One week later

It's amazing - she's only been here one week, but already I can't imagine life without Scarlett. I am head over heels in love with my daughter. I look at her and cry. Maybe it's the hormones or maybe it's pure joy. Probably both.

We are living one day at a time here. I'm feeling better every day. The incision is still sore, but it's healing up real nice. My hormones are out of whack, which isn't fun, but I know it's normal. My mom is staying with us and has been a huge help. It's such a luxury to be able to focus on getting better and taking care of Scarlett. Speaking of my pride and joy, Scarlett is amazing. She's eating and sleeping and pooping and peeing and occasionally opening her eyes. Every day her awake time is longer and longer. She's so fun to talk to and just stare at.

More later. Right now a certain body part is telling me it's time to feed the little one...

Scarlett Ann

My prize was born on August 22, at 3:09 pm. She weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz., and measured 22 inches long. She is healthy and happy and the cutest thing I've ever seen. 

This is it

Today is the day!  We leave for the hospital in one hour.  I slept just fine last night and am so prepared this morning that I have time to blog!  It doesn't seem real, but I'm sure it will as soon as we step through the hospital doors.  Everyone I've talked to has said that c-sections are the way to go, but I'm still really nervous.  I could feel my body going into anxiety attack mode while I was getting my amnio yesterday.  Another minute and I'm sure my hands would've started getting numb,  I would feel faint and have to vomit.  Anxiety is a beautiful thing.  As much as I try to stay calm, my body has a mind of its own.  Or is it that my mind has a mind of its own?  Anyway, I'm hoping that I'll be so excited about meeting Sunny that I won't care about what's going on to my body.  

My thoughts this morning?  I just can't wrap my head around the fact that I'm going to be a mom in a few hours.  It just doesn't seem possible.  And I'm so freaking thirsty.  Never mind that I was told not to eat anything past midnight last night, I was also told not to drink anything and it's making me a little crazy.  Actually makes me look forward to the I.V. and catheter.  Oh, there - you see?  I'm already feeling better about the needles.  Wait, no.  Still nervous.  

Okay, I guess I should go get ready.  Next time I blog, I'll have a daughter!

Excite!

This photo says it all - I'm excited!  First a MacBook (complements of Gigi) and then a delivery date!  I had the amnio this morning at 8:00 and then at 4:30 we finally got the results.  Little Sunny - at seven pounds already - is good to go!  The c-section will take place at 2:30 in the afternoon.  Please keep us in your prayers.

Updates soon!

By the way, no I'm not wearing underpants.  Get over it.  I'm pregnant.

I concede.

I get kind of defensive when I think about the "nesting" phenomenon that people claim pregnant women experience when they get close to their due date.  No, no, no I want to say to them.  I'm not nesting, I'm preparing.  I want everything to be ready for Sunny when she comes home - a place to sleep, clothes to wear, diapers to poop in.  I also want our home to be clean and organized so Brandon and I can focus our energies on being good parents.

And then today it hit me while I was mopping the floors and scrubbing the bathtub two hours after the cleaning lady left: I am nesting. 

Life is never boring

I had something unexpected happen to me last week - I was laid off from my job.  They are doing some intense "restructuring" and my entire department was "eliminated."  Damn executives.  Thankfully I left before I was laid off so I will still receive disability and Paid Family Leave.  I'm still pretty bitter about it, though.  I feel deceived and unappreciated.  I admit that I was unsure how I would feel about leaving Sunny in three months to go back to work, but I really loved my job and I didn't look at my last day there before my maternity leave as the last day I would ever work there again.  Or set foot in there again.  I can't see myself ever going back.  On a positive note, I did make some good friends there and I learned a lot about publicity and public relations thanks to my awesome boss.  Every job I get seems to be better than the one before it so I'm kind of excited to see what happens next.

Until then I think I'll have a baby.

One more week

It's pretty unbelievable that if all goes as planned Sunny will be here one week from today. Well, she actually won't be Sunny anymore. She'll be... oh, right - I'm not telling! It's Brandon and my only secret. You all know it's a girl and when she's coming, so this will be a gift to you. A surprise! I mean come on, who doesn't like surprises?

I got thinking last night and although I am anxiously looking forward to not being pregnant anymore, there are things about being pregnant that I will miss. I will definitely miss the feeling of Sunny kicking and moving around inside me. I love feeling her little bony foot pressing against my belly. And I love when Brandon reaches over and feels it and gets excited and starts talking to her through my belly button. The special treatment I get from friends and strangers is nice. Being pregnant serves as kind of an ongoing social experiment: some people go out of their way to be nice to me like the guy at the cafe yesterday who actually offered to help me out of my seat. And some people act no different like the waitress who snapped at me for attempting to sit down at a dirty table. Now I know to be extra nice to every pregnant woman I encounter in the future. I'll also make sure to tell a pregnant woman how cute she looks. That always feels nice. Also, as far as strangers go, being pregnant is also a good conversation starter. I had a long conversation with a Trader Joe's cashier about Leos yesterday. Supposedly they are energetic, flirty and demanding of attention - really? Or are we talking about you, Mr. Chatty? I will also miss being able to eat whatever I want, within reason of course. I have never gone overboard, but I certainly don't feel guilty about eating like I used to. And it's so nice to have gained 30 pounds and not feel the need to hide it.

You know what I won't miss? The feeling that there's a giant exercise ball tightly strapped to my waist. It's so hard to find a good sleeping position and then I'm up every two hours at night to pee, stretch my back and change the side I'm laying on. At this point it's even hard to find a good sitting position and leaning over is close to impossible. I won't miss that I get winded after walking for twenty feet or talking for more than three minutes. And I definitely won't miss the various unmentionable ailments that commonly occur with pregnant women. I won't miss those most of all.

Without a doubt this pregnancy has been a rewarding and memorable experience that I wouldn't trade for the world. It is a privilege to be pregnant with my child. Corny, but true. And next week it will be a privilege to take my daughter home with me and love her and soothe her and put her in cute outfits.

Breastfeeding 101

Last night we took a breastfeeding class at the hospital. The instructor was super nice and very informative. I think we retained a fair amount of what she was teaching us, but mostly we learned that we have a lot to learn. Thank goodness for the nurses and lactation specialists at the hospital. While we're there we get one free consultation from a specialist and we have the option to pay a small fee if we want to see her again. The nurses, of course, are there to help the whole time. If anything, knowing the basics will make us that much more confident for when we have to do it for real...in ten days. Oh, don't even get me started.

We got a funky doll to practice some nursing positions on (see photo). Brandon really took a liking to her. Ours was the one of the left - doesn't she look like me? The instructor taught us a good position for women who have just had c-sections, which I'm sure will be very helpful. We were told that it is important that we talk to our OB and request that I see Sunny as soon as possible after the birth so we can start breastfeeding. According to her, the longer you wait the harder it is to get started. I like that she told us that if we really want breastfeeding to be successful it can be. It may take time and hard work, but with help and guidance it can be accomplished. AND that if you do it right, breastfeeding should not hurt. Ever. Not even in the beginning. Nice to know. We'll get a list of names of lactation specialists when we're at the hospital and I know of a few boutiques in the area that specialize in breastfeeding. It will be comforting to have support once we get home.

Answers

Where shall I begin? We met with our OB on Thursday who told us that a c-section will be schedule at my 37th week and that my amnio would be scheduled the day before. The nurse tried to schedule it on August 25th, 26th or 27th, but the hospital was all booked up. Drats. I was supposed to get a call on Tuesday with a date, but instead my doctor called me yesterday to say that a date had been confirmed! If all goes well and we find out that Sunny's lungs are developed enough on August 21, she will be delivered on August 22. I won't be quite 37 weeks, but it's pretty close. And she'll be a Leo! She'll be on the cusp, which I like to think means she'll have the best characteristics of a Leo and a Virgo. Don't fight me on this, people. My daughter will be a precious flower, dammit!

Speaking of my precious flower, the OB said that everything looked good with Sunny. Even though I'm only 34 1/2 weeks, my belly measures at 37! No wonder everyone who sees me thinks I'm days away from giving birth. She's huge! I'm huge! My doctor said that even though I've gained a good 30 pounds it looks to be all in my belly. She even said I looked cute - how nice is that?

Indian milking and Water Wheel

On Saturday, Brandon and I met up with his uncle Dan, aunt Gina and cousin, Charlotte. Dan and Gina were in town from Arizona. They were on their way back from a trip up the coast and had stopped for the weekend at an RV park in Malibu. The park looks right over the ocean, it's beautiful. They made us a delicious dinner and Gina treated Brandon and me to an infant massage class. She's a certified instructor and a great teacher. It was really interesting and fun. Massage is supposed to have many benefits for the baby and for the parents. We learned techniques to help improve the baby's digestion and combat gas. Massage will also help relax the baby and calm her if she's colicky. It's also supposed to relax the parent and aid in the bonding process. All I know is that the babies in the video Gina showed us looked super happy and I would most certainly be content to be massaged everyday. Ahem, Brandon.

LA Shower

A few weeks ago my lovely and amazing sister-in-law, Jen, threw me a baby shower here in LA. It was a ton of fun and I felt very loved. Laura and Tiffany, my awesome friends from high school, flew out for the party which made me feel even more loved. And Laura brought her camera. What a pal.

Tiffany created a baby- themed game of Taboo that was genius! Everyone was shocked when I correctly guessed 'papoose' after Molly said 'indigenous infant'. Taboo, take note.


My former boss, Danielle, catered the party. The lemon pizza was seriously delicious.


Jen told a story about a hot dog. We all learned a lot.


Here she is with her son (my adorable nephew) Ronin and Brandon's cousin, Charlotte.


Brandon showed up just in time for me to open the rectal thermometer.


It made him sad. Thank goodness for the Ugly Doll.

More third trimester fun stuff

The bloating and swelling and stretching have begun! My feet are chubby and my fingers look like sausages. The skin on them feels so tight. Although I hate to be without my precious wedding rings, I take them off at night to give my poor, fat finger a rest. That's also the name of my new band - the Poor Fat Fingers. Oh, and I have news - I am now the proud owner of an outie belly button. The skin on my stomach really seems to be testing its limits. It feels so stretched and itchy. Thankfully, my sister-in-law, Jen, suggested I rub Vitamin-E oil on it every morning and night and that's really helped.

It's such a weird feeling to look down at my feet and hands and not recognize them. I also still occasionally catch myself in the mirror when I'm naked am shocked at how large my belly is. It's huge and bizarre and I love it. I have a little booter in there! MY little booter! Makes all the bloating and swelling and stretching worth it. Grow, little booter! Develop those lungs!