Meet Elliott, a.k.a Sprout

Hi bloggy buddies!  I don't have too much time but I wanted to let you all know that Sprout decided to arrive fast and furious early yesterday morning - I think I went down in history for first time births as the quickest labour and delivery ever - from end to end, less than 3 hours (1.5 hrs of active labour and 14 minutes of pushing) - yes, you heard me!

I'm doing ok and baby Elliott (Sprout's a boy!!) is doing great - I'm copying and pasting the email that we sent to our friends and family yesterday so you can catch up on how it all went down for the meantime.  More to come from my side (you know I want to record every detail)once I get a chance to!  We can't believe he's here and he's ours!  Praise God!! 


Hello everyone,

Our baby decided to join us a bit sooner than expected.   He was born on Oct 26, 2010 @ 6:29am.  After 1.5hrs of active labour.. .and only 15mins of actual pushing...
Can I say my wife is a super star!!!  SuperStar!!!  =)

Wen started feeling some contractions around 3:30am... but thought it was too soon... and dismissed it and went back to sleep... until about 20mins later she said to me... Joe I don't think your going to work today... and which point the contractions started picking up dramatically!

We waited at home till about 4:30... and called our midwife to let her know that the contractions were occurring 1min long.. btw 2min breaks... crazy!!!!  I was like... okay... Joe, game on!!! 

Our midwife called our original hospital, but it was under staffed.. and so we were routed to Ajax... oh crap!!! With the nightmare of stories in that hospital... I thought for sure.. it wasn't going to be pleasant... but off we went...

I took us less than 10mins... while I was driving 140+  but under 220.  =) 

We got there safely... fortunately, it was a quite evening...in the hospital...

By the time we got there, Wen was already 8cm dilated...  She was at the point of no return... aka no drugs.. =(

This is were it was Wen's turn to say... oh crap!!!   But the mid wife meet us there... and said that Wen had gotten through the hardest part...

After leaving Wen with the midwife... I dashed back to the illegally parked car... and got the night bag carry on, pillow, binder, backpack, fruitbag, purse and my wits... I was pretty much a pack mule... and dashed back to register.. .and to catch up with Wen... this probably had taken 15mins...  by the time I returned... Wen was fully dilated... and was ready to start pushing....  15mins later...  Elliott was born healthy, screaming, crying, and with a full head of hair! 

Approx 2hrs later.. .after Mom and baby were assessed to be health, patched up and stable... they asked us if we wanted to go home... we immediately said yes... and now we're chillax'n with our new son...   What a crazy morning... Thank God that Mom, baby and me made it through the quickest 1st birth ever....  

Thank you all for your prayers and support.  We are so grateful and excited to introduce Elliott to you all... 

Letting him in on it

Hope you all had a great weekend ladies! Fall is in full effect here and the colours of the trees are just breath taking! 

So in some developing news - I've been losing my mucus plug this weekend - starting Saturday! I don't believe that means I'll be going into labour this second - but it is a good sign right? I've been in super overdrive mode to get things done and in order - I really can't believe that our baby Sprout is almost here! 

Per my post title today...it's a big step for me. I'm letting my hubby in on my blog.  I mean, he's known about it since Day 1 - but I've always maintained that this would be a place that I keep to myself, at least until now. In the beginning, this blog had helped me get through one of the toughest times of my life.  It was here that I learned more about myself than I thought I ever could.  It was here that I developed friendships with all of you that were going through your own struggles with loss and infertility.  I had known from the beginning that I would share my blog with my hubby, and even though he knows all my inner thoughts and feelings, it's different when it's in writing, does that make sense?  I thought it would be nice for him to start reading it now, as we approach the biggest moment of our lives,  so that he will see this journey, through my eyes. 

So, welcome, my sweet hubby - and happy reading! :)

Sprout's Nursery

So as I mentioned in today's previous post, Sprout's nursery is all done and I'm so proud of it! My hubby gave me free reign over the design of it and I might be biased but I think it turned out great! 

Before:

 

During:

And...drumroll....after!

 

 

 

Almost fully baked

Wowwee peeps. Sprout and I will be 37 weeks tomorrow.  37 weeks is considered full-term baby and that means it can be any day now!!  Of course I want Sprout to keep baking so s/he develops more of those cute fat baby rolls I can nom-nom on, but I'm also at a point where I'm feeling all the aches and pains in my body and beginning to feel a lot of pelvic pressure.  Per my midwife appt last Saturday, she said that Sprout's head is very low and engaged so that's good news but not so good for my bladder.  It's like this on/off switch where I can go from zero to oh-mah-gosh-imma-gonna-pee-my pants-NOW. 

Since my last post, we have pretty much checked everything off: the nursery is complete (I'll post pics in a separate post), my bag is packed (exception of toiletries that I can just throw in last min), and all the baby clothes/items are washed, folded and put away. I'll be going into the office one last time tomorrow as I don't think I'll be going in much next week, even though my official last day of work isn't until the 29th.  Just finding it difficult to get around much (my sciatica came back Friday and has been bugging me on and off) and my feet are swelling up a lot faster these days so sitting at a desk all day hasn't helped.  


I'm halfway through my Babywise book so I'm feeling empowered and a bit more prepared - but I know nothing can truly prepare me for this crazy, amazing, life changing experience that is about to happen.  I just pray and cross my fingers that we will be good parents and spiritual guardians of this little blessing - I want all the good in this world for Sprout, and I want him/her to grow up knowing how loved s/he was even before we knew we were pregnant.  This journey of pregnancy is nearing the end for us, and as much as I will miss being pregnant and having Sprout inside, I can't wait for our new chapter to begin as parents.
 

36 weeks

Hi all, sorry I haven't been blogging as much lately - I blame being tired and feeling just blahzay lately, I've been busy this week training my replacement at work and it's sucked the life out of me - there is so much to teach but not really a lot of time. Physically, I don't know how much bigger my belly and body can get at this point, because some days, I feel like a giant Macy's day parade float.  The swelling and the uncomfortable feelings as Sprout moves around in there have played a toll on me but guess what?  None of that can take away from the fact that we are SO DARN CLOSE to meeting him/her!! 

I had a teeny bit of a freak out this morning when I found out that a girl I used to work with, had her baby yesterday.  She was due on Nov 9, just one day before me.  ONE DAY people.  I know, I know, just because she had her baby, doesn't necessarily mean I will follow the same destiny - but it's a sure possibility that I hadn't really entertained that thought of being early that much because 1)my parents are still in Hong Kong and 2) I need my mommy here when this show gets started (!)  I just hope and pray that they will be back in time (next week) and all of this worrying is for nothing.  

Other than my parents not being here right now,  I also am a tad bit nervous about the approaching birth day because I haven't seen my midwife in a few weeks, mainly due to the fact that I just had the ultrasound last week and I'll see her this weekend instead.  We still haven't really discussed a birth plan or anything and I know it might be useless anyways, but having the conversation with her will ease my mind a bit, I think. 

I've also been asked many many times in the last week whether or not my bags have been packed.  I have not.  and I don't know whether or not this is because I'm sub-consciously thinking I still have plenty of time, so no rush - but then I get to thinking - well what if it happens tomorrow? I just don't know what I really need!  Any suggestions from new / past mommas out there would be appreciated! 


Let's see, what else do we still need to get done -- 

• We don't have any newborn diapers - that's high on the list to get. I'm thinking of introducing the cloth diapers when baby is around 1-2 months so for now, it will be disposables.

• I still have to finish some of my reading, namely the Babywise book that some of the ladies here have read and have implemented/in progress of implementing with their babes

• We still have to wash all the baby clothes - we did a few loads of the sheets and blankets over the weekend so the next is the undershirts and onesies

• this may be morbid, but hubby and I need to do our Will - we've never had one but many ppl have advised that we get one drawn up especially now that we have another member of the family coming in - I can't even begin to think who will take care of Sprout should we no longer be able to! ;( but it's reality and we've gotta do it, for peace of mind at least 

I think those are the major things still on the to-do list, and now that I look at it, we have accomplished a lot in the past weeks so overall I think we are in good shape...:) It's just been one of those weeks but I am still really really looking forward to all that's to come!

Ultrasound /Fibroid update

Week: 35 as of tomorrow (holy crap!)
Current fibroid size: 5 cm (from 4 cm at 28 weeks) 
Position: Posterior
Baby: Head down, past the fibroid already
Final verdict: No need for c-section, high-risk OB said she saw no concern!
Me: Relieved, but now panicky that oh gosh this might really happen the way I imagined it (gulp)

So good news all around! Praise God. I feel a heavy weight lifted off my shoulders once we heard the results right after the ultrasound and I kept saying - so, you mean you don't want to see me again for follow up? Are you sure? LOL. I think I might be slightly addicted to seeing Sprout on the monitor ;) 


The OB left to get the rest of the images from her computer and my hubby came over to me and gave me a big hug - we were both smiling from ear to ear and later on in the car, DH was like - see - told you Sprout would 'attack' that fibroid and move it out of the way! I'm like, um hunny, I don't think it works like that but ok we'll take it! LOL 

Basically the OB explained to us that usually when the fibroid is this small, the baby always wins - so she was like - go, have a healthy rest of the pregnancy and good luck in labour! I felt like I was getting a blessing - go forth and give birth!  I know that this doesn't mean a c-section isn't completely out of the question because as we all know, a birth plan is just that, and it doesn't mean it will happen that way, right? but at least now we know that having a vaginal birth isn't completely out of the question. Thanks for all the positive vibes sent my way.  Now we continue to bake and get Sprout fattened up and before you know it, that big day will finally come.  


Finally. 


:)



p.s. If you haven't already, be sure to pop by Laura's page to see her precious new baby Ella and wish her congrats- she has been such an inspiration to so many of us here in bloggy world - I feel as though I've really gotten to know her this past year with all the encouragement and daily blessings she posts about - whenever I'm feeling down, her words just pick me right up - we should all be so lucky to be thankful every day for those little blessings!  Can't wait to hear how motherhood is going and all that I have to look forward to now that so many of you are on the other side!