Catching Up

Pardon the lack of posts - we've been out of town for the last couple of weeks and have spent this week readjusting to being home. So, here are several posts that cover what has happened over the last three weeks.

The stump of Little Ted's umbilical cord (otherwise known as an extension cord, at least to Cousin Matthew), fell off at two weeks, which meant it was time for his first bath. Here are some photos from the event.









As you can see, Little Ted didn't enjoy the experience all that much. He cried and cried but was a happy camper once he was fed.

2 Weeks Old

Little Ted had his 2 week doctor's visit yesterday. He got a clean bill of health from the doctor. He has grown (no surprise to those of us who are part of his regular feeding duty) and currently weighs in at 7 lbs, 9 oz. He's still at 21 inches in length, though we think he may be longer (or maybe he just stretches out more than he used to).

All in all, he was pretty mellow at the doctor's office, even when he had his second PKU testing (required by the state). He didn't cry when the nurse pricked his heel, and he didn't really care that she had to squeeze it for a while to draw enough blood for the test. Mom and dad were happy about this - we didn't want to be left with a screaming baby at the end of our visit. Little Ted should be through with doctor's visits until his 2 month check up in September.

Here's a recent photo of Little Ted - he looks so peaceful when he sleeps, but you'd better keep that pacifier nearby just in case he wakes up and is looking for it!

Future Rugby Star

Check out the Baylor Rugby Association's web page - Little Ted is making his debut there.

http://baylorrugby.org/wp/2009/07/24/another-new-rugger/

Little Ted's Grand Entrance

This post is for those of you who might be wondering about the "process" of Little Ted's arrival into the world.

I began feeling contractions around 12:30 am on Tuesday morning (July 14th). Ted was asleep by that time - the earliest either one of us had fallen asleep in a long time - and I didn't want to wake him because 1) I wasn't exactly sure I was feeling labor pains and 2) I didn't think things would progress that quickly anyway.

During the night, I tried to time the contractions. They seemed to come every three minutes or so, but they were short, which meant a trip to the hospital was not yet in order. Sometime around 9 am, Ted woke up, and I told him that I thought I was having contractions. He took the news in stride. We got ourselves showered and cleaned up, Ted moved our luggage downstairs, and we had breakfast. I took care of some last minute school business and was able to nap most of the afternoon. By early evening, the contractions had pretty much stopped. I thought I might be in the clear for awhile.

Well, around 12:30 am or so on Wednesday morning, the contractions returned, and this time, they were more painful and longer. I timed them at about 10 minutes apart for a couple of hours; then they came every 5 to 6 minutes. Ted talked me through them, reminding me to breathe and not fight them. I don't think I could have dealt with them for as long as I did without his coaching.

Night turned into morning. We got up around 7 am, took showers, got dressed, and loaded up the car. First stop: campus - we had to take care of a financial aid issue. From there, we picked up breakfast. I ate what I could while Ted tried to eat enough to keep his strength up for the rest of the afternoon.

We then headed to the hospital, where I tried to answer questions about insurance, my doctor, my history, etc. in between contractions. Then, they sent me to triage, where it was determined I was 5 cm dilated and 100% effaced. In other words, it was time to check me in and bring on the epidural!

The above happened between 9 am and 10 am - the same time my parents were due to fly in. Ted got a hold of them, directed them to take a cab to our condo, and told them where to find the key and the directions to the hospital. Meanwhile, I was hooked up to machines, had blood drawn, and tried to stay comfortable until the anesthesiologist arrived. He came a little while later and hooked up the epidural. I felt like I got immediate relief, though he claimed that it takes about 15 minutes for it to take effect. Pardon me, but I beg to differ. (The clock in my room was broken, so I'm not sure what time it was when all this was done.)

I was told when I was admitted that I should deliver around 3 pm. Great - that meant I might actually get to enjoy the baby, rest, and eat dinner that evening (can you tell where my priorities were???). At 1 pm, my doctor came to check on me. By that time, I had dilated to 7 cm. He broke my water and started me on Pitocin to induce contractions and move things along. By this time, Ted was trying to rescue my parents and get them to the hospital - as a result of lack of sleep (they took a red eye flight from So Cal), excitement, and an oddly located hospital, they got a little lost.

Shortly thereafter, the family arrived and kept me company. We chatted, enjoyed Blue Bell popsicles, and waited. As 5 pm neared, the nurse checked me. I was still at 7 cm and had not yet had adequate contractions to move things along. Also, each contraction would put the baby in distress. So, they started to "flip me" every few minutes and put me on oxygen to correct the issue. At one point, after the nurses sat me up to move me, they both let go - a move which caused me to flop back onto the bed. It was actually pretty comical since I am used to being able to support myself but could do absolutely nothing to keep from falling back (thank you, epidural). Luckily, Ted caught me and helped me up.

My doctor came and checked on me again around 5 pm. He said that he believed the Pitocin would work and that I would have a regular delivery - no need to worry about a cesarean. I just needed time to work up to strong enough contractions. That was all good news, except now I had to deliver with a doctor I did not know (Dr. Becker's day was over at 5 pm). Dr. Becker told me Dr. Bagnasco was on call that evening - great news! He's the same doctor who delivered little Miss Clara Getz.

So, we continued to wait for Little Ted to arrive. Some time around 6 or 7 pm, the epidural wore off, and I started to feel lots of pressure. The nurse told me that I should be able to push soon, but I could have more pain meds if the contractions were too strong for me to handle. The only catch - I might have trouble pushing if I was too numb. Not wanting to delay things any longer, I decided to tough it out and deal with the pain.

The contractions grew stronger, at which point my parents decided to move to the waiting room. By this time, I really wanted to be numb again, but something told me that I should be able to push. Ted went and got my nurse, who was just finishing up her shift. She brought her replacement in, and before I knew it, there seemed to be nurses everywhere. They prepped for delivery, stopping every couple of minutes to help me through contractions and pushing. That was the hard part - they wanted me to hold up my mostly numb, heavy feeling legs as I pushed and hold my breath at the same time. The two actions combined made me feel like I would pass out.

I didn't - I just closed my eyes and focused on pushing while Ted held my head and talked to me and the nurses counted. Their prediction: the baby should be out in 20 minutes. I'm not sure how long it actually took, but it seemed like an eternity. The doctor finally showed up, prepped, and got to work. He told me I could have the baby out in just 10 minutes with some good pushing. I figured I could endure just about any amount of pain for 10 minutes and kept at it. Before I knew it, I was pushing his head out, followed by the rest of him.

Little Ted was just as beautiful as could be. The doctor wiped him down and tried to get him to cry. It took a while because he had swallowed a lot of fluid during delivery. The nurses took him and got him cleaned up and checked out while the doctor attended to me. During delivery, I had gotten three good sized lacerations and needed stitches. He numbed me and stitched me up while Ted took pictures of the baby being measured and attended to. He got to hold him and brought him over to show me.

As I was being worked on, the baby got his first bath. He had to stay on the warmer to get his body temperature up before I could hold him. At about this time, Ted went to get my parents, who got to see him up close and personal before me. In fact, I don't think I was able to hold him until a full hour had passed. By that point, the doctor and all the nurses had gone, with the exception of the one who was attending to me, and Ted left to escort my parents home and pick up some dinner for us. Little Ted and I enjoyed some quality time as we waited for his daddy to come back. When Ted returned with Whataburger, we were moved to another room. We gobbled down our dinner, which had gotten cold by this time, and the three of us settled in for the night.

Overall, the experience was a good one. I was well cared for in the hospital, and it was nice to have my parents around to keep me company. And I couldn't have asked for a better coach. Ted stood by me the whole way, encouraging me and letting me know that I could do it. He was my rock the whole time even though I know he hated to see me in pain and was worried about how I was doing after the delivery. He (and the baby) even bought me some beautiful flowers for all my hard work (see below).

Baby Photos

Here are some photos we have taken of the baby and the family over the last week. More info about Little Ted's grand entrance into the world is coming - as soon as I have two free hands available to type!

Introducing . . .

. . . Ted Felipe Gonzalez IV

Born Wednesday, July 15th at 8:04 p.m.
7 lbs, 4 oz
21 inches long



Mom and baby are doing well. Mom, baby, and dad came home today and are enjoying the company of Grandma and Grandpa Robles, Grandma Gonzalez & Cousin Matthew.

More info to come . . .

Due Date: Not Quite . . .

So while today is the predicted day for Little Ted's arrival, it does not look like he's concerned about being on time. Ted and I aren't too anxious about waiting, but I have definitely gotten more uncomfortable over the last week or so. I have found that waddling is a necessity, bending over is almost more trouble than it's worth, and I can't tie my tennis shoes without assistance. Also, the waiting has affected both of our sleep patterns; no matter when we go to bed, we seldom fall asleep easily. Sleeping in and naps have replaced our normal sleep schedule.

Day 3: Doctor's Visit

Today's verdict - 2 cm dilated and 50% thinned out. What do those numbers mean? Well, they don't tell us when Little Ted is coming, but they do indicate that "progress" is being made. We go back for another doctor's visit next Thursday (assuming Little Ted doesn't appear before then). Depending on what the doctor has to tell us at that point, we may end up scheduling an induction for Monday, July 20th, which would put him about one week past his due date.

In other news, this waiting game has been pretty productive. I baked a key lime pie and blueberry muffins from scratch. Ted finished cutting the shoe molding and installed the last few pieces in the downstairs bathroom. We successfully appealed the appraisal the county uses to determine our property taxes and gave our appraiser some new information that should help her to make more accurate appraisals of our property in the future. And I'm making some slow gains on my dissertation (a sign that my mobility is not what it was a couple of weeks ago; otherwise, I would likely avoid my computer like the plague). Who knows how much we'll be able to accomplish if Little Ted does end up being a full week late . . .

Day 10: The bag is packed . . .

. . . the question is: when will it be needed???

Day 10: (Mostly) Completed Nursery

Here are some photos of the baby's nursery. It has been *mostly* completed for over a week now. I was just waiting on one of the "finishing touches" to arrive - the coordinating lampshade - and it finally came in this afternoon.



Ted got the furniture assembled in no time, and, after I cleaned out all the "junk" from the room (which took a LONG time), decorating was a cinch.



Of course, the baby has his own rugby balls already. He's got two that are baby sized, and the one in the crib is a practice ball Ted picked out for himself. I'm sure he's eager to teach the baby some ball skills.



The recliner, which used to be in the living room, was relocated to the baby's room to make space for a pack 'n play (one of the three sleeping spaces) in the living room. As difficult as the recliner was to get upstairs, I don't think it will ever find a home in the living room again.



This is the baby's library. I still need to add the Winnie the Pooh wall decals my parents got for us to this side of the nursery.



Also missing is a Biola baseball cap. Ted had the bright idea of putting baseball hats on the hooks that we used for the wall hangings. We chose a Baylor hat for obvious reasons. The UT hat honors Ted's favorite college football team. And the Biola hat will be in place for my alma mater. Unfortunately, you can't buy Biola baseball caps online (we looked), so we'll have to wait and pick one up the next time we're in So. Cal.

Day 10: Doctor's Visit

My doctor is on vacation for the 4th of July holiday, so we went in to see the nurse practitioner instead. The official report: there's not much to report. It looks like I'm still at 1 cm - maybe 2 - but that's probably a stretch (so to speak). This seeming lack of progress is adding a bit to our stress, but the NP did state that it is perfectly normal not to dilate until actual contractions begin. That was good to hear, but I have a feeling that the next week (or two, depending on what Little Ted decides to do) will seem like an eternity.