Daddy's Little Girl

Today is Kyle's first day back at work and things are definitely different around here. Daddy and Lauren are attached at the hip and he has the touch when she is crying. I wasn't sure how he would respond to being a Dad but knew he would be great. He definitely exceeded my expectations and changes the majority of diapers and burps her the best!! Not only is he a great dad but a great husband. I had been talking about Edible Arrangements the entire pregnancy and sure enough a REALLY DELICIOUS one was delivered to our house on Monday.

We love you Daddy!!!Lauren had her first appt. on Tuesday. She now weighs 6lbs. 8 oz. which is up two ounces from her discharge weight (6lbs. 6oz.). She is so tiny still! Can't wait until some of her clothes actually fit.

My Beautiful Bow

Dear Andy, Stacy, and Alaina,
Thank you for the beautiful bow!!! Please come back and visit soon.

(Her infamous pout! We love this little baby girl!)

Love,
Little Lauren

Baby Rouse is Here!!!!

I should have known from my urgent nesting/baking extravaganza and recent position change! On Wednesday night about twenty minutes after laying down for bed my water broke. I wasn't exactly sure that my water had broke so I got up and called my mom and the midwife. Of course, my mom decided that it was time for her to start making the commute to Illinois (at 10:30pm). The midwife suggested that I lay back down and go to bed since I was not having any contractions and call her when they started or by 8am if they had not. Of course, I could not fall asleep at all and laid in bed the entire night wide awake. We called the midwife back at 6am and she suggested starting to drive into the city since I was not contracting at all and statistics show that if you don't start contracting six hours after your water has broke, it is not going to happen on its own. We made it to triage around 9:30am and verified that my water had broke. At 11:00am (14 hours after rupture) I was induced with Pitocin and contractions started shortly after. I soon realized how important sleeping the night prior would have been!! Rocking back and forth really helped with the contractions and when I reached 5 centimeters, I was allowed to hop in the tub. I was not a huge fan and only stayed in for about 30 minutes. The water wasn't warm enough and I was soon freezing and shaking. Unfortunately it also didn't help with progressing and I only dilated one centimeter in about four hours. After not sleeping for around 30 hours and not being allowed to eat all day, I requested an epidural around 9:00pm on Thursday night. The midwife agreed that it was probably a good idea since I had been in induced labor for about nine hours and only progressed to six centimeters. The also really want to see you deliver within 24 hours of your water breaking in order to prevent infection. Oh man, that epidural was AMAZING!!! I was finally able to relax and just lay there instead of swaying back and forth in a coma-like state. I quickly progressed to being 100% effaced and 10 centimeters dilated and was able to start pushing around 1:30am. At 3:42 am, Baby Rouse was welcomed into the world, 30 hours after my water breaking!!!

Introducing...

LAUREN PAIGE ROUSE
6 lbs. 15 oz, 2o.5 inches long
Born at 3:42am on Sept. 4th, 2009 at 37 weeks, 6 days
More pictures, my thoughts on labor, and being a mommy later!!

Position Change and 37 week 4 day Picture

Last night I felt a lot of pressure and movement really low so I laid on my back to feel if the baby had moved at all. It feels like the butt is now sticking straight up instead of against my back which is a good sign. Kyle actually felt and said, "I think the baby isn't 'sunny side up' anymore." Yea, my husband actually knows!!

Here is a baby in the 'sunny side up' or occipital posterior position. Usually if a baby is like this it will automatically turn during labor as the head descends but sometimes they are delivered this way. It makes for a longer labor since the head has a harder time working its way through the pelvis.
And...here is the a baby in the occipital anterior position (what we think baby moved to). It could easily move back and forth between now and then but we would be perfectly happy with it staying like this!

We should find out more tomorrow at our 38 week appt. I am contemplating asking to get checked but doubt that I actually will since it isn't the most pleasant experience in the world and sometimes it can induce labor or introduce bacteria up there. Can you see my stretch marks??..boo hoo!

Dear Baby Rouse,

Your lease is officially up this month! Unfortunately, you can not renew it so you need to vacate the premises by the end of the month...preferably 09/09/09 because then daddy would never forget your birthday. Don't worry, you have a nice little room to live in filled with tons of monkeys (thanks to your Grandma Cindy). Please come soon, your mom is getting bored and has sore ribs!

37 week appt.

We passed the GBS test! I think I was trying to mentally prepare myself for a positive result since that would mean different labor plans but was delighted to find out that I tested negative. This means that if my water breaks, I do not have to go directly to the hospital but instead when my contractions are 2-3 minutes apart for roughly four hours since I want a natural birth. They encourage that I labor the majority of the time at home in a comfortable environment.

The baby is measuring right on track and the midwife said that he/she is very low which is good to hear. I have been having a lot of cramping sensations lately like a menstrual cycle and pretty consistent braxton hicks contractions so this could mean that baby is coming a little sooner than anticipated. The midwife made a comment that it could be sooner than my due date but then again she also asked how the 'baby boy' was doing and Kyle and I both just looked at each other and asked if she knew something that we didn't know. She said that she didn't know because they don't write it in our chart but it definitely made us ponder. Kyle says that he is now 87.5% sure that it is a boy while I am 70% sure. The heart rate was in the 140's.

Not much else is new, we are now going once a week to appts. which makes the time seem to go by faster. I am COMPLETELY mentally prepared to welcome this baby into the world but not at all ready with things that I wanted to get accomplished around the house and all the food I want to freeze. I guess I should focus on that next week!! Oh yeah, I don't have cankles yet!!

Houston, we have a....

STRETCH MARK...or should I say marks! Ugh, I guess waiting until 36 weeks to make their appearance has been rather nice, hopefully they can go away in a few short weeks as well. Things have still been going well, baby is moving a lot and wakes me up during the night because of movement and frequent trips to the restroom. This is my favorite shirt and I had to retire it shortly after the picture because it kept riding up over my belly, showing my new stretch marks.

Tonight we went to Babies R' Us to use rewards that we had earned and to finally purchase a
'going-home outfit' with hat, booties, and bib. We had some difficulty finding one that was gender neutral enough but finally decided on this one. The thing that I like best is that you can button it as pants or a sleep sack so if they baby is bigger than 9lbs. (which is common in our family) we can just use it as a sleep sack with the booties. Mom, they had a monkey one too but Kyle said that it looked too masculine.

36 week appt.

Yesterday was our 36 week appt. This was the final 'big' appt. before D-day. I had the Group-B Strep test and discussed our labor plans. Group-B Strep for those who are interested is just a bacteria that is colonized in some women and not others, it can show up in one pregnancy but not another and has nothing to do with a sexually transmitted disease although some think that it is, but does occur through sexual contact. I will find out in one week if I tested positive or not. If I did test positive, that would mean going to the hospital right away when/if my water would break so I could be placed on antibiotics (usually Penicillin, but I am allergic). The bacteria does not affect me in any way but the baby does not have the proper immune system to fight it off so it would be important to make sure that the necessary precautions are taken since it could ultimately result in death of the babe (VERY serious cases).

We also talked about labor and the 'myths' that we were told at our medical-based prenatal class. Our midwife was not too happy with some things that we were told about labor. Instead of calling triage when our contractions are 5 minutes apart, the midwife does not want us to call in until they are 2-3 minutes apart so labor can progress more at home in a comfortable environment (although this would be different if the GBS test came back positive and my water broke). And we don't call triage, we call the midwife on-call so they can give us advice instead of a triage nurse who is more medically-based and would encourage us to come in. The midwife will then call triage when it is time for us to come in. The L&D nurse that taught our class told us that we had to deliver on our back, knees against chest (which we knew was not accurate). Of course, our midwife laughed and said that we could do whatever we wanted: the tub, side-lying, using the squatting bar, birthing stool, etc. unless we had an epidural: then we would be confined to the bed and in positions that didn't require bearing weight on our legs. Another reason I hope to go all natural, more choices!

The baby is still head-down and the midwife did not foresee him/her turning at this point in time, so we are still already to go. The heart-rate was in the 140's which is borderline girl and boy according to the old wive's tale. Appts. are every week now until the big day and we have them all scheduled, unless I go past 40 week, woo hoo!

Interesting Pregnancy Tidbits...

1. It is exactly ONE MONTH until my due date (9/19/09).

2. I officially weigh more than Kyle now, by one pound...ugh!

3. We will have this baby in the next 6 weeks since I will not be allowed to go past 41 weeks, 6 days!

4. The baby is only on my right side leading me to believe that the placenta is hanging out on the left side.

5. I think my ribs are bruised.

6. I still have no idea what the gender is but refer to it as a 'he' without realizing it.

7. I enjoy pregnancy, but am ready to be done, my back is on fire.

8. What are our chances of having the baby on 09/09/09 or 9/7/09 (Labor Day)??

Cubs Game and Babymoon

We went to our first Cubs game of the summer after Kyle received some free tickets from work. It looks like I am sticking my belly out in this picture but honestly I was standing normal (can you see my belly button?). The game didn't really start or end well and we ended up leaving after the 4th inning because we knew that we had to get up early the next morning for work and then leave for our road trip...

We started Thursday after we both got off work around 2:00 (it was also my final day of my social worker job). We drove on Route 66 for a few hours until we decided to abandon ship and hop on the interstate. It was getting rather late after fighting some traffic out of Chicago so we stopped in Springfield, Illinois for the night. Coincidentally the Illinois State Fair was going on at the same time so hotels weren't very willing to give us good deals. The next morning we got up and decided to head towards St. Louis. On the way, we stopped at Cahokia Mounds. Once we arrived in St. Louis, we were overwhelmed with all the things to do and couldn't find anywhere to park under $20 so we decided to keep driving and made our way in a HUGE circle around St. Louis. We stopped for the night in Vandalia, Illinois (which we were finally able to get a good deal on a hotel). The next morning we woke up and slowly made our way back home.

The beginning of Route 66 in Chicago

The Gemini Giant on Route 66

The Old State Capital in Springfield, IL
The current Capitol in Springfield, IL
A tree that Kyle liked at the base of Monk's Mound at Cahokia Mounds
Monk's Mound: the largest Earthen construction in the Americas. It has about 14 acres of dirt that Indians packed down to create a mound for religious ceremonies and where the Chief and his staff lived. It was about 100 feet.
When we got to the top we were able to see the skyline of St. Louis. This picture is kind of foggy but you could definitely see it.
The first State Capitol building in Vandalia, IL...we should have called this the Capitol Road Trip
Funny story, Kyle said that a road trip wasn't complete without a stop at Sonic. We looked the entire time on the way home for one and FINALLY found it around 2:00 in the afternoon, about 10 miles from our house, haha! We were pretty hungry and excited.

We had a fun time just driving in the car and enjoying each others company. I really like staying at hotels too! It is hard to believe that in a few short weeks we are going to have a third person in our family. Kyle and I talked on the way home about how exciting it is but for some reason you also go through a grieving process of realizing that it isn't just the two of you anymore, I am kind of selfish like that, I don't really want to share him! I know several others have mentioned this happening as well. Don't get me wrong, we are so EXCITED to have a new little one and can't wait but it is definitely going to be a change of pace and lifestyle.

If you are interested in Natural Childbirth...

A few people have mentioned an interest in natural childbirth so I thought that I would post two of the many books that I am currently reading about the topic. I might even bring these to the hospital with me for ideas.

The Bradley Method or Husband-Coached Childbirth is a popular birthing method for natural childbirth. We were hoping to attend some Bradley classes instead of our hospital's prenatal class but the price tag was a little too much for us. The method focuses on the role of your partner in the birthing process and drug-free techniques during labor. The Bradley Method differs from Lamaze because it encourages natural childbirth not prepared childbirth. This book has a lot of practical techniques and pictures for the different stages of labor.

Ina May is one of the founding midwives in the field. Her experience and expertise is amazing while you read through her book. The first portion is a multitude of birthing stories from other women and then it dives into different positions and relaxation techniques. I like reading the stories because unlike what you see on TLC's Baby Story, this stuff is real and not sugar-coated.

Some Random Thoughts...

1. I love receiving comments about my pregnancy from strangers. It is so interesting to hear because they have no idea who I am and have no fantasies about what they wish the gender would be. Remember the first person that said 'Congratulations' to me was a homeless man at the grocery store when I was 18 weeks. There is one homeless man that I talk to a few times a week and he always tells me that I am having a boy because I carry low and I am always smiling. Last week I had some extra time to chat so he told me about his kids and remembering about the different pregnancies. His theory was that women who carry boys always smile, are happy, and want to do things but women who carry girls are moody and want to lay around the house all day. Kyle begs to differ with his boy prediction based on that description.

My other favorite stranger comment came from a girl while waiting for the train to come. She walked around me and then said, "Excuse me, can I ask you a question?" I thought for sure she was going to ask me something about the train so I said ok. She asked if I knew what the gender of the baby was and I told her no. Then she said, "It is a boy...trust me" and then just walked away and vanished. I told Kyle I think that she was a psychic or something because it was a very strange experience and I got a really weird vibe from her. Not that I believe in that kind of stuff but it was odd.

2. We took our Prenatal class yesterday at the hospital that we are going to deliver at. In the beginning we did introductions and learned that we were only one of two couples that had a midwife versus an OB-GYN and we were only one of two couples that were striving for a natural birth. Very interesting for us to hear. The hospital has a 95% epidural rate which Kyle and I think is just outrageous! The class only solidified our reasoning for wanting a midwife and wanting to go natural (I am glad I have a birth partner who is on the same page). The teacher would always talk about how things are going to go and then say, but since you have a midwife it will be different, and it was always a more positive aspect. For instance, she said that the doctor would only be in the room for the last few pushes and to check in but that the midwife would be in the room a lot more during the labor portion and probably there for the entirety of the pushing if there isn't a lot going on. She also explained that midwife patients have the option of a tub for labor but it is a lot more difficult to get one in your room if you see a doctor. Granted this is different at every hospital but this is the way that it happens at the hospital that we go to.

We learned some nice relaxation techniques as well and are going to try really hard to implement them especially in the early stages of labor when we will more than likely be at home. Kyle even had to give me a massage during the class which was AMAZING! I am going to make sure he keeps practicing so he doesn't forget.

3. I know that I haven't talked very much about our ideas of wanting a natural birth on the blog because so many family and friends really aren't on the same page with us, but it is something that is really important to us so we hope that if you don't agree or had a positive experience with your epidural or c-section, that is good for you but we hope that we don't have to have that. Obviously we can't control how labor and delivery goes so we need to remain open but we strive to have an intervention-free delivery. Maybe I will have a separate post one day explaining thoroughly our reasoning behind our decisions.

Kyle desperately needs to take some new belly pictures so hopefully we will have new ones up soon!

34 weeks...

How far along? 34 weeks, Heart rate was averaging 160's today (indicates girl!)
Total weight gain/loss: up 2 lbs. from last appt which was what I lost last time, so total weight gain of 22 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Yep!!!
Stretch marks? Still nothing...
Sleep: tossing and turning from side to side
Best moment this week: Baby is finally head down!! Ready to go.
Movement: Moving like crazy but definitely getting a little cramped in there.
Food cravings: LEMONADE!!
Gender: I am back to having no idea again. Maybe girl...
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks contractions occasionally and baby is now in the right position
Belly Button in or out? Out!!
What I miss: sleeping on my back.
What I am looking forward to: next appt at 36 weeks, going on our Babymoon next week
Weekly Wisdom: I am right on track with my belly size so I don't care if you say I am small, I am just fine!
Milestones: One week left of work and then I can become a bum!

The Thriving Money Tree!

Just thought that I would provide a little update on our Money Tree since this last post! If I recall correctly, I think that I was blamed for the Money Tree's ailing health in my comment section by a person that I will keep nameless (you can go check for yourself...cough cough Bethany). Do you see that tiny little plant sitting there...
Well he (his name is Diego) has blossomed into something extremely handsome. Here is a little journey of his life through three different potting changes and three different apartments.

He even has friends (little mushrooms) that like to hang out with him. When I researched about this, it said that a bad batch of soil can cause it. You are just supposed to snap off the tops or let them die on their own. After snapping off several caps, I decided to just keep them. The website that I read it on said you can even add a little gnome in there to add to the setting, I have been looking for a cute one.

Happy Birthday Larry!

It is my dad's birthday today! Go over to his blog to wish him a Happy Birthday, he is old but not quite 50 yet! I hope you have a great day Dad, see you in a few weeks!