listened but didn't have an opinion for us. (side note: my mother-in-law is amazing!!) So we've prayed for wisdom and are just continuing to think. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately depending on how you look at it) there is no wrong answer here, I could do either and feel good about it. Or I could do either and wish I had done the other... oh no...

But now my mini wheats are gone and I need to get up from the computer cause my feet are puffy again.... still don't know what to do...

The Nursery is Finished... well, finished-ish

10 Steps to the Perfect Nursery:

1. Buy a house with more than one bedroom- check!

2. Move out of the nursery all of the random boxes that you put in there when you were moving- check!

3. Having married a wonderful guy who will paint it, pick out a fun color/pattern and have him do so now- check!



4. Pray that you are blessed to have wonderful friends and family who will give you stuff both old and new- check!



5. Build any necessary furniture- check!
(see also Daddy and Poppy putting together the crib)



6. Play with some of the toys- check!



7. Wash the cat...wait, I guess you don't have to do that, but it could be good baby washing prep- check!



8. Arrange all that great stuff you got- check!



9. Admire- check!



10. Have a baby- hm... not checked yet...

It's showering baby presents!

Today I had an amazingly fabulous shower! Well, I guess technically Peter had a shower, but I got the open the presents! We got a ton of stuff and I am just overwhelmed at how blessed Paul and I are. Samantha has a bunch more pictures that I need to get to post on here including a picture of the gift table and my lovely hostesses (Samantha, Grandmother, Aunt Linda, and Aunt Charlene). Now Mommy and I just need to find somewhere in the nursery to put all this stuff!

"It's like... really green!"

Has anybody else seen that home depot or lowe's commercial with the couple that buys the house and all the things are going wrong? And they cut to them painting a room this way bright green color? Well, our nursery isn't quite that green but it's pretty green. And we love it!! Check it out....

Paul taping the lines off





This grasshopper is the same color as the walls!


Finishing up!

Appointments, Appointments, Appointments!

Appointments seem to be the theme of these last few days. Tuesday morning we were at the Elmore County Health Department bright and early for my first WIC appointment. It was definitely a humbling experience to ask for help, but we are very grateful for the groceries that this will provide. Next we had to swing by the courthouse to file for the homestead tax expemtion. We were FINALLY able to do that with our recorded deed that we JUST got in the mail. Yay for being homeowners! I can't believe we've been here two and a half months already! After running errands all morning in Wetumpka my feet were back on the rise but I was able to rest a lot that afternoon. On Wednesday morning we drove the opposite direction into Auburn for my doctor's appointment. I'm 34 weeks and have so far gained 37 pounds.... yikes! It's not an issue of vanity I promise, but all this weight is getting hard to carry. I'm not sure how I managed to gain so much in just two weeks, but I guess that explains why my body is just so pained and exhausted. I'm definitely going to have to be dedicated to losing this weight after this baby is born because it is so miserable!! Because of the weight my blood pressure was a little high but nothing to worry about. The baby's heart rate is till strong but he is pointed away from the exit!! There is only one way out of here baby and let me just tell you it's not up. Dr. Golden did an ultrasound to check and sure enough this little stinker is breech. At this point the majority of babies should be turned so the doctor says they'll just continue to monitor it and next time we will discuss some possible options. Though I would rather not have a scheduled c-section, if that's the worst thing that happens during this pregnancy that's fine with me. Some of us just make our appearance into this world in a slightly different way... I mean... I'm a c-section baby! But I am praying that he will go ahead and turn between now and due date. After the OB I had an appointment at the LifeSouth office right outside the hospital because I wanted to go ahead and fill out all my paperwork to donate the baby's cordblood. Donating cordblood is a wonderful opportunity to give the gift of life to someone else! LifeSouth collects the cordblood right after baby is born. They take no blood or anything from the baby and what they are collecting is something that would get thrown away anyway. They freeze and store the cordblood for ten years to see if a match needs it and after then it is used for research. If someone needs it to help treat their disease it is given away and if my family needs it and it hasn't been given away yet, we can get it back! Of course my prayer is that my family will stay healthy and never need such a treatment, but it's nice to know that it's there and hopefully more will be willing to give. NOTE TO ANY EXPECTANT MOTHERS: you should definitely look into cordblood donation. Obviously, you must decide what is right for you and your family, but especially as Christians who are commanded by the Lord to love others, this is a great chance to show tangible love. Also as we speak out against what we believe are unethical practices in medical research, cord blood donation is a chance to say "hey, this works just as well... if not better!" Just a thought for you to consider. End note to expectant mothers. In naming news we are still pretty sold on Peter, but are reluctant to claim anything for sure. I'm trying to do better about using his name to try and get used to it, but I think what we ultimately call him will depend on his appearance and personality once he gets here!

We don't sleep good at night but we sure can nap with the best of them!

Paul and I haven't been sleeping well the last few nights, I guess our bodies are just getting us ready for when baby comes! Last night for the first time in two years of marriage I was burning up during the night and Paul was wrapped up and chilly... I'm not sure what has gotten into us except maybe the hormones! We both toss and turn, me because my back aches and Paul because some big whale keeps rolling over on him during the night. However we have gotten some wonderfully refreshing naptimes during the day. When I woke up from my mid day nap today (in my defense I got up at 5:30 am for an appointment) this is what I saw in the living room (see above picture). I'm thinking Malachi enjoys the naptimes too.... I hope he doesn't have too rude an awakening when his naps are disturbed by a baby cry!

Student life rocks!!

We are home so I am reposting this picture along with a little bit about our week. We left Monday morning with 8 youth and 3 adults (don't worry... we did come back with all of them!). We had conference meetings each morning and night...worship led by Charlie Hall and preaching by David Platt (both awesome!). Then we also had two church group meeting times during the day (well one was actually family group time but our youth group is small and all stayed together). We had some free time in the afternoons and got to enjoy the pool and beach when it wasn't storming. I had a blast and I think everyone else did too. It was tiring because we went from 7 in the morning until 12 (or later!) every night but it was so great to worship with youth from all over the US and I think it was encouraging for our teenagers to see the passion of others. The Lord is moving among the youth of this nation and we long for our church to be a part of that. Like I said, we made it back with everyone we took, no one got hurt or sick or lost or broke anything in the rooms, and we even came back with some extra food! We stayed in some really nice condos on the beach and had easy access to the beach, an indoor and an outdoor pool. It was a great time of fun, fellowship, and learning. I'm so glad we got to go and really appreciative to those who gave money to help us!

Daddy and Poppy set up the crib

Here's Paul and my dad setting up the crib from about three weeks ago. I finally got the video camera to connect to the computer so I can post this now. The nursery is really coming together for us. Hopefully Paul will get it painted this coming week and the room itself will be just about ready for baby! I am having three showers in the next month which is great because I still have a lot of holes in what I need. I am registered at Buy Buy Baby (yay...I wish there was one in Montgomery), Babies R Us (nice stuff but overpriced and the staff is pushy), and Walmart (I love Walmart but I don't know how many people actually buy stuff off Walmart registries). I am so thankful for those that are willing to throw us parties and "shower" us with baby stuff... it is such a blessing! Now that we are home from camp I am looking forward to resting for a few days and letting both of our bodies recover... though I think the baby didn't suffer nearly as much from the go go go of camp as I did. Paul and I got home last night around 6, we slept until about one in the morning then ate a little and slept until about 9 this morning. It was fabulous and I have slept some more since. I saw my ankles again for the first time in days and Paul is trying desperately to keep me resting so they will go all the way down. He's being successful for now because I had a bunch of stuff to do on the computer (pay bills, download pictures, update blog, etc) which I can do with my feet propped up on the couch but he is not going to be happy in a little bit when I go to unpacking and walking around. I've been praying that the baby would not come before we got back from camp so now that we are back I guess he could come at anytime. I'm still having some Braxton Hicks but no concrete signs of preterm labor which is very good!! I'm almost 34 weeks (officially, though I think I'm actually a little farther along) so we just need to get everything finalized for baby's arrival! Speaking of his arrival.... he may have a name when he comes.... we are pretty settled on.....




Peter Fitzgerald Caspers! We will probably wait until we see him and get to know him before we decide what we will call him, but we both really like this name.

Our family on the beach...

Goodbye oil spills, tar balls, dea sea creatures, double red flags,
bright orange boons, soapy oil cleaning stations, big metal clean up
rigs.... Ah... I love the beach!

Foot status- day 4

I didn't know my feet could get this big! Now I'm more worried about
stretch marks on the top of my feet and my ankles than on my tummy

Wow... I mean... Wow!

I can definitely (and amazingly) tell that the little life inside of
me is so different than it was just a few weeks ago. His movements are
very different now and I am continuously entertained by them. I used
to feel more kicks and jabs and it was a little hard for me to
pinpoint for someone trying to feel from the outside. Now though he
has definitely run out of room because I feel more rolls and twists. A
lot of the time I can feel his foot/knee/elbow/hand drag from one side
of my stomach to the other, top and bottom. You can see it from the
outside too!

Unfortunately I'm also having some Braxton hicks contractions too...
Not so entertaining! They mostly pass without discomfort, I only
notice them because my belly gets really hard. A couple have been a
little intense but I am hoping this means the process is getting
started and he won't be hanging around any EXTRA time. We are still
desperately praying he doesn't make an appearence before this Friday
when youth camp ends, and I don't think that's going to happen. Ooooh
there he goes again rolling himself around. I have to be careful
because when he really gets going it makes me want to laugh, not
because it tickles but because I am just so delighted with him and his
acrobatics. That might seem like a silly reaction but sometime I
really bust out lauging just to feel him twisting around. Maybe some
other moms remember feeling that way too and I'm not that crazy but it
is just amazing to me how the whole deal works. What a smart God to
plan it so that you fall in love with the creature who will put you
through so much once it arrives! I think I may be wrapped around that
itty bitty pinky already!

Ugh... Heartburn...

My baby better have a bunch of hair!

Hhheeelllloooo cankles!!

Emergency hospital bag=check

I've packed a small hospital bag to take to camp next week just in
case we need to make an appearance at South Baldwin Regional. We are
praying praying praying though that the baby does NOT come until after
we are safely home from youth camp. I will probably change(and
expand) my hospital bag before the big day but if we go soon, this
will be his going home outfit. The tiny socks might be my favorite part!

Congrats Liberty Softball team! Number 1 in the tournament!

We are having positioning issues

An open letter to as-yet-unnamed-Caspers-baby:

Dear baby,
This is your mommy. You probably don't know it yet but I love you very much. You also don't know that I will always love you even when I'm not liking you so much... now is one of those times. I know you think you're just floating around inside of the world's greatest water bed but you are as a matter of fact in my tummy and that is not the headboard you keep kicking off of, those are my ribs. Also, that fun cord thingy that ties you to me... when you pull on it, I can tell and frankly it doesn't feel nice. Now remember, I said I would love you no matter what cause you are my child and I am your mommy but I have to say, if you bunch up on my left side one more time causing that side of my belly to poke out about two inches higher than the other side, I am going to start pushing back. This could mean war and just remember, for several years now I will be bigger than you and control your allowance.  
Love,
Mom

P.S. This getting the hiccups every few hours thing is also getting a little ridiculous. I'm not even sure how you get the hiccups since you don't breathe air yet.  

Paul says I'm halfway to getting my boy scout fishing badge

My parents were in town this weekend and we had a wonderful time! We got a lot of work done in the nursery... though painting is still the big job that needs to be done. If I can get the camcorder to cooperate I will post pictures/video of Paul and Daddy putting up the baby's crib! Until then though, here are some pictures of us fishing on Yates Lake. It's not a stocked lake so I don't think many people fish on it, but there's also apparently no pressure so we had a pretty good evening. I got three fish and they were all a different species. I have caught other kinds before and Paul says you need to catch five different ones to get your badge so I almost did it in one day!


Here's my stripe which I caught on my second cast! Daddy fussed saying he was ready for us to start catching fish that fast... I can't help it, I'm that good!


Here's my skinny bass!


Here's Paul and I with the perch we caught at the exact same time!


Here's what I spend most of the time doing... I mean, if I didn't take a break the others would never have a chance to catch any!


Paul also caught a bass!


Oh, yeah.... Daddy caught some too!

"Is it going to be cowboy day forever?"

One of my VBS kids asked this about halfway through the week and (though I did have a lot of fun during last week) the answer is happily "Praise God, no"! VBS did in fact end and I think I may have pretty much recovered. We had almost 60 kids each night, about 30 workers, and 2 kids made decisions during the week! I averaged about 10 kids from the age of 2 to 6 and thankfully had two really great helpers. It was definitely a successful week!

31 weeks.. woo hoo! That means we only have 9 weeks left before he is actually "due". According to our OB the overwhelming statistics say that first time moms deliver about a week late, so I probably really do have over 2 months left to go... whew... it makes me tired just thinking about it! We are doing good... my blood pressure, sugar, weight gain etc. are all fine... baby's heartrate, kick counts, and measurements all look good too! So far it's been a very smooth pregnancy but I am really starting to feel it these days. The last two weekends we have been to pool/lake parties and I am loving being in the water. I have NEVER been much of a water person before but it feels so good to just float around. My joints don't bother me nearly as bad and I still feel like I'm getting a little exercise. Unfortunately then I get out and I feel like I weigh a million pounds! I can definitely tell that the baby is getting stronger because his kicks are quite powerful these days. Every now and then he will even make me jump. He is also gets the hiccups about once a day and they are below my belly button so I'm hoping that means he is turned the right way already. I'm thinking August 2 sounds like a good day to have a baby but Paul is hoping for August 9 so that his birthday will be 8/9/10. I think we are narrowing in on a name too! We got a crib a couple of days ago and hopefully the nursery will get finished as soon as we come back from camp. Just hoping he stays in a for a little longer... his current accommodations are much less lacking that where he will be when he gets here!

Blue

I thought I would go ahead and make the blog blue since we do know we are having a boy... if only he had a name....

Yee-haw! VBS week at Liberty!

My belly button is one swift baby kick away from being an outie....

... say it isn't so!

The fine line between lazy and careful

I feel like I spend a large majority of my time these days contemplating this line and which side of it I am on. As I sit here at 10:30 on a Monday night eating blue box Mac n Cheese straight out of the pot, I am thinking about it again. Sure... I could chalk up everything sluggish or selfish I do as being "for the baby", but sometimes I think I'm probably just being lazy and pregnancy provides a wonderful excuse. For instance, I have always been a big fan of naps. I think the entire country should siesta from 1-4... brilliant. Today though I had only been awake for an hour and a half before I laid back down to sleep for 3 hours. (Granted we are having VBS in the evenings at our church this week). Now everyone (including my doctor) tells me I need to take it easy "for the baby", that there are things I have to do slower "for the baby", or can't do at all "because of the baby", and I am NOT saying I want to get those things back, but what I am say is if the pre-pregnancy Jessica would have happily slept until 10:30, then got up, ate, and gone back to sleep until 3, then did I really do it "for the baby"... I'm just saying, I think I did that more for me. (And don't hear me wrong, I don't feel bad about it... I'm planning on doing it again tomorrow... I've just been thinking about it!)

I have the best husband ever!

Little "no name" Caspers

Baby Caspers still has no official name. We have lots of names that we like but nothing has been "it" yet. It's been kind of hard to not have a name for him because I feel so attached to him. We love to watch and feel him move and I love to play with him and chase him around my belly. It's hard to believe I'll be 29 weeks tomorrow and my pregnancy books are already suggesting that I pack a hospital bag and finalize my birth plan. I guess it is time to be thinking about that stuff though! My prayer is that he won't come before July the second. That's the day we get back from student life camp with our youth and it's the last big thing I need to make it to this summer. The nursery probably won't be finished until the week after then so even though he's pretty well developed at this point, he definitely needs to stick around and do some more incubating. And he needs a name!

Malachi is super helpful when it comes to home remodel

Watching Malachi with each of the changes at our new house has been quite funny. Everytime we move a piece of furniture, even a few inches he must smell every inch of it. We put this great low shag carpet in our bedroom and I thought he might never step off of it. I'm not sure what he's seaching for when he sniffs all over the house, but he seems to appreciate that the same people are still in the house... he likes us and he is not afraid to let us know. Here's hoping he likes the baby too!!

New House Fabulousness!!

Here are a few pictures of our semi-settled in house. They are pretty terrible collages because I'm still learning what's on Samantha's old laptop that I have now.


The front of the house!


When you walk in the front door here's the living room/dining room with the back door leading onto the front porch.


Our bedroom which Paul painted and laid new carpet in


A bathroom (not pictured because it looks like all bathrooms)leads off of our bedroom and into the baby's nursery. Right now it's full of boxes and unsorted baby stuff so it's not much to look at. This room will be painted green and I'll definitely post pictures when this room is finished. It probably won't be done for a couple more weeks so let's just pray the baby doesn't come before then!


The nursery leads into the hallway where the washer and dryer are. That door leads to Paul's office and another bathroom. I didn't take a picture of this room because... trust me... you don't want to see it.


The hallway leads into the kitchen when takes you back to the great room!

I've got pictures of the first time we looked at it so we can eventually go back and tell how much work has been done. There's still a lot mre to go though!! Paul has been amazing and so handy... building out closets, painting, installing carpets and much more! It's so fun to come home to our own house and see how much the Lord has blessed us. Come by and see us sometime!!