1 week already?!?!?!

Baby Dane is 1 week old already....that makes me happy and sad at the same time!! Sad because I cant believe how quickly time is flying by and happy because I've gotten to know my little munchkin and each day is an adventure and blessing all rolled into one!

We are finally getting the hang of things around here....we actually went on our first "outing" yesterday....granted it was to baby's r us, but at least we went out and took baby Dane for a ride!

The dogs have adjusted quite nicely as well. Chai wants to lick and lick and lick and lick and Cora is kinda like "who cares, I just want to get on the treadmill..." haha!!

Darrens first day back to work is today. It was really rough to see him go as I am sure it was rough for him to leave. Dane and I are doing great even though we miss Darren/Daddy very much. It's not the same around here without him.

I actually put Dane down for once to take a shower and I think I was jumping out to check on him more than I was actually in the shower, but hey - at least I am clean now!!!

We will post more pics soon!!!

We're surviving!!!

It's been 48 hours since we brought baby Dane home.....and it's been wonderful!! Darren and I make such a great team....We are both getting enough (well, as much as we can) rest and we take shifts throughout the day and night.

Breastfeeding is going as good as it can right now considering my milk hasnt come in yet. We have to supplement his feeding with some formula because he is losing some weight (which is normal for the first few days). Hopefully that doesnt last too much longer......I now realize that when people told me breastfeeding wasnt easy - they werent kidding!

Dane is such a good baby so far! He loves to be swaddled and have his head rubbed. He makes the cutest faces when he is dreaming!! We just sit and stare at him all day!!!

I never thought being a mother would feel this wonderful....It is the best feeling in the world!!! I also didn't think I could love someone as much as I do my little boy!!

Darren and I are the two happiest people on the planet right now!!!

Keep checking back for new pics and videos.....every now and then when we get a moment we will upload some!!!

Baby Dane is Here!!! The birth story....

We went in for the induction on Tuesday morning 05.19.09. My water was broken at 8:30am and the pitocin drip started at 9:00am. Contractions commenced shortly thereafter. At first I was like "this is it? these arent thaaaat bad".......and THEN they upped the pitocin! I was only 1-2 centimeters dilated when i arrived at the hospital and baby Dane still hadnt dropped. After almost 6 hours of really really intense contractions that werent doing anything I was still only 2 centimeters dilated and Dane wasnt any closer to dropping. This was really frustrating. I felt like I was going through all this pain and it wasnt doing anything! I was basically fighting the contractions....meaning I was so tense and trying so hard to work through the pain that i wasnt allowing the contractions to work for me. I actually was trying to breath through the pain so intensly that I was hyperventilating. My whole face and lips were numb and my hands and feet were purple. So, my doctor said I can either get an epidural to relax and let the contractions do what they are supposed to do, or try for a couple more hours and then more than likely end up with a c-section. She even put it on the schedule and had blood drawn on me to get me ready for the c-section. I didnt want a c-section, so I opted for the epidural. I got it at 4:30pm, and by 6:00pm I was 7-8 centimeters!! The nurse came to check me again at 6:30 and I was the full 10 centimeters and she said I could start pushing. WOW! Just two hours ago I was in the worse pain imaginable and now I can start pushing!! Holy Moly!! I was worried that with having the epidural that I wouldnt be able to tell when I had to push, but I could!! It was really amazing!! I pushed for about 10 minutes and was already crowning! I was watching it in a mirror and it was just the weirdest coolest thing in the world! The nurse called my doctor who had to rush to the hospital. She no sooner walked in the room, got her scrubs and gown on, I pushed for maybe another 10 minutes and baby Dane was here!! In total it only took him about 30 minutes to be born! He came out screaming (probably because we evicted him early!). He was born on 05.19.09 at 19:09 (7:09pm) weighing in at 8.3lbs, 20 inches long, and a 14" head circumference (thank goodness I had the epidural!!)
We couldnt be happier!!

I want to thank Darren so much for being such a support structure for me through this labor and delivery. He was absolutely wonderful during the labor and helped me through each contraction. I cannot confirm or deny if i broke any of his fingers....hee hee. He is and always has been my rock and I am so happy we are in this together. He is there for me every step of the way and even has helped me so much in breastfeeding! He has made such a great father already and it's only been two days!! It is such a wonderful thing to see him with Dane....It brings a tear to my eye everytime I watch them together. What a guy....I sure picked the best one out there!!

For some pics, click on the link to the left "Our Pics and Videos" and the his pics are in the folder "Dane Lee". Keep checking back there for more pics and videos!!

Didn't think I'd be making this post.....Here's to 41 weeks!!!!!

You may be more than ready, but apparently baby isn't quite done enjoying the comfy digs you've provided him or her. And while every day you don't have your baby may seem like an eternity, he really will be here soon.

So what's going on in there? The good news is, in general, babies who are born "late" (in the "fourth trimester") weigh more, appear more alert and have more hair than babies born earlier. Some even come out singing and dancing. OK, not really, but you'll feel like singing and dancing after you finally get that baby out of you.

Your future sumo wrestler now probably weighs between 7½ and 8 pounds (** Dane is about 8.5lbs) and measures about 21 inches long. So not only is the baby late, but he keeps getting bigger, making delivery more challenging, er, we mean exciting. (**AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!)

Still Waiting!!!

Well, there is no news to report.....we are still waiting for baby Dane!! We keep saying "today is the day!!"......one of these days we will be right!! Haha!!!

Hotel Hartenstine is just too darn comfy!!

We had an ultrasound today and baby Dane is measuring about 8.4lbs and is very healthy! The amniotic fluid is at a perfect level....too perfect it seems!! I have a feeling this little boy is going to make us wait for a while!

We are just so happy to know that he is a healthy boy and I am providing him with an ideal environment to hang out in. (hopefully not too much longer!)


We didn't get to see the doctor today because she had to go to the hospital since someone else was giving birth (lucky duck) so we saw a nurse practitioner instead. All she was allowed to do was check to see if I am any more dilated (which I am not) and that was about it!

Next appointment is on Thursday....hopefully we dont make it till then - but it's ok if we do too!!!

Ding Ding Ding!! He's Done! Here's to 40 Weeks...

Congrats! That bun in your oven is fully baked! That's the good news. The possibly not so stellar news: Actually giving birth on your due date is hard to do—even for overachievers. In fact, many first-time moms go up to 2 weeks past their due date (sorry!). **Boooooooo

Hopefully now that baby is cooked to perfection, he'll come bouncing out any day now.

Other last-minute progress:Because some of your hormones are passed into your baby's system, your baby's genitals (scrotum in boys and labia in girls), and even his or her breasts, may appear enlarged at birth. It can be alarming, but rest assured it's perfectly normal.

At birth your baby has a total of 300 bones. Some of the bones will fuse together later, which is why an adult has only 206 bones. Fascinating, no?

Babies vary in size at this point, but the average full-term baby weighs around 7 to 8 pounds and hovers around 19 or 20 inches. That's about the size of a ... BABY! Of course, tell that to the mother who just delivered a 9-pound baby vaginally!

Still (impatiently) waiting.....

Well, I think baby Dane is going to make us wait!

We had an appt today and nothing is happening :( His head is down, but hasnt dropped yet into my pelvis (even though I waddle like he has, but apparently when he does drop I will waddle even more...yay!). This boy just isnt ready to come into the world! And it's ok. The longer he wants to stay in there the healthier he will be! I've made it too comfortable in there for him I suppose!

I am only 1 cm dilated, but have been for a week now, so that is no indication that anything is progressing. We have an ultrasound scheduled for Monday (his due date) to see just how big he is and if everything is ok.

So it could be any day now or any week now!! The doc doesnt want to induce unless he is around 2 weeks overdue. I know that is different from what she said last week, but it is what it is.

We'll keep you all posted!

I was absent that day......

I've been told that I was absent the day they handed out patients....and I have to agree! Waiting for baby Dane to arrive is driving me nuts!!! I know, I know, only 5 or so more days....and that is IF he is born on his due date (which only 5% of babies are born on their due date).

Darren and I have been taking walks every night to try and get things going and I've been walking up and down flights of steps as well. Even if the walking and steps dont do anything to speed things up at least the exercise is good for us!!

I'll know more about my progress at my appointment on Thursday (providing I dont have Dane by then, which then this would be a moot point). I should then have an ultrasound to determine more accurately how big baby Dane is (the doc is guessing 8.5 lbs and that was a week ago). Once we determine how big he is - we will either set an induction date or just let nature take its course.

We'll see!!!!

39 Weeks - One more to go!!

One uncomfortable complaint of late pregnancy is frequent hiccups. No, not you, your baby. Because there is no air around your baby, when he practices breathing, it can cause amniotic fluid to get into his windpipe, resulting in those regularly spaced thumps that make you think you're carrying a jumping bean in your belly. ** Baby Dane has the hiccups almost every day!!

Other news this week:The lanugo (an exotic word for soft, downy hair) that used to cover your baby's body has mostly disappeared, but you may find a bit leftover on the shoulders, forehead and neck. Don't freak and think you've given birth to a monkey: It'll fall out soon.

The color of baby's skin is changing from a red-pink hue to a white or blue-pink color (even in babes with dark skin). These changes are due to the amount of fat your little pudger is putting on.

The circumference of your baby's head and abdomen are about the same size now (though you may not be able to tell if your baby's born with the common cone-shaped head!).

The placenta is lending your Mini antibodies that'll keep him strong and healthy after birth. That said, it's still a good idea to invest in that mega-size bottle of hand sanitizer.

At this point your little critter is about 19 to 20 inches long and weights about 7 pounds. That's just around the size of a large rabbit. What's up Doc? ** Our doc said baby Dane is more like 8.5 lbs!!

Well, If i had my way I would be in labor right now! I can't wait to get things rolling and to meet our little guy and start our new lives! We are spending these last few days just relaxing, taking naps whenever we can since we know we wont be able to EVER again!!