Introducing...

Leo G. I.

10/9/12 12:51pm
9 lbs. 3 oz. 21.25"

He's precious. We're exhausted and thrilled. More soon!

Thirty Nine Weeks

Hi my little man! This weekend marks the last full week you will be hanging out in my belly. It's really hard to believe that in about two more days, we will be meeting you for the first time. We've officially begun the process of kicking you out of your warm comfy home. I hope you don't mind too much. We're at the hospital today prepping my body for Tuesday's induction. I'm mostly being lazy, and flipping through magazines, while listening to the sound of your beating heart, while Daddy is listening to a book on tape for expectant fathers. Every so often, he'll repeat something he heard, like "Don't put shoes on your kid until he's walking, it will ruin his feet," or "don't give your kid juice!"

This week was much more relaxing than my first week off from work. I had much less running around to do, and was able to to take lots of naps. I also finished your blanket! I'm so excited I was able to do that. I posted a picture on facebook, and a former coworker of mine commented that she recognized the fabric from her thirteen-year-old daughter's blanket. I really have been making blankets for a long time.

I also got a lot of stuff done around the house, like decorating for Halloween, one of my favorite holidays! Yesterday, Daddy and I went to a local farm stand and bought three pumpkins for our front steps, two decent sized, and one little baby pumpkin to represent you. I don't know that I'll get around to carving any of them this year. We'll have to see how that goes, but I had to make sure we had some around for your first Halloween. I've got your costume all set to go. I can't wait to see you in it.

Luigi, this journey so far has been an incredible experience. I know that I will miss feeling your little kicks and stretches, and feeling tickled by your hiccups, but finally being able to hold you in my arms is the greatest prize I could possible imagine. We absolutely cannot wait to meet you!

Thirty Eight Weeks

This was my first official week of maternity leave, little man. And I have to admit, I didn't miss work one little bit. I was kept very busy with a multitude of appointments, all to make sure we are both doing OK. It was a lot of running around. But worth it, because I managed to acquire a few great 3D images of your sweet little face. You have big round cheeks and an pouty little mouth right now. I think you look a bit like Daddy. We both can't wait to see what you really look like in person. When I got the first picture, I texted it to Daddy. He was truly amazed. When we spoke on the phone later he said..."First things first, that's our kid!"

Aside from lots of appointments, I've been putting my time away from work to good use. I got a great start on the blanket I've been wanting to make for you. Have I mentioned it yet? I have made dozens of blankets for friends and family, and even on commission, over the years. I've saves all the scraps of fabric from all of these blankets, knowing that some day, I would make a patchwork quilt for my own child. I was afraid I wouldn't have time to get to it before you get here, but it's looking quite promising. It's filled with a random assortment of patterns and colors with different animals, stars and moons, and other motifs. I think we're going to have lots of fun playing on it and cuddling up in it when it's finished.

Another project I've managed to check off my list was creating some photo books of the first six years Daddy and I spent together. I wanted to capture all of those memories, so that moving forward, each year starting with this one, I can just create one book for the year, instead of having so much to keep up with. 2012 doesn't look to have a lot of photos yet, but we'll still have about a quarter of it with you, so I'm sure it will become a thick book quite quickly!

Daddy finished up a few projects this weekend too. He converted the outlets in your bedroom to a modern style, so we can plug in power strips (you need a lot of devices, Luigi! Lamps, humidifiers, monitors, wipe warmers, there just aren't enough plugs) and then of course, encapsulate them in childproof containers. He got the monitor set up as well, mounted on the wall, pointing perfectly at your crib. I'm sure we'll spend many nights just watching you sleep on a tiny little video screen. I can't wait!

*An update on Luigi's impending arrival. I had my 38 week appointment with my OB on Monday. She is willing to let me try to deliver vaginally because Luigi is still under the size cutoff for recommended C-section for a GD mom. So, we're going to give it a go, and see what happens. Because I will be induced, there is still a very good possibility that I will end up in surgery, but I'm excited to get to experience labor for at least a little bit, and that Luigi and I will hopefully experience some of the hormonal benefits of the labor process in terms of the cortisol surge he'll get to help with breathing, and my preparation to breastfeed. On Monday, I showed no signs of any dilation or effacement, so this induction could turn out to be a process. This Saturday and Sunday mornings, at 39 weeks exactly, I will be heading in to L&D as an outpatient to receive an oral dose of meds, possibly more that once, to begin cervical ripening, and some monitoring. Then, if nothing has started on it's own by then, we'll be heading in on Tuesday at some point yet to be confirmed, to start pitocin. I'm hoping the ripening meds do the trick and we can avoid pitocin, but a girl can't have everything, right? And at least I'm not heading straight to the OR! It's hard to believe that Luigi should be here within the week! Wow!

Whew!

Wow, this has been quite a week. I started my maternity leave this week, a week earlier than planned, and it's a really good thing. It's already Thursday, and I've had 7 separate medical appointments this week. I would be a raving lunatic by now if I had been trying to wrap up my work obligations in between them all.

Now, I know you're all dying to know what all these appointments were, right?

Monday:
- Maternal Fetal Medicine at my hospital for my weekly Non-Stress Test
- Gestational Diabetes Clinic at my hospital to check in with the nurse on diet and blood sugar levels

Tuesday:
- 37 week appointment with my OB at my hospital

Wednesday:
- U/S at Children's hospital in Boston in the Advanced Fetal Care Unit where I was referred to look at some extra fluid that was picked up last week in Luigi's left kidney.
- Consultation with the pediatric urologist at Children's

Thursday:
- Maternal Fetal Medicine at my hospital for a Bio Physical Profile and a measurement which will be used to determine everything. More on that in a minute...
- Check in with my primary care to get a refill on my prescription for my thyroid medication. She insists upon seeing me, even though multiple medical professionals have been monitoring my levels over the past 8 months. I guess I get it. I thought about asking the Endo I see at the diabetes clinic to refill it, but thought I would be breaking some sort of protocol. Today, she asked me why he didn't refill it for me! Oh well, not like I have that much better to do then spend my afternoon in a doctor's office, right?!

As for the kidney thing, in case anyone else comes across this issue, it's called hydronephrosis, it is a very common diagnosis, and is more common in boys. It often resolves on it's own, but is a sign that Luigi might end up with a kidney or urinary tract infection as an infant. The reason they like to follow up on this issue is that a kidney infection in an infant presents exactly like meningitis, which merits an extensive battery of testing, which would perhaps not be the first thing they would start if they are aware of the potential for kidney issues. Luigi's was found to be very mild, and no further treatment is recommended at this point. We need to take him in for an ultrasound when he's four weeks old to follow up. So, we're not going to worry about that right now. So, the whole thing was just a hassle that bought be 6 hours at the hospital yesterday. But, the bonus was that I got a few really good 3D ultrasound photos of our sweet Luigi's face.

OK, now back to the measurements today. Thankfully, Luigi measured about 8 lbs. today, which is in the 85th percentile, as opposed to the 7.5 lbs./99th percentile they got 2.5 weeks ago. Interestingly enough, Children's yesterday was closer to 7 lbs. Just goes to show how inaccurate these things can be, and that they are truly just an estimate. Anyway, we are in a gray area, approaching the 4500 grams (approximately 10 lbs.) which is the cut off suggested for a gestational diabetic to have a c-section. But, we're not over yet! The MFM today took many measurements of Luigi's belly and the highest weight she got was 4100 grams. She seems to think there is hope for trying a vaginal delivery and wasn't pushing me right towards a scheduled surgery like was suggested a few weeks ago. There is still risk of shoulder dystoscia, which frankly, sounds horrifying, but she put it at less than 10%. She herself was told her baby would be 9 lbs., but was able to deliver normally a 7 lb. baby, and said she would have been very disappointed had she gone right for the surgery. She also said that a lot will depend on my OB's examination of my pelvis to get a sense of the wiggle room I have available. I have mentioned that I've always had wide hips, right? I'm feeling more hopeful at the moment. Of course, if he doesn't decide to come on his own, and I get induced, the chance of it ended up in a c-section is still about 40%. And a c-section after a tough labor is sort of the worst of all possible scenarios. So, I'm thinking that in the next few days, we need start to work on encouraging Luigi to make his entrance a little bit early!

I feel like there was more in my head that I wanted to write about, but that's a brain at 37 weeks pregnant for you. Whatever the thought was is gone by now. I will share a few of the 3D images once I scan them in. I got even more at today's u/s. Is that crazy by the way, two days in a row? My goodness.

Thirty Seven Weeks

Little Luigi, my little watermelon (yes, I know, I said I was giving up on the fruit, but a watermelon is very relatable, and your Daddy loves them), this week marked my last day of work until sometime next spring. I can't deny, carrying around a watermelon in my belly has gotten a bit tiring. Not to mention that sleep is getting harder and harder to come by. I was very tired this week, and decided to depart work a week earlier than planned. Thursday morning, when I got to the hospital for a check up, I went to lock the car, and clip my keys to my purse, which I have started to do so I don't constantly loose them in the bottom of my bag. The funny thing was, I had keys in my hand, but there were also a set of keys already attached to my bag. Yup. I did it. I left the house with Daddy's keys. That was my sign. It was time to stop going, and give myself some time to rest.

Luckily, before I left work, my coworkers threw me a lovely shower complete with a guess what candy bar is in the dirty diaper game, as well as a calendar so they can all guess when you will arrive. They also suggested a few names for you. A few favorites were Julius, Barack and Harry, so you're initials would be HI. My best friend at work, J, found a great purple onesie for you that says "handsome fella." Another friend got you a onesie that says "When I grow up, I want to be a zombie," complete with a bloody hand print. When Daddy starts to tell you all about the zombie apocalypse, you will realize just how perfect this was. The whole gang gave gift card to Baby Gap so I can buy some more adorable and impractical outfits for you! Be prepared kiddo, you are probably going to have to suffer through a lot of photo shoots in your life, and I need to make sure have cute things to wear.

Daddy is getting really excited for your arrival. He's been reading "What to Expect in the First Year, and has started watching a whole bunch of sitcoms with baby story lines. It's really sweet to watch. We did a little marathon of the show "Up All Night" from last season, over the weekend. It's quite funny. And I have a feeling that your parents are going to be just about as uncool as the characters on the show. Hopefully we won't embarrass you too much!

Thirty Six Weeks

Hi little man. We are getting so close now to finally meeting you. It won't be too much longer than three weeks at this point. Wow! That's incredibly crazy. I have 1-2 weeks of work left to finish up before I take off to relax a bit before you get here.

You seem to have shifted positions this past week, moving lower into my belly as evidenced by some stretch marks that appeared across my belly, quite literally over night. And here, I'd thought I might get away without them! Don't worry, I promise not to hold them against you! I knew something was going on that day, as you were a wiggle worm literally all day long.

Daddy got a surprise at work this week. His coworkers threw a surprise shower for him, and another Dad to be. The gave you endless amounts of toys, which are perfect for things that you and Daddy will do together some day. You won't be ready for quite a few of them for a few years at least, but it's exciting to already have a stash of great things for you to play with. It made me so happy for Daddy that his coworkers were so kind and generous and as excited for your arrival as we both are. He was so excited, he texted me "Best Shower Ever."

Well, my not so little piece of miscellaneous fruit, I think I'm going to give up on the fruit thing. It's clear at this point that you are likely to be a larger than average baby. Because of this, it is beginning to look like your birth is not going to happen as I would have imagined. Then again, not much about my path to you has gone as I originally envisioned, right down to silly little things like where I thought I'd put your dresser, or how to orient the carpet in your room. But. I've got time to adjust my expectations and be prepared no matter what. All that matters is that you get here in the safest way for both of us. I guess the lesson here, to summarize a great classic rock song, is that you can't always get what you want, but you just might find you get what you need....which at this point is quite simply, you!

Luigi's Nursery

The long awaited nursery reveal is here! I spent the morning making the room look photo shoot worthy. It will probably never look this way again, but at least I will always have it documented, right? So, without further ado...welcome Luigi's room! If you are curious about where things came from, there is a resource list at the bottom end.

This is the view you see from the hallway. 

Once you get to the doorway, you can see a little bit more. 

I'm really happy with the way my scrapbook paper animal faces came out. At some point, I would like to add more art on the other wall above the crib, preferably something with words/letters. But, I think that can wait for now. 

When you turn around, and look behind you, you can see the big wall of stripes. 

I'm sure the objects on the floating shelves will be constantly changing. 

Here's the crib from the closet wall. 

From the far window, looking back toward the closet, you get a good view of the rocking chair and the dresser. 

We created animal face artwork to compliment the colors of the stripes, and the subtle zoo animal there. 

Zoo mobile

Cuddly Courdy Roy the Horse, sits on the rocking chair and adds an extra splash of purple. 

Yes, I even bought coordinating cloth diapers. 

Luigi's first Matchbox car, a purple pickup truck selected by his cousins H & L. 

Cool wooden race cars from my friend T who is expecting a boy in January. I think Luigi will be playing with these much before we let him touch the purple pick-up. 

Toy/Book shelf, stocked up and ready to go with so many wonderful and generous gifts from family and friends. 

Really cool robot piggy bank, a gift from Granny's friend. 

Resource List:

• Dresser - my old dresser, painted in the same colors as the stripe wall
• Eiffel Tower Lamp - have had it for awhile, it will probably be replaced eventually when we find something different. I think Target still carries this in black. 
• Rocking Chair - found in my Gram's house years ago, and painstakingly painted and reconstructed to get rid of the horsehair and hay cushions. Amateur no-sew upholstery in Boca Pacific. 
• Blackout Curtains - found at many online retailers, can't quite remember who I actually bought the from. 
• Ottoman - from Target
• Carpet Tiles - FLOR, Feeling Groovy in Lime, Sky and Iris. 
• Crib - Babyletto Hudson
• Changing Table - IKEA Gulliver
• Toy/Book Shelf - IKEA EXPEDIT, in high gloss white. Can be used vertically someday as well, if need be. 
• Wall Shelves - IKEA LACK in high gloss white. 
• Mobile - Nojo Jungle Tales
• Bedding & Changing Pad Cover - Morning Zoo from Land of Nod.
• Striped Pillow in Crib - IKEA VLABORG
• Lamp on book shelf - IKEA VIDJA
• Paint - Sherwin Williams:
• Main Walls - Cay
• Stripes - Secure Blue, Lime Rickey, Aquarium & Genetian