Welcome Home, Peter!

This is just after Peter is born, so Peter still looks a little smooshed and his eyes have that antibiotic ointment in them (David says he looks like a little alien baby!).

Jack and Thomas's first introduction to Peter. They were SO excited to finally meet him! Here's what Peter looks like about 22 hours out of every day at this point ... fast asleep :)
So, Peter and I finally arrived home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. Hooray! It feels like I've been away from home for weeks rather than just days. My mom is staying with us for most of this week to help take care of the boys and the house and everything while I catch up on rest and we all adjust to having a newborn in the house. David also has the week off, which is great. I feel very good, just tired mostly. This was by far the easiest birth I've had, and I hope any more kids we have come as easily as Peter did!

Just a few highlights -- soon after I posted about my water breaking, David arrived home and we drove off to the hospital. Thomas, especially, really didn't want to say goodbye, but my mom said he calmed down and did OK after we left. The drive to the hospital went smoothly and my contractions were about 7-8 minutes apart. By the time we got settled into the labor room, my contractions were coming faster, about 5-6 minutes apart, and they continued to get closer and closer. We had arrived at the hospital at about 7PM, and by about 8PM the contractions were about 2 minutes apart and it hurt!!! I was having a hard time recovering between contractions, and I knew I had a long way to go, so I got an epidural and it was a great decision. I was able to relax, and my contractions continued to pick up without me being uncomfortable. David and Kim were visiting with me and we were just hanging out and talking. It was awesome! By about 2AM, I had dilated to 10cm and they said I could start pushing! About half and hour of pushing later, and Peter was born. I even got to have a regular birth, not a c-section!!!

Recovery went very well and we planned to come home on Friday, but early Friday morning Peter's respiration rate was too high and they were concerned because this can be an early sign of infection in newborns (even though he didn't have a fever). So they took him to the special care nursery to be put on antibiotics and monitored for 2 days. He did just fine over in the special care nursery, but I admit it was hard for me because he wasn't in my room anymore and he was hooked up to lots of wires and monitors so it was hard to hold him when I did visit him. But, he was perfectly healthy and he was discharged on Sunday morning and we got to go home!!

So, thank you for your thoughts and prayers -- everything went so well and, most importantly, Peter and I are both as healthy as can be.

Heading off to the Hospital!!!!

My water just broke and David is on his way home to whisk me off to the hospital!!!! I'm so excited!! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers for a safe and healthy delivery and I'll update once we're home again!

40+4 Update

It appears Peter is still on the slow cook plan over here. Once again, I'm thankful to be feeling as good as I do. We went to Mass this morning and we got lots and lots of "You're still here?!?" reactions. A handful of people asked when I'm due, and when I told them 4 days ago, their eyes got real wide and they looked a little startled, like if they stood too close to me the baby might come rocketing out into their arms or something! Funny! A few veteran moms said "You poor thing" and one said "Watch out, you'll end up with a 10-pounder!". Doh! It's definitely amusing to be this pregnant -- I feel like a ticking bomb that everyone is keeping an eye on. :).

I'm doing very well on walking a lot lately, but it hasn't really done anything to bring on contractions. My hips and pelvis just end up feeling tired and loosy goosy like a cooked chicken carcass :). But my dr said walking should help encourage Peter toward the exit sign, so I'll happily walk each and every day if there's a chance it can help things along. Today we stopped by the fair at our church after Mass, and the boys shared a funnel cake (a big hit, of course!) and then they jumped in a bounce house for a few minutes. Thomas was very eager to try it out, and Jack was eager until it came time to take off his shoes and actually step in. I think he was tired from a busy weekend, so he wasn't in the most flexible or cooperative mood, so David basically tossed him in there. And of course after about 30 seconds Jack realized how awesome bounce houses are and he and Thomas were jumping around like crazy. It was so fun to watch them! If I could have fit into the bounce house (alas, the tiny entrance was no match for my largesse), I would have been bouncing too :).

Tonight David cooked us up some tasty hamburgers on the BBQ and we tried grilled potatoes also, which were good but would have been better if they had crisped up a little. It was so nice to have everything cooked outside so we didn't heat up the house with the oven. I'm going to take another look at my June menu plan and see if we can work in more BBQ meals on weekends. And, being Sunday, I decided it would be a special treat if I made some chocolate shakes to go with the burgers, so we all enjoyed those.

On tap this week is a non-stress test on Tuesday morning, and another one on Friday morning followed by my next prenatal appointment. Tomorrow, being Manic Monday once again, is chore day, and the rest of the week we'll play by ear. Hopefully a few trips to the park and lots of walks. Mom and Dad plan to come down this week, which is awesome! It will be great to spend time with them and it would be great if Peter comes while they're here -- that would be very convenient :). I can't believe next Sunday is Father's Day! I asked David if there was anything special he wanted to do, and his answer was "Not be in the hospital" :), so ideally I will have had Peter and be home by then, or else maybe Peter will hold out until after Father's Day. We'll see! Although if I go to Mass next Sunday STILL pregnant, it's going to be crazy to hear people's reactions then!!

Oh, I've got some more recipes posted over on my Campbell Kitchen blog -- including a good marinade for chicken that we had this weekend.

Non-Stress Test

I had my first non-stress test today to monitor baby Peter, and everything went well. I got to relax in a recliner for about 25 minutes while belts around my stomach measured Peter's heartrate and any contractions I was having. They're looking for a good, strong heartbeat and also that it speeds up and slows down at various points during the test. For example, the baby's heartrate should increase slightly right after moving around a lot. Peter passed the test with flying colors, and my blood pressure and his amniotic fluid level (which they measure by ultrasound) were great. I go back next Tuesday and Friday for the same thing -- honestly, it's the least invasive and most relaxing test I've had during this pregnancy!



After the non-stress test, David, Kim, the boys, and I headed over to the Zoo. We had a good day! We got to see lots of beautiful birds, gorillas, hippos, orangutans, a polar bear, a panda bear, and other stuff. Jack decided he did NOT want to ride the Skyride (the easiest way up to the Polar Bear exhibit), so we didn't force the issue and we ended up walking our way up there. It was a long walk with a fair number of hills, but we made it (and Jack walked the entire way, minus the 30 seconds he was on David's shoulder before he decided that he was up too high!). It wasn't too bad, and I know walking is a good way to encourage Peter to come out, but we were all pretty worn out as we headed back to the car.



At lunch time, Jack saw a snack cart with a display of cotton candy, and Jack asked David what it was. David told him "Oh, it's just something you can stuff a pillow with" (like that polyester filling). Jack seemed satisfied, and dropped the subject, and we ate our lunch. Then all of a sudden, Jack piped up with "I need one of those pink things for MY pillow!" -- which I thought was a pretty clever way of trying to take one home. Something that pink and fluffy must be wonderful, whatever it's purpose was :).



I did take a couple of pictures today, but not as many as I had planned to. The Zoo was pretty crowded with school field trips and stuff, and it was a decent amount of work to keep Jack and Thomas from wandering off into the weeds, so to speak. But, it was a good outing -- the boys were worn out (although no extra bonus nap time, unfortunately) and once again, it might be our final outing before Peter arrives. Then again, maybe not! Thank God (and everyone who has been praying for us!) for my good health, Peter's good health, and my good mental and physical state as we continue The Wait.

40wks+1 day update

I had a good dr's appointment today. Peter is doing well and is definitely head down (my dr did a quick ultrasound just to be sure). However, I'm not dilated or effaced at all and Peter is still way up high, so nothing much in the way of progress yet. My dr thinks Peter is probably in the high 7lb or low 8lb range right now, which doesn't sound too bad to me (and at this point, my dr isn't worried about his size either). Inducing isn't really an option at this point since my body is nowhere near ready to go into labor on its own -- plus inducing (unless there's a very good reason) isn't as safe since I've had c-section and the harder contractions can place stress on the scar. So, I have an appointment next Friday, the 13th, to see what's happening at that point, and depending on how much progress I've made by then, we might make plans to induce within a few days after that. I'm comfortable with that time frame. I'm happy to wait it out a bit longer and give Peter a chance to come on his own, hopefully. But I definitely don't want to go over 42 weeks since the placenta starts to age, and there's a risk of meconium in the amniotic fluid and bad stuff like that! I'm actually feeling pretty calm and easygoing about it, which is a blessing! Anyway, keep us in your prayers as we enter the home stretch of this journey!

Tomorrow we head to the Zoo after my non-stress test in the morning, and Kim is planning to come with us! It should be a blast!

Fun Times

Nothing much to report here, although I feel like Peter might be dropping lower and I'm pretty achy and sore (not contractiony, but still -- discomfort might = progress?). I don't know! It is comforting (and exciting!) to know that one way or another, Peter will be here within about 2 weeks.

Here are a handful of photos that I thought were amusing, so enjoy!

Any guesses as to who snapped this photo?

Jack loves flying Superman-style on the swings

Didn't you know that Carrot Earrings are all the rage? (yes, he somehow managed to get carrot on his earlobe, although I have no idea how. Jack thought it was hilarious!)

Jack wasn't about to let his ear go unadorned. Nevermind that his carrot is IN his ear. And now I'm kicking myself because they think that putting things in your ear is fun. Ack!

Just another Manic Monday

A few weeks ago, I was *sure* that Peter would have arrived by now (don't ask me why, but I was just convinced that he was going to come early!). But I find myself at another Monday doing all the chores that I thought for sure I was doing "for the last time until Peter comes" last week. Oh well! I'm doing a pretty good job of keeping the house decently clean -- it's just the weekly repeat chores like laundry, ironing, vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. that I have to do. Monday ends up being a good day to blast through a bunch of chores since Mondays are always manic, like the song puts it so well. The boys are always a little crankier, it seems, since the weekend fun is over and David is back at work, so I figure I might as well get the chores over and done with on an already crazy day so I can free up the rest of the week for more fun projects.

I am definitely feeling "due" now, but nothing to suggest that labor is on its way. I'm just feeling largy, achy, and my hands and feet are retaining water. Apparently my face is, too --- a lady at church told me the other day that I look like I'm ready to have Peter any time now because my face is starting to "fill out". Doh! Not exactly what this large pregnant lady wanted to hear, but that's OK :). Mentally, I'm doing pretty well and am letting these kinds of comments and the "Didn't you have that baby YET?" type of comments roll right off. I'm enjoying the Baby Time Bomb feeling, as much as it can be enjoyed, I suppose.

Let me just end this post with some of the comments that we have gotten over the past several months when we tell people that we're having our 3rd boy:

1. Are you going to keep trying for that girl?
2. Wow -- you're going to be really busy!
3. You're braver than I am.
4. That's why I stopped at 2 boys -- I was afraid if I had any more kids, it would be more boys.
5. Raising 3 boys is a one-way ticket to heaven!
6. You're very blessed.
7. They're going to keep you young!
8. Just wait until they're teenagers and you have to feed them all!

It's funny! I always make sure to let people know that we're very excited to be having another boy. I love raising boys, and I consider it a privilege and honor that God has entrusted David and I with them to raise as Catholic men. I'm looking forward to meeting Peter, and also for the gift of brotherhood that Jack and Thomas will have with him. I think it was Pope John Paul II that said that one of the greatest gifts you can give your child is a sibling, and from what I have seen in our family, that is definitely true.

Anyway, I'm off to do some more Manic Monday chores, but I will keep you posted as Baby Watch 2008 continues!