My Girl

Perfection.

Dream big, little girl.

Our little jaundice creamsicle.

Check out my chubby cheeks!

La Familia

These guys were at the hospital from 10am to 10pm
waiting to meet Miss Mia.

Birth Story

6:45 am - check in for paperwork and room assignment.

8:15 am - IV started. Nurse was digging around in my left wrist and could not find a strong vein. I just kept smiling and saying it was okay, but I wanted to scream. She ended up having more luck over on my right wrist. Pitocin was started and a minute later doc came and broke my water. Didn't hurt at all, but it sure was gross.

1:00 pm - By now I had forgotten how many times they turned up the pitocin, but they were doing it in 15 to 30 minute intervals. In the beginning the contractions felt like strong menstrual cramps, but by early afternoon, they evolved into something more sinister, strong and stacked one on top of the other, beginning to make me cry a little. I was over 4cm. I asked for the epidural.

Ugh, the epidural. While it provided instant relief, I didn't enjoy the process of getting it done. The dose of lydocaine they injected STUNG. And then he explained I would feel a cramp in my lower back and a funny bone feeling up my spine as he inserted the catheter. I could feel him working back there. Call me a wimp but the whole process had me on edge and I could not wait for it to be over.

Almost instantly the contractions disappeared. But then my feet started itching, then my chest. The nurses explained this was a common side effect. Still, it was better than feeling pain. I'll get back to the epi later. It still had one final surprise in store for me toward the end.

5:00 pm - I told Pete to page the nurse. I started feeling intense pressure down below coupled with a strange stretching sensation. She checked and said it was because I was fully dilated - 10 cm! Pete and I looked at each other and cried. Finally the long wait was over. We were going to meet our baby girl.

6:15 pm - My doctor was tied up in a Cesarean birth so I had to wait over an hour to push. So sick of waiting! I couldn't imagine walking out of surgery and into our situation though. No wonder they get paid the big bucks. Our L&D nurse walked us through the art of pushing.

By now I could feel the contractions rushing at me without having to look at the monitor. So with each I had to take a deep breath, push and bear down for a count of ten and then repeat twice for a total of 3 times, then do all over again 2 minutes later. Again and again and again, such a work out. Pete had one leg and the nurse had another. Pete was so great. I don't know how I would've gotten through without him. In between contractions he wiped my forehead and fed me ice chips. He even grunted with me through a lot of them. We kept our sense of humor. At one point our nurse's cell phone rang - I'm not even kidding the ringtone was PUSH IT. We all were laughing so hard I missed the next contraction entirely, but it was nice for the break.

Something also popped somewhere inside me. Not sure what it was, but it was loud and clear and made the nurses pull back. They said they had never heard that before during a delivery. I just kept thinking oh great! We'll deal with that later.

8:15 pm - No baby yet. We were told the little missy was having a hard time clearing my pubic bone. I could see her head crowning, but they just couldn't get her out. I could sense the doctors and nurses getting concerned. People were entering and leaving the room. I heard someone mumbling about shoulder dystocia. And I was exhausted. My contractions were a minute or less apart, coming on so fierce. I could feel a lot more of it than I wanted to. The epidural catheter had shifted in my spine and was redirecting all of my pain to the base of my neck. It must have reconnected with a different nerve. Suddenly with every movement I could feel pain shoot down my neck, across my shoulders and down my arms. It made me cry. The nurses confirmed it was the epidural. I guess sometimes this happens...?

8:37 pm - During my final push, my L&D nurse climbed up over the bed on her knees and began to force her weight into my pubic bone. My doctor was also yelling at me YOU NEED TO PUSH AS HARD AS YOU CAN RIGHT NOW!!! I was terrified. I had never seen it this way on A Baby Story before.

And then just like that, there she was. For a second I saw the doctor hold Mia up, and my God she was limp. Her head rolled to the side and her arms and legs just dangled. She wasn't breathing. The cord was wrapped around her neck. The doctor cut the cord and then suddenly they were working on her in the corner, trying to pump air into her lungs and saying COME ON LITTLE GIRL! Another nurse was on a walkie talkie demanding for NICU. I was so scared. I thought she was dead.

She started to make little noises and cry softly. I have never heard such a beautiful thing in my life. She was going to be okay. They swaddled her up and handed her to me for a brief moment. We were allowed to take a few pictures and then she was taken away up to the nursery for further review. It would be 2 hours before I would see her again, so I was a mess. But all that mattered is that she was and is okay. 7lbs, 15oz and 21"L.

After the epidural completely wore off I realized I was in a lot of pain. Ends up I completely separated the cartilage in my pubic symphysis, bruised my tailbone pretty badly and got 2 first degree tears, one internally and one on top bilaterally. I also have a severe case of edema now from all the IV fluids. But you know, I can't complain because it could have been much worse. I am finally starting to walk on my own today. I've seen a physical therapist twice. I should be 100% better within just a few weeks.

Today is day 2 of being home and she is doing so well, so cute! Absolutely beautiful. Other than a mild case of jaundice and acid reflux, she is perfectly healthy. We are completely enamored with this special little girl. So far she only cries when she is hungry or wants to be held. And we are already adapting somewhat to a routine. The three of us and all the pets are really enjoying being a family.

My Beautiful Ladies

Okay folks I apologize for the sudden change in narrators, but Marisa is a little down and out right now. Before we get into anything, let me clarify - both Marisa and Mia are doing great! They both went through a lot, but both of these girls are tough as nails and are coming back through with shining colors. Mia was born 7 lbs 15 oz, 21 inches long, at 8:37 PM, after her Mom being induced at 8:15. 12 hours of labor, with the last four being the most intense.

We had a very intense delivery, Marisa had to fight for every inch of it, which was followed by an umbilical cord wrapped around the neck, and the on top of it all, shoulder dystocia. This is basically where the baby's shoulder becomes trapped behind the pubic bone, and we've had several people tell us that shoulder dystocia is perhaps an OB's worst nightmare to face in the delivery room.

That being said, with a combination of a superhuman effort by Marisa, and the expertise of our incredible doctor (Dr. Dill) and nurse team, our girl came out without any injuries related to the position she was in. Marisa as a result of the unbelievable force of pushing had actually seperated her pubic symphysis, or pubic bone. This bone is essentially held together with cartilidge, and that cartilidge becomes loose during pregnancy as a normal occurance, but with the baby locked in and Marisa pushing like a freight train, it didn't hold. As a result, her first day afterwards she could only walk backwards, and that's using the term walking loosely. More of a shuffle.

Mia on the other hand had some minor issues of her own, with some acid reflux. This was easily fixed by giving her a heavier rice formula to supplement Marisa's breastfeeding, and ensuring that after we feed her to burp her and keep her upright for at least 20-30 minutes.

But now, let's get to today. Marisa had an x-ray and verified what we knew - separation of the pubic symphysis. That being said, my wife, the badest, toughest, most beautiful gal I've every known has been using a walker to get around with a physical therapist, took a shower on her own, and is able to sit up in bed by herself. When I ask if she's pushing herself to far, she simply smiles and replies "I'm fine - I have a daughter to take care of."

Mia is eating and holding her food down well - she's a champion eater, and she's literally sitting Marisa's arms right now. We're going to head home tonight or tomorrow, and we are a family. Together at last, gratefull for all of our support and love and friendships, and so full of love we could burst.

We love you all, and we can't wait for all of you to meet her.

Dad's first post

The Finish Line

39 weeks!

+27 lbs (8lbs gained in last 2 weeks)

0 stretchmarks - night before delivery

7 hours before we leave for hospital

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! She continues to build a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth, but it's likely she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds. See and track where it all began - http://www.babycenter.com/mybabycenter/103.html

It's Heebie Jeebie Thursday!

I'm a mess - so many mixed emotions, one of them being utter FEAR, I'm not gonna lie. Here are some factors/realizations that may make me barf before the end of the day:

No food or drink tomorrow - I don't think I am even allowed to eat, but if I am, it's hospital cafeteria food. Heard they serve up a mean placenta!

Enemas - I'm hoping we can skip this entirely. If they ask I will nicely decline. Not going there. No. No. No.

Catheters - mmm I get one in my spine and one in my bladder. Maybe they can insert more in my eyeballs while they're at it.

IV - I hate that they stab it into the top of your hand or wrist, and then it's in the way all day, shooting ice cold meds into your veins.

Magnesium sulfate - if my blood pressure rises during delivery, I get this is my bag. Supposedly causes nausea and audio/visual hallucinations.

Nausea - I hope and pray I am not one of those that throws up throughout labor. I can not handle puking on top of everything else going on. Just shoot me.

Stripping of membranes/breaking my water - just does not sound pleasant. I'm sure this will be one of the times where they say something like "okay just relax for a minute, you're going to feel a little poke."

The afterbirth - yikes. I don't want to see it, smell it, hear it, nothing. I'll just focus on my beautiful little baby's face.

The epidural - woo boy. I HATE needles, especially big ones in the spine that feel like electricution. And then sometimes it falls out and has to be reinserted, or sometimes it just doesn't take and you feel everything anyway. No wonder many women decide to go without, BUT -

Contractions - so I've heard them compared to anything from intense mentrual cramps to the worst Charlie Horse you've ever known to your abdomen losing in a fight against a great white shark. Guess I'll find out soon enough.

The Ring of FIRE - episiotomy vs. tear. I can't even think about this without breaking into a sweat. Just google 4th degree tears and recovery if you really want to know.

Failed induction ---> Cesarean Birth - so after all is said and done, my body could just stall and fail to progress. Off to the operating table and under the knife I go.

Mia's health - I've wondered what if the cord is around her neck? What if she inhales meconium into her lungs? What if? What if? What if? Bleh.

So anyway, as you can see, I'm just a little nervous. I keep reminding myself though that women have been doing this for a long time now. Everything is going to be fine. I just have to stay positive and focus on the end result. I can breathe through it. Cry through it. Laugh through it. This is going to be the best day of my life.

And man, Pete is so darn excited right now, it's very cute. So far this morning I have seen him break out into song and dance twice. He says tomorrow will be like the best Christmas ever. I say it will be like the best Christmas ever, except with a little side of torture before opening the most incredible gift of all.

3 Days

Here she comes! In her palanquin

On the back of an elephant

On a bed made of linen and sequins and silk

- The Decemberists, "The Infanta"

Happy Hour

Nesting

Pete took apart the house this weekend! He's been organizing and reorganizing and putting this here and that over there. He's made 2 Home Depot trips, replaced drains and put up shelving in closets. I've been trying to help sort through some old, yet unpacked boxes, but the belly I think grew even more since last night's Soho Sushi/Marble Slab outing, so I was instructed to go sit. All the moving around though kind of kicks little contractions in, so I feel like I should not be sitting - jumping jacks, maybe?

It's going to be a busy week, which is perfect because I think this may be the slowest week of my life, slower than the week before our wedding and the week before we left for Italy. I need to have something to do every hour of every day, or I think I might lose it. I'm banning myself from watching A Baby Story this week. No more of that. We're making some freezer meals to stuff the fridge with, that way we have things to simply thaw and serve after we get home from the hospital. So far we've come up with baked ziti, turkey chili, shephard's pie, baked cheesey chicken and broccoli rice, Mama Lori Nuffer's enchiladas and Pete's ridiculously-awesome Bolognese sauce, which you can spoon onto anything for instant artery-clogging gratification.

Full Moon

Tonight is a full moon! Here's to hoping its gravitational pull will send me into labor naturally. Don't know if it's an urban legend, but supposedly hospitals overstaff their labor and delivery areas on days of full moons and impending storms. Come on Mia, we know we only have 5 days left, but I'm getting antsy!

False Alarm

Went in for another routine appt this morning and ended up over at the triage center of Women's Hospital again! My blood pressure was up a little and I have some nasty edema (swelling) in my feet and hands. So they wanted to run more tests to rule out preeclampsia and make sure Mia didn't have to come out today. Poor Pete was so excited, he looked a little disappointed when Doctor Jaeger told us all of my lab work came back fine and we'd have to wait another week to induce. So after nearly 4 hours there, I am home again, rockin and rollin. On the plus side, I have progressed to 2cm dilated, 80% effaced on my own in a week, so there's still a chance I could go into labor naturally before Friday. If I could pick, I'd rather do it that way, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Another One Down

38 weeks! Wow!

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs between 6 and 7-1/2 pounds (boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls), and she's nearly 20 inches long. She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Some swelling in your feet and ankles is normal during these last weeks, but call your practitioner without delay if you notice excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, more than slight swelling of your hands, any swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, or have a sudden weight gain. Also let her know immediately if have severe or persistent headaches; visual changes (such as double or blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, light sensitivity, or a temporary loss of vision), intense upper abdominal pain or tenderness, or nausea and vomiting. These are symptoms of a serious condition called preeclampsia.

VENT

Of all things I'll miss the most about being pregnant, it will be the heartBURN. Yeah right.

Never in my life have I had such bad indigestion. Some days I wake up and wonder if I have an esophagus left. Clearly my stomach acid has eaten it all away. There might be a thin layer left, like wet tissue paper, fighting for it's life. Makes me think of that scene in Indiana Jones (is it the Temple of Doom?) where they are lowering Screaming Man into the pit of lava and fire. I seriously may need an esophagus transplant. I am past the point of Zantac and TUMS. Useless, I tell you.

So the old wive's tale says lots of heartburn = hairy baby. And apparently new studies out of Johns Hopkins prove that the same hormone that produces hair also causes terrible heartburn. So if all of the above holds any weight, Mia is going to look like Chewbacca. My sonogram last week showed hair. The tech zoomed in on her head and said see that funny-looking stuff floating around like sea weed? That's hair! Guess we'll know in a week.

For Annie