A's Early Days

November 19, 2009 marked the birth of our fifth child. His web-name is under consideration, but it starts with an "A!" He was born at 7:17am. He weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz. and was 21 inches long. Labor stalled for a little until a very helpful nurse suggested I change position. He didn't wait long after that!!!

I was going to put some pictures, but there were so many! Click on the link below to see the whole web album of his early days.

A's early days

We stayed in the hospital for about 36 hours. I wanted to sleep in my own bed the second night, and there was also snow forecast for Saturday morning. He had bilirubin levels that caused some concern. I had to take him back for blood tests on Saturday and Sunday. At home, I found our bed was a sunny place to nap, so he has been taking morning naps stripped to his diaper on our bed. He is doing just fine now!

The older girls are thrilled to have a new baby. Buster doesn't quite get it yet. He has learned that when I'm nursing he can't shove the baby off my lap. This is progress! I'm still trying to catch up from missing so much sleep while in labor. My mom has been a great help, and Ben's first day of work back was today.

Deliver me!

Tomorrow marks the official day of being 40 weeks pregnant, i.e., the magic "due date." I keep telling myself babies can't read calendars and that I need to be patient. Half the time when I call people, the first thing they ask is if there is a baby yet. "No," I sigh. Or they call me. Don't get me wrong--I appreciate the concern these calls exhibit. It just reminds me how frustrated I am.

I was spoiled the last two times with the baby coming at least a little early. My greatest "joy" lately is sciatica. The pain is one thing, but it really worries me when I set down my right leg and it collapses beneath me. Luckily, Ben was able to come with me to my doctor appointment this morning and let me lean on him as we walked, thereby enabling me to limp instead of shuffle.

I have had tons of minor contractions. I'm already dilated to a 3.5! No wonder my official labor goes so fast. In the past, when I have had a day of Braxton-Hicks contractions every 10-15 minutes, we go somewhere like the zoo to try and walk a lot. It usually works to trigger labor. Not an option today, though.

I am grateful, though, for the general ease of my pregnancies and deliveries. I was reading a blog by my niece today about all her pregnancy issues past and present, and it was a good exercise in perspective. I am so impressed that she chose to be pregnant again given the complications of her first time around. I have several of my other friends who can bless modern medicine for their lives and the lives of their babies. Really, I shouldn't complain about a few weeks of pain.

As Ben says: "There's a reason it's called delivery." The mother is not just delivered of the baby--she is delivered of all the pain and problems of pregnancy. (Of course, the nursing body can be almost as weird, but that's for another day.)

Patience and Pictures and a Belated Halloween

I just realized today how long it has been since I posted on the blog. Part of the reason is that the days drag by as I wait to post the exciting news that our baby is born. Obviously, it has not happened yet. Of course, it doesn't help that I misplaced the necessary cord for offloading my camera since Halloween.

So, as I learn once again to be patient, here are some pictures of Halloween and other fun things this month so far.

On Halloween, we went to Little Haunts at This Is The Place Heritage Park. The girls all got their faces painted:

Sunny

Missy

Kandy

The hay ride, quite possibly Buster's favorite part!
Or was it the choo-choo?
Ben, Buster, Kandy, Missy, Sunny

Ready for trick-or-treating!
Ben, Buster (Winnie-the-Pooh), Missy (Jasmine), Kandy (Japanese girl), Sunny (Cinderella)

Buster loved his jacket and wanted to wear it every time he managed to find it until I packed it away.

Buster comes running every time he hears the vacuum.

Hopefully, my next post will have the details of our newest arrival. My due date is November 18, which is approaching. We are all anxious to to meet this little person and to find out if it's a girl or a boy! And if I don't get back to this soon, I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!