Monday, August 20, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Willow is growing by leaps and bounds now. She eats constantly. Seriously. Beth and I are both pretty tired- but Beth more than I. She's doing most of the work. But we can honestly both say that Willow is well worth it. She smiled at me today. It may not have been intentional, but it still felt pretty good. Its incredible how quickly traces of a personality emerge. We already know that she is a slow-poke like both her parents (as evidenced by her eating habits). We also know that she is a cuddler- not all babies are, you know. She is sensitive and reactive (the startle reflex is on hyper drive). She prefers the outdoors to the indoors. And when all of her needs are met, she is very content. And we learned all of this before her 4 week birthday. Beth wanted me to add that she has already experienced a growth spurt, which made Beth feel like a milk machine. I am going to post some more recent pictures.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
A Message from Willow
It has been a little while since I posted anything. I guess I've been a little busy. Anyway, in the spirit of my friend Todd's blog, in which he wrote a series of letters to his son while in Guatemala adopting him, I give you a message from our daughter. She wrote every word, I promise.
Hello everyone. I just wanted to take a minute from my busy schedule to say a few words. First of all, WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Ok, I'm glad I was able to get that off my chest. That has really been on my heart for a while now. So things out here aren't so bad after all. I didn't really know what to expect after living without gravity through my entire in utero experience, but gravity's cool. It's kind of weird though because I can really take advantage of all the open space and stretch out- it was a little cramped in there. I like my Boppy pillow. Its fun to lay there and just look around, throw a few punches and kicks every now and then to entertain the parents. But I'm just trying to use my time to get to know my surroundings. I discovered shadows the other day- they're pretty neat. And a lot of people have come to see me, which has been really fun. Its really too bad I won't remember any of this, because all of this attention would really help my self-esteem when I come to be an adolescent. Except the part about everyone saying over and over that I am so big. I'm glad I won't remember that at age 14. Anyway, since I love pretty much everyone at this point, if you are reading this blog, I can say with confidence that I love you and hope to see you soon. Love, Willow
Hello everyone. I just wanted to take a minute from my busy schedule to say a few words. First of all, WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Ok, I'm glad I was able to get that off my chest. That has really been on my heart for a while now. So things out here aren't so bad after all. I didn't really know what to expect after living without gravity through my entire in utero experience, but gravity's cool. It's kind of weird though because I can really take advantage of all the open space and stretch out- it was a little cramped in there. I like my Boppy pillow. Its fun to lay there and just look around, throw a few punches and kicks every now and then to entertain the parents. But I'm just trying to use my time to get to know my surroundings. I discovered shadows the other day- they're pretty neat. And a lot of people have come to see me, which has been really fun. Its really too bad I won't remember any of this, because all of this attention would really help my self-esteem when I come to be an adolescent. Except the part about everyone saying over and over that I am so big. I'm glad I won't remember that at age 14. Anyway, since I love pretty much everyone at this point, if you are reading this blog, I can say with confidence that I love you and hope to see you soon. Love, Willow
Saturday, July 28, 2007
warning... long post
So our daughter is now only 4 days old, and has already provided Beth and I with the most unique experiences of our lives. Sometimes it has been hard- I mean, really hard; other times it has been completely natural and easy. There has been excruciating pain, absolute elation, exhaustion, exhilaration, laughter, tears, tedious work, and a whole lot of fun. All in the past 4 days (well actually the past 9 or so). No wonder we’re tired.
I don’t have to go much into the early labor stage because I already wrote about it every couple of hours while it was happening. But I will say that the sheer length of it prepared Beth (and I) for a long, arduous labor. On Monday, after her ultrasound, we went to the birth center for another non-stress test and evaluation. The doulas, Tara and Lisa, met us there and Patty, a nurse, set us up in a room. The NST was picture perfect, but by then Beth’s contractions were not as regular as they had been that morning. This was bad because if she wasn’t having contractions at least somewhat regularly, she wouldn’t have been able to have her bag of waters broken, which we were hoping would bring on labor.
The midwife, Peggy, decided to check Beth anyway and discovered that she was between 4 and 5 centimeters, far enough along to break her water, which she did with what looked like a long, plastic knitting needle. That was at 3:30 on Monday afternoon. That was when the fun really started.
What followed was literally hour after hour after hour of contraction after contraction. They got closer and closer, more and more painful. We developed a ritual for Beth to cope with the pain: Beth and I would stand face to face holding each other’s hands and rocking back and forth. Beth would groan with low tones, which actually helped to open her cervix further. (It sounds hokey, I know, but there actually is a physiological reason for it.) Tara and Lisa offered much encouragement, sometimes a massage, and sometimes information. Actually just them being in the room was incredibly helpful. They made Beth and I both feel sane. Occasionally they even took my place in the ritual we had developed.
Every few hours (!) Peggy would come check Beth to determine her current state of dilation. It seemed like she gained a centimeter every time Peggy came, but again that was only every few hours. So we kept on with our ritual, going out to the garden for a while, coming back in and using the birth ball, and going in the Jacuzzi for an hour or so. This was especially helpful for Beth although she didn’t like the jets on. (Later she remarked, “its weird, I thought I would have wanted the jets.”) Both mine and Beth’s parents arrived at the birth center around 9:00 Monday night and brought some dinner, which by then was much appreciated (by me, not Beth; she didn’t want to eat anymore).
When she finally reached 8 centimeters at about 2am, she went back in the Jacuzzi, where she started having a weird sensation during her contractions. When I say weird, I mean it was bizarre for everyone there. Beth didn’t know what was happening to her- she just felt strange, like she had to use the bathroom. The look of confusion on her face confirmed that she didn’t know it was an urge to push that she was feeling. Lisa went to tell Peggy (the midwife) about this turn of events, but Peggy said it wasn’t quite time, she’s only 8 1/2 centimeters. More waiting, more ritual for another hour.
Peggy came back, checked her and said, “push as much as you like.” And Beth did. She pushed non-stop from 4:00am until Willow was born at 9:45. She pushed during contractions, and in between them (in between it wasn;t so effective, but she coudn;t help it.) She barely stopped to rest. We all tried to support her as much as we could, holding up her arms or her legs, giving her water, putting a cold washcloth on her forehead. But it was all Beth now. I couldn’t believe how much determination and drive she had to birth this baby. It made me tired just to watch, but Beth said she felt little pain at this point, just pressure. This was despite the fact that Beth received no anesthesia to get her through labor.
Beth pushed in every position possible: on her back, on a birth stool, on her hands and knees on the bed. The midwife even had us slow-dance through a few contractions while Beth pushed. It wasn’t exactly romantic, but the baby moved further down the birth canal in those three contractions than the previous two hours of pushing on the bed. Eventually a portion of the head became visible, bearing a small tuft of hair. That tuft of hair became the battle cry for the nurses, midwife, and doulas, who used it to encourage Beth along. “I can see the tuft! It’s getting closer!”
The pushing was endless, at least I thought it would be. But finally at 9:45, Peggy said “that’s it, we’ve got to have this baby. The next contraction is it.” And after a small episiotomy, some coaxing from all present, and some serious pulling from the midwife, Beth pushed one more time and out came Willow. They put here immediately on Beth’s chest, skin to skin, and she cried and cried. They put a hat on her and wiped her with a towel. She had a grey cone head and a yellowy-white body. There was so much confusion. Was this really happening? At some point a placenta was born. I cut the cord, took a picture of the baby. Beth was weeping from joy, from relief, from exhaustion. When I looked around, I realized everyone else was crying too. Tara, Lisa, the nurses, myself. There was so much emotion in the room, it was hard to think.
Then I realized that every single person there carried a portion of the burden of birthing our baby. Of course they were crying. They were completely invested in this birth. They put forward every last thread of energy to make sure that Beth felt supported. One nurse stayed three hours late because she “wanted to see the baby,” see the fruits of her labor. In a way, we all gave birth to Willow. I know Beth bore the physical burden, but even Beth says the physical pain was only a small part of the overall struggle. It was the emotional endurance, the persistence, the determination to finish the marathon that we were all a part of. And in the end we all enjoyed the prize.
The rest of the day was a blur. Parents, nurses coming in and out. Willow was cold so we wrapped her in blankets. I took a nap, but it was more like going off to a strange land. When I returned we ate pizza and had milkshakes- a healthy celebration meal. Beth tried to breastfeed. Eventually the nurse weighed Willow, took footprints, and gave a few shots. A few hours later, she got a bath. We had visitors who brought us dinner and Rita’s. We had some final instructions from the nurse a few hours later. And then we went home
I don’t have to go much into the early labor stage because I already wrote about it every couple of hours while it was happening. But I will say that the sheer length of it prepared Beth (and I) for a long, arduous labor. On Monday, after her ultrasound, we went to the birth center for another non-stress test and evaluation. The doulas, Tara and Lisa, met us there and Patty, a nurse, set us up in a room. The NST was picture perfect, but by then Beth’s contractions were not as regular as they had been that morning. This was bad because if she wasn’t having contractions at least somewhat regularly, she wouldn’t have been able to have her bag of waters broken, which we were hoping would bring on labor.
The midwife, Peggy, decided to check Beth anyway and discovered that she was between 4 and 5 centimeters, far enough along to break her water, which she did with what looked like a long, plastic knitting needle. That was at 3:30 on Monday afternoon. That was when the fun really started.
What followed was literally hour after hour after hour of contraction after contraction. They got closer and closer, more and more painful. We developed a ritual for Beth to cope with the pain: Beth and I would stand face to face holding each other’s hands and rocking back and forth. Beth would groan with low tones, which actually helped to open her cervix further. (It sounds hokey, I know, but there actually is a physiological reason for it.) Tara and Lisa offered much encouragement, sometimes a massage, and sometimes information. Actually just them being in the room was incredibly helpful. They made Beth and I both feel sane. Occasionally they even took my place in the ritual we had developed.
Every few hours (!) Peggy would come check Beth to determine her current state of dilation. It seemed like she gained a centimeter every time Peggy came, but again that was only every few hours. So we kept on with our ritual, going out to the garden for a while, coming back in and using the birth ball, and going in the Jacuzzi for an hour or so. This was especially helpful for Beth although she didn’t like the jets on. (Later she remarked, “its weird, I thought I would have wanted the jets.”) Both mine and Beth’s parents arrived at the birth center around 9:00 Monday night and brought some dinner, which by then was much appreciated (by me, not Beth; she didn’t want to eat anymore).
When she finally reached 8 centimeters at about 2am, she went back in the Jacuzzi, where she started having a weird sensation during her contractions. When I say weird, I mean it was bizarre for everyone there. Beth didn’t know what was happening to her- she just felt strange, like she had to use the bathroom. The look of confusion on her face confirmed that she didn’t know it was an urge to push that she was feeling. Lisa went to tell Peggy (the midwife) about this turn of events, but Peggy said it wasn’t quite time, she’s only 8 1/2 centimeters. More waiting, more ritual for another hour.
Peggy came back, checked her and said, “push as much as you like.” And Beth did. She pushed non-stop from 4:00am until Willow was born at 9:45. She pushed during contractions, and in between them (in between it wasn;t so effective, but she coudn;t help it.) She barely stopped to rest. We all tried to support her as much as we could, holding up her arms or her legs, giving her water, putting a cold washcloth on her forehead. But it was all Beth now. I couldn’t believe how much determination and drive she had to birth this baby. It made me tired just to watch, but Beth said she felt little pain at this point, just pressure. This was despite the fact that Beth received no anesthesia to get her through labor.
Beth pushed in every position possible: on her back, on a birth stool, on her hands and knees on the bed. The midwife even had us slow-dance through a few contractions while Beth pushed. It wasn’t exactly romantic, but the baby moved further down the birth canal in those three contractions than the previous two hours of pushing on the bed. Eventually a portion of the head became visible, bearing a small tuft of hair. That tuft of hair became the battle cry for the nurses, midwife, and doulas, who used it to encourage Beth along. “I can see the tuft! It’s getting closer!”
The pushing was endless, at least I thought it would be. But finally at 9:45, Peggy said “that’s it, we’ve got to have this baby. The next contraction is it.” And after a small episiotomy, some coaxing from all present, and some serious pulling from the midwife, Beth pushed one more time and out came Willow. They put here immediately on Beth’s chest, skin to skin, and she cried and cried. They put a hat on her and wiped her with a towel. She had a grey cone head and a yellowy-white body. There was so much confusion. Was this really happening? At some point a placenta was born. I cut the cord, took a picture of the baby. Beth was weeping from joy, from relief, from exhaustion. When I looked around, I realized everyone else was crying too. Tara, Lisa, the nurses, myself. There was so much emotion in the room, it was hard to think.
Then I realized that every single person there carried a portion of the burden of birthing our baby. Of course they were crying. They were completely invested in this birth. They put forward every last thread of energy to make sure that Beth felt supported. One nurse stayed three hours late because she “wanted to see the baby,” see the fruits of her labor. In a way, we all gave birth to Willow. I know Beth bore the physical burden, but even Beth says the physical pain was only a small part of the overall struggle. It was the emotional endurance, the persistence, the determination to finish the marathon that we were all a part of. And in the end we all enjoyed the prize.
The rest of the day was a blur. Parents, nurses coming in and out. Willow was cold so we wrapped her in blankets. I took a nap, but it was more like going off to a strange land. When I returned we ate pizza and had milkshakes- a healthy celebration meal. Beth tried to breastfeed. Eventually the nurse weighed Willow, took footprints, and gave a few shots. A few hours later, she got a bath. We had visitors who brought us dinner and Rita’s. We had some final instructions from the nurse a few hours later. And then we went home
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
ok ok already... here are a few pictures
Exhibit A: Mommy and baby minutes after birthExhibit B: About an hour old
Exhibit C: Leaving the birth center 12 hours after birth
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Beth is getting an ultrasound today to measure the amount of amniotic fluid. She will then proceed to the birth center to have another non-stress test. They will then break her bag of waters to try and stimulate labor. She took a 1/2 cup of castor oil this morning so we'll see. All I have to say is if she doesn't give birth today, I'm going to start to wonder if there is really a baby in there.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Beth spoke with the midwife at about 5 who advised that tonight she would take a sleep aid and get as much rest as possible. Tomorrow morning at 6:30am she will take a megadose of castor oil. My friend Matt tells me that mothers used to use the stuff to punish their children once upon a time. Anyway, by midmorning she should be as miserable as ever, but hopefully, with a little luck, in active labor. The midwife still gave Beth the option of being induced with pitocin anytime prior to Wednesday, which is when Beth won't have the choice but will be induced- like it or not. If she makes it to Wednesday though without giving birth, I'm sure she will like it. So right now she is trying to sleep with the help of a little prescribed medication, but is being kept awake by intense contractions 10 minutes apart. Did anyone think I would still be blogging about this on the 4th day?
Well, we are still kind of in the same spot as this morning. Beth is getting frustrated. If she doesn't have the baby before tommorrow at 1:15 she has to have an ultrasound at Einstein Center One, one of the few places on earth where the sun has never shone. She is very much opposed to going there and wants this baby out- now. But what do you do? I guess we'll have to wait some more.
Ok... its been a very long night. Beth started having intense contractions at about 11 o'clock. I woke up at 1:30 to see her standing by the bed crying. They come every 9 to 12 minutes and are strong enough that she can;t talk through them. This is a good thing. She didn't sleep at all. I slept enough to have a dream that Beth and I were playing the game of Life with Jerry and Lis (friends from college) in our apartment, that was actually the second floor of my parents house. I went into the bathroom and lost a tooth. Then I realized a bottom tooth was loose and then that one fell out. You can't imagine my relief when in my dream, I realized it was just a dream and I actually have all my teeth. I was telling people "this is a dream, in real life I have all my teeth." Anyway, we'll see where this goes today, but Beth is in a ton of pain so we hope she decides to be born soon.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Well, its now Day 3. Beth is still having pretty strong contractions, and feels as though the baby has dropped more. So thats good. Also good is Beth's marked shift in mood. Up until this morning she's been handling her contractions with grace. Today she woke up, shall we say, a little crabby. I mean, can you blame her? But this is good news, despite the fact that I am the recipient of this crabbiness. The midwives say this is a sign that things may be progressing. and any progress at this point is welcome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)