Welcoming Baby Wyatt

Our son has arrived! It was a long time coming but our little angel has finally arrived and we couldn't be more thrilled. Brian and I have been very blessed throughout all this because not only is Wyatt here, but both our moms were here for his birth. Wyatt was born on Saturday, August 8th, at 9:05pm. I spent most of Friday in "early labor" until the contractions kicked in much stronger Friday evening. My water broke at about 2:30am Saturday morning and around 8pm Saturday night it was decided to have a C-section since Wyatt was not coming out on his own. It was a tough decision to make, and I was upset I wasn't going to be able to have him naturally, but all in all it was for the best and now I am so very thankful for our perfect little boy. Our dear friend Kristen arrived at this hospital sometime after 3am to join Brian in being a labor coach. I was so thankful to have them both there to help me through labor and they both were amazing! Throughout the stay at the hospital Wyatt was greeted by our friends and all his new "aunties" and "uncles". It was so wonderful to have so much support from our friends. Brian and I truly feel lucky to have so many good friends. Now we are just so grateful for every single moment with baby Wyatt and look forward to many many more!

The Business of Being Born

http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/trailer.php

So this is by far one of the most enlightening documentaries I have watched thus far. I recommend it to every woman out there who is pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant or just wants to learn something. Check out the trailer, rent the DVD, make your own decisions, but be informed.

The nursery......before putting away all the gifts

So this is what the nursery looks like now, I haven't yet unpacked all the gifts from the shower, and from the looks of things, I have my work cut out for me! Mom was so nice to take everything upstairs while I was at work so I didn't have to haul it all myself. All those trips upstairs would have really done me in! I will post more pics once I get everything put away, but I can say this, his room really does look like a nursery!

The Baby Shower

I have to say this was one of the most fun days I've had in a while with just "the girls". We did have our token men there, my boss Chief Torres and his son Julian, and I have to say they were awesome sports about being in a house full of women! Brian was out of town for work so we women had a party! Mom cooked the most amazing food, I swear I was so stuffed by the end of the day! I honestly couldn't have done all this without her help, a true lifesaver! My girls Emily and Abby helped with the decorating, cake, games, prizes, and managing the flow of the shower, it was just awesome! I feel truly blessed by all the friends that made it and the fun we had together at the shower. One of the games we played was "guess how fat Jen is?" where you have to take a roll of string and cut off how much you think it will take to go around my belly. Abby won by being the closest, but my mom and friend Cathy went hog wild and just wrapped that string around me a good 7 or 8 times. It was so much fun!

32 weeks down, 8 weeks to go!

32 Weeks today! My mom arrived this afternoon so it was fun to see her reaction when she saw the belly in person. She already felt Wyatt kick which was fun. This week will be a lot of fun with her here and we have a lot to do to get ready for the baby shower. It's crazy to think that Wyatt's due date is in 8 weeks but at the same time I am really ready to not be pregnant anymore. It's not that I don't like being pregnant, it's that I don't like how awkward I am starting to feel. I have to be careful when I turn a corner or try to squeeze past something, my belly gets in the way. Otherwise, pregnancy has gone relatively well.

30 weeks!

So this is what a preggo Jen looks like at 30 weeks. I don't feel too bad, but I still have 10 weeks to go (if I'm lucky, only 7 weeks). We have been working on Wyatt's nursery and bit by bit it really does look like a baby's room and thankfully no longer a storage room. Hopefully soon I'll take some pictures of his room, probably after the baby shower. I am attempting to exercise as much as Wyatt will allow, but lately he's been practicing his escape route and the Braxton Hicks don't feel great. I love how the experts say "they aren't painful" yea right, they lie. It's not that they hurt, it's that he puts soooo much pressure on me that I just don't want to move! Oh well, we are in the homeward stretch, I can make it!

Wyatt 29 weeks

We went in for a follow up ultrasound, the docs were worried about my placenta being too low but thankfully all is well. Wyatt was un-cooperative as usual for the ultrasound and we couldn't get great pics like we'd hoped. We also couldn't get an accurate weight either....LOL, my stubborn little boy....he takes after his father I'm sure. My belly is getting bigger and he's very active, we are just so excited and happy to meet him!!

Third trimester here we come!!!

Today I am at 28 weeks, officially in the third trimester! There are only 12 weeks left until Wyatt's due date and I am so excited!! The baby shower invitations finally arrived and I've been working on labeling them and getting them ready to hand out. My mom arrives on June 7th and the shower is on the 14th. Brian and I put together Wyatt's basinette and put it in our room, next is the pack and play. Still there is a lot to do and we're slowly getting through it all. We have classes coming up to prepare Brian and I for delivery and life with a newborn. Wow, that's really all I can say about that!!

Glucose screening test day

Today after work I went to the lab to have my glucose screening test. I had to drink this super sugary orange drink and sit there for an hour. After the hour was up I gave a blood sample and then next week my doc will let me know if I am needing a second test for gestational diabetes. So I sat there in the office experiencing the sugar high from the 50g of glucose and then the subsequent crash and oh was it painful! I sat there and then I got this raging headache from the crash. Not a fun time at all!!! I came home from this test feeling super drained and praying that I don't have to go through this one again for a very very long time.

Baby Wyatt 27 weeks

Today we went in for another ultrasound and it is always so cool to see Wyatt. He is about 2lbs now and he is just so dang cute. They made a dvd of him moving around, sadly it can't be copied or uploaded...such a bummer. He loves to put his hands in front of his face and we had to keep poking at him to get him to move his hands. Only 13 weeks to go and I am getting pretty nervous about bringing him home. We are still working on the nursery and finishing up the registry. My baby shower is set for June 14th, and thankfully it looks like my mom will be able to make it. I'm getting big, but Brian says it's all baby. That makes me feel better. I keep working out and eating right, it seems to be paying off. I am looking forward to finally meeting my little kung fu fighter, he kicks a lot these days.

Oh the joys of pregnancy.....

So I am back from my trip to the east coast, had to go out there for work. While I was gone I discovered a new unpleasant side effect of pregnancy....leg cramps. Yes, at 3am I woke up in excruciating pain in my calf and I did the exact wrong thing...I pointed my toe as a reflex. Well I had to get out of the bed and walk around to make it stop so there goes my sleep. Now that I'm up, might as well pee, right? I start taking in more potassium which oddly enough, added to the iron supplements, bring my digestive system to a screeching halt. This sucks. So, I'm doing everything I can to keep my iron, potassium, and fiber intake up just to see if there will be a balance in the yin and yang of my pregnant body. Today I am enjoying a nice glass of prune and apple juice...want some? Thankfully, it doesn't taste too bad.

There's nothing that can be done.....

So for the past few days I have felt the gland in the left side of my throat swell up and now it's about the size of a large grape. My mouth is a mess, and yes, I have been flossing, but my gums are bleeding a lot and the gums on the left side are swollen pretty bad. I finally broke down and called the labor and delivery unit (because that's who you call after hours) and I explain my situation, and sadly I got the response I didn't want to hear "You're doing everything you can, there is nothing we can do for you." DAMMIT!!!! I am not really cool with the idea that my mouth has turned into a septic nightmare and the grape in my throat hurts, you tell me to keep taking tylenol, sudafed, oh and I can take robitussin too? Don't forget to push the fluids! HOLY CRAP BATMAN! I'm in the age of modern medicine but because I'm pregnant no one will touch me with a 10 foot pole. I have my 24 week appointment on Tuesday with my OB, maybe she'll get more creative than push fluids....or maybe not, she did afterall, look at my stye and offer her deepest sympathy but said "there nothing that can be done." At this point I am thoroughly frustrated........Happy Easter.

Let them eat cake! (practice round)

Tonight was my 3rd cake decorating class. My teacher asked we each bring a cake to practice on so we can be ready for next week's cake. Now, this cake is fully edible, but it just doesn't look as good as next week's cake (God willing next week's looks good). Tonight I learned the basket weave effect which you see on the sides of the cake. I am going to have to invest in a cake spinner, it will definitely make my life easier! I'm learning so much and I can't wait to take Course 2 in May! Tomorrow while we're in class we'll eat my creation.

A preggo looks at 23 weeks

So this is what a preggo Jen looks like at 23 weeks. I was getting ready for work and realized I had not yet taken the pics for my mom as I had promised her so I grabbed my iphone real quick and started snapping. The 2 in uniform, Brian was kinda enough to take, because I had promised those to my mom as well (weeks prior....I'm slow) and so I'm finally making good on the pics. Wyatt has been kicking a lot lately and it's cool to feel him moving around. We have a DR's appt on the 14th for my 24 weeks and I wonder if we begin doing kick counts. This whole experience has been kinda weird, but really cool at the same time. I still don't think it's hit me yet that I am indeed going to be bringing home my son....wow, that really felt weird just saying that. Ok, so yes, maybe I'm not totally at the point where my brain has wrapped around the concept of parenthood yet, but there is still time for me to figure it out.

Ford Island 10k

Today started at 4:40am when the alarm clock buzzed and I rolled my preggo butt out of bed. Brian's back was still acting up so he skipped the race. I got up, brushed my teeth, washed my face and put on my race t-shirt. I met up with my friends Kristen (36 weeks pregnant) and Robert with their little boy Jacob at 5:30am down at Pearl Harbor. We grabbed a quick breakfast and headed to the start of the Ford Island 10k. This was my first 10k and I did it 23 weeks pregnant! The race started at 7:00am, and we started walking! There were lots of people there and eventually they all passed us. The only thing we were concerned with was getting to the finish line. We hit up every potty stop along the way and kept a good attitude. We were both really tired and sore by the end but really glad we made it all the way. After we finished we made a stop at Koa Pancakes for a much deserved after race meal......it was sooooo good! Next year I hope to have Wyatt in a jogging stroller and run most of the 10k.

Losing my bellybutton.....set to the tune of Losing my Religion

I'm a big R.E.M. fan and while getting ready for work this morning I noticed my bellybutton was disappearing. If you listen to the song "Losing my Religion" from R.E.M. I have made my own version. Enjoy the inner ramblings of me.......


"Losing my Bellybutton"

Oh, life is bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are in me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance for your life
Oh no, I have to go
I have to pee

(chorus)
That's me in the mirror
That's me in the spotlight, I'm
Losing my BELLYBUTTON
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I have to go
I have to pee again
I thought that I felt you kick me
I thought that I felt you move
I think I thought I heard your heartbeat

Every whisper
Of every waking hour I'm
Choosing all of my meals
Trying to keep life good for you
Like a worried frightened and blinded new mom
Oh no, I have to go
I have to pee

Consider this
Consider this
You're cooped inside of me
Consider this
Your kick, that was
my left kidney, baby
What if I lay down will you
Ease up on me
Now I have to pee again
I thought that I felt you kick me
I thought that I felt you move
I think I thought I heard your heartbeat

But that was meant to be
That was just meant to be

(repeat chorus)

But that was just meant to be
Kick, cry, lullaby
That was meant to be
Meant to be, meant to be
Be

Feeling creative

Tonight my friend Abby and I went to our first cake decorating class at Ben Franklin Crafts. We're taking the Wilton series on cake decorating and so far the class has proved to be hilarious! I made a total mess of my workstation and our instructor was great about the whole thing. My goal is I want to be able to make an awesome cake for my baby shower. We shall see how it goes! Hopefully by the end of all 3 courses I'll be able to make a really cool cake! I never seem to have problems with my cakes tasting great, they just lack in the looks department. Tonight we learned how to make stars, shells and attempted flowers. It took me a while to get shells, but I think I have it finally. I'll spend this week practicing and hopefully by next Tuesday I'll be good to go! Fingers crossed I can get this!

20 Weeks!!

Brian and I went in for the 20 week ultrasound today and it was awesome! Wyatt was good for about the first 10 minutes, he was sleeping or just resting, but then he became very alert and gave the technician a run for her money! He wiggled a lot and wouldn't cooperate with her, so we have that to look forward to! He is 14oz and just has a super cute profile. We were at the appointment for a good hour because he was so active. He moves more and more every day and from the look of my belly, is definitely growing. We are so excited for August to get here!

A new clothing store idea

So Brian and I were driving along just chatting as we do and he is jealous of my stretchy pants I get to wear these days. I've decided it might be a good idea to open a man's version of Motherhood Maternity, we'll just simply call it Fatherhood. Easy, right? So anyway, at Fatherhood we'd offer a fine selection of men's stretchy pants so when they are sympathetically pregnant, they can grow into clothes as well. Honestly I think it's a fair solution.

It's here!!!

It's here, I can hardly believe it!!! Target is finally on island and it's soft opening is March 4-7 with the grand opening on March 8th! I am so excited, I can work on the baby registry in real life, not just online. My friend Abby and I drove there last night, but there was a security guard in the parking lot. She stopped us and asked "what is your business here?" so I just looked at her with a huge smile and said "honestly, I just want to take a picture of Target so I can blog that it is actually here on island." The lady just shrugged her shoulders and said "ok, have a nice night!" I guess she was sympathetic to our cause, either way, here is the evidence to prove it!!

Getting baby stuff!

Today I went out with my friend Abby and picked out our crib and dresser for Wyatt's room. The dresser was immediately available, but the crib is on back order. Hopefully it will be in soon. Oh well, I guess that's Hawaii for you. The furniture is pretty cute and we're excited to start setting up the nursery.

It's a boy!

Today we went to First Look Hawaii so we could peek at the gender. It's a boy! Clear as day it's a boy! We are both so very excited and I am getting more and more hormonal, so of course I cried. It was so neat to see him move around. He kept putting his hands in his mouth and wiggling around. I can't feel it yet, but I am looking forward to the day I can feel him. I called my parents and I guess Dad owes Mom $20, she bet we're having a boy. Brian's mom cried (so I don't feel so alone!!) I have my checkup this week with my OB so I'll let her know and show her the pictures.

The Greatest Discovery

This is one of the sweetest songs from Elton John


The Greatest Discovery

Peering out of tiny eyes
The grubby hands that gripped the rail
Wiped the window clean of frost
As the morning air laid on the latch

A whistle awakened someone there
Next door to the nursery just down the hall
A strange new sound you never heard before
A strange new sound that makes boys explore

Tread neat so small those little feet
Amid the morning his small heart beats
So much excitement yesterday
That must be rewarded must be displayed

Large hands lift him through the air
Excited eyes contain him there
The eyes of those he loves and knows
But what's this extra bed just here

His puzzled head tipped to one side
Amazement swims in those bright green eyes
Glancing down upon this thing
That make strange sounds, strange sounds that sing

In those silent happy seconds
That surround the sound of this event
A parent smile is made in moments
They have made for you a friend

And all you ever learned from them
Until you grew much older
Did not compare with when they said
This is your brand new brother
This is your brand new brother
This is your brand new brother

New ultrasound

I had another ultrasound today, just a checkup to make sure my ovary is back to normal. Thankfully it is. I went to the ER in December and my right ovary was ridiculously big and so this was just a follow-up. The ultrasound tech sent me home with 5 new ultrasound pics of our baby. It's weird, every time I see the little one on the screen, I tear up. The heartbeat sounds great, baby looks great, so I am pretty happy about that. I am 14 weeks on Sunday, only 6 weeks until we find out the baby's gender! I'm not really showing yet, just look a bit fatter LOL. Oh well, I guess that's to be expected.

 

First OB Appointment!

We had our first OB appointment today! Brian and I were able to see our baby for the first time. I cried.....and I am not ashamed to admit that! It was so weird and cool to see the baby and hear the heartbeat and really know that we are going to be parents this year. The heartbeat sounds like a "woosh woosh woosh" noise, it was pretty neat. My due date has been bumped up to August 2nd, so we'll see what happens. I'm feeling ok, just really tired. I've been fighting a headcold from hell and I hope it passes soon.