A Birth Story: Part One

 I don't know where to exactly begin with Austin's birth story. To say it started the day he was born, wouldn't be accurate, so I'll start the day before...

Friday October 26, and I was feeling huge. I was tipping the scales at 50 pounds gained, and had started retaining water and getting puffy about three weeks earlier. I had actually enjoyed most of pregnancy. Despite when my sciatic nerve bothered me for a two weeks in late July, and my eight weeks of morning sickness in the first trimester. But, the last few weeks of pregnancy were starting to wear on me. The comments from people everywhere on my size, the feeling that my baby's head could literally drop out at any second (my OB assured me despite all that pressure, it wouldn't), and the fact that so few of my clothes, and even my shoes, fit at this point. Oh, and did I mention a hurricane was on it's way? Projected to his landfall in a few days, the weather was set to take a big change on the day my life would inevitably change forever, October 27.

I was a lucky one, due November 1, I was already having contractions randomly, and had been told on Wednesday October 24 that I was 1.5 centimeters dilated and over 50% effaced. I was making progress, and the baby would be here soon, hopefully.

Friday rolled around at work, and I did my best to help encourage baby's progress. I went for a walk at lunch time, ate some spicy food, and tried to focus on anything BUT going into labor. I hadn't had one contraction all day, and was frustrated and decided that weekend, I would focus on spending time with my husband and not obsess over having our baby.

That night, I went to the prenatal yoga class I often attended throughout my pregnancy and I felt much more relaxed than I had in a long time. Then, came home and put up lights for Halloween on our deck and lounged around watching movies with Ben until 12:30.

At this point in pregnancy, I was getting up to pee about two to three times a night with how big I was. So, I got up at 2:00 for the first time and went right back to bed. Then, woke up a little after 4:00 a.m. and felt a warm feeling between my legs I've never felt before. It was like a warm balloon, about to snap, and I immediately knew it, my water was about to break. Knowing that it was about to burst, I thought quickly, "how can I get out of bed and not ruin our mattress, and mattress pad?" So, I shifted my outside leg as fast as I could and quickly took a huge step out of bed, and boom, my water broke, it hit the side of the fitted sheet, but the rest landed on our bedroom floor. I stood frozen in the dark for what seemed like an eternity at the time with amniotic fluid running down my legs, in complete shock. Then, I said, "Ben, my water broke," and he calmly turned on the lamp by his side of the bed, said OK, and asked what I wanted to do.

I knew I was strep B positive from previous testing, and since my water broke, I had to get in to the hospital in a decent amount of time, but I also hadn't had any contractions yet, so I knew I had time.

We decided to shower, eat something and get going, we didn't rush, and I got ready, while having to fill the bathroom floor with towels as fluid kept rolling out of me.  And, on the totally gross side, my dog was following me around, right on my tail and kept trying to lick up the fluid. Poor Cooper, I wanted to be near him before I knew I'd have a few days away from him, but I kept having to shoo him away.

At this point, the calm my husband had when he woke up was fading some, he wanted to get to the hospital, and I kept being like, nahhhh, we have time.

I finally sent him to a nearby drug store for Gatorade to fuel up before what a marathon labor I assumed was ahead and huge pads so I wouldn't get fluid all over my husband's new car on the way to the hospital.  Yes, for the first time in our relationship, I had to have my husband pick up female items. And thankfully, he was awesome about it.

At 5:30 we called our friend Glen who had told us he would watch Cooper when I went into the hospital. Glen was great about taking Cooper, even thought it was ungodly early on a Saturday. He said to call him when we were close to his house, and he's step outside and grab Cooper out of the car.  Before we left the house, I took the picture below of our last family picture before Cooper's whole life changed.

This was the first time I lost it in tears that day. I apologized and petted Cooper the whole way to Glen's house. I kept saying, "I'm sorry Cooper, your life will never be the same, but we still love you so much. I'm sorry, I know you didn't ask for what is about to happen to your life." Meanwhile, Cooper was just ecstatic to be on a sudden, middle of the night car ride.

After dropping off Cooper, we filled up the car with gas, and while Ben was filling up the car, that's when my contractions started. I decided to then call my doctor, and spoke to the one on call who told me he'd see me at the hospital, as he was on his way in for a delivery anyway.

Ben dropped me off at the door of the hospital, I checked in, went to the maternity triage, and the fun really began. My contractions were picking up intensity and coming every five minutes or so. I was checked by my doctor and told I was about 2-3 centimeters, and all looked good, so I'd be admitted shortly.

Then the nurse in triage asked me something funny, "So, what time did your water break, 3:45?"

"Um, no, a little after 4:00, why?"

"Well," she said, "the barometric pressure fell at 3:34 this morning and we've had an onslaught of women come in with broken waters since then, you're about the eighth one."


To Be Continued...


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Nursery Tour

As promised, here's a look at our now complete nursery!

Let's start with an overall look at the whole room. Pretty typical, right? Crib, bouncy chair, dresser/changing table and glider with ottoman.  We decided to do an Owl and Birds theme with Yellow and Gray colors, and pops of light blue.

Getting more specific, above is our crib. We got it from Target after seeing great ratings for it on Consumer Reports. It's the Graco Charleston Classic Convertible Crib. It's also stocked with bedding from the Land of Nod, Not a Peep Collection. I loved that bedding the minute I saw it, and it inspired the whole room.  I'm so grateful for my friends Joleen and Wendy who gave us the crib sheets, and Ben's co-worker and my friend Angie who gave us the crib skirt (and also hosted an amazing shower that she posted about on her blog here).

 

We ended up getting the Swirl Branch Wall Decal that I blogged about previously from Janey Mac on Etsy and I absolutely love it! Ben did a great job putting it up above the crib, and he put one of the little birds above the closet as well.

The dresser I previously wrote about was actually sold out when we went to Ikea, and there was NO way I was going back to that place (it was a mad house to get there in traffic, and then only being able to go there on a Saturday, the store was nuts as well), so we got this Birkeland six drawer dresser instead, and I actually like it a lot better.

The lamp on the dresser is one we had around the house from Pottery Barn and used to use in the living room, and the changing pad cover is also from Land of Nod's Not a Peep collection.

My friend Christina gave us this Sleep Sheep, noise machine/stuffed animal from Pottery Barn Kids, saying her daughter loves it. I love the items we've been receiving from experienced parents. The sheep will go great with the Dr. Karp, Happiest Baby on the Block sleep philosophy we're going to try and follow.

For easy access to diapers, wipes, etc and for storage all over the room, we have these Gingham Storage Bins from Land of Nod for toys, books and many other things.

Inside the drawers, my organization freak comes out. These drawer organizers were right by the dressers at Ikea, talk about great marketing! I have things organized by size, long sleeve/short sleeve, hats, bibs, socks. etc. I know it won't stay perfect once the baby arrives, but it will help things. People told us (some of them quite rudely!) that no one would gift us clothes because of not knowing our baby's gender ahead of time; how false was that. We have been really lucky and are totally stocked on 0-3 month clothes and many 3-6 month clothes as well.

This was one item I insisted on, a nice glider, and specifically this one from Pottery Barn Kids. It's technically my "push gift" because I told Ben I would use it more than any piece of jewelery or gift he would get me, and we shouldn't waste money on something superficial (although, a little gift when I come home from the hospital would be nice. ;)

The pillow I received in a gift from my friends Molly, Jenna, Sarah and Nina, and I think it will be great to have around for feedings, and because it's beautiful and matches the room perfectly.

We also have these very cute Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls that Ben's grandmother made for him when his mom was expecting. They are SO cute, and I'm glad that our baby can now have them as well. (And there's that bird I mentioned earlier!)

I hope you liked the little nursery tour. Now that all is settled we just sit... and wait...for baby!

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VitaCake Giveaway

OK, I lied, the post AFTER this will be a nursery tour. This one is a giveaway I keep meaning to do from the great people at Vitalicious.

They have volunteered to give one of my readers a case of their 50 Calorie VitaCakes and have them delivered right to your doorstep!

I wish I could say I've eaten them, but they're not gluten free, so I couldn't try these beauties. =( I did used to love their VitaTops, especially the chocolate flavors, before I was gluten free.

Also, my husband, friends and coworkers all loved the VitaCakes when I handed them around for them to try with the samples Vitalicious gave me.

I had one co-worker who kept saying, "Can I have just one more of those??" Glad he liked them!

Anyway, if you would like to enter to win a case of these VitaCakes, here's how:
1. Be an official follower of this blog
2. Tweet about this giveaway mentioning me (@AlexaTC) and Vitalicious (@vitamuffin)
3. Leave a comment saying why you want these delicious cakes!

Leave a separate comment for each entry (so up to three total).

All entries must be received by Sunday, October 21, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. eastern, and once I announce a winner they have 48 hours to e-mail me their mailing info to: AlexaTaleof2Cities@gmail.com

** Open to US Residents Only.. Vitalicious provided me with a case of samples of Vitacakes to try, but did not compensate me in any other way for this post.


UPDATE: The random winner is #3, Emily at A Nutritionist Eats. Congratulations Emily!
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What I've been cooking, baking and eating (and not eating)

I've been in total, make it, and freeze it mode as we prep for Baby's arrival. Maybe because nearly everything else is done, birthing class and infant CPR are both complete, drawers are full of washed clothes, car seats are in place. So now, we wait...

Lucky for me, I've been busy at work to keep my mind off the impending event (most of the time, sometimes I just can't avoid thinking about it when I feel like my abdomen is a big ball of pressure) and then my weekends fill up fast as I try enjoy our last few weeks as a family of two (plus Cooper).

Recipes I've been making to freeze include:
Apple Crisp (Can't find the recipe anymore online, I'll write another post with it soon, it's so easy and delicious!)
Chicken Enchiladas
Three Bean Chili
Quinoa Chicken Chili
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

I also recently made these (you could freeze them, but they're probably best fresh) Cheesy Chicken Crunchers.

 Photo Source from: More Than Just Dessert

Oh. My. Goodness. These were delicious, like an adult version of chicken tenders, and my husband who has a taste for simpler foods (he's a mac and cheese, burger & fries, steak & potatoes, etc. lover more than anything) loved them as well.

Last night, I also made these simple baked apples from Healthy Tipping Point. They were great with a scoop of ice cream last night, and on my oatmeal this morning. 

People keep asking me if I've had particular cravings during this pregnancy, and I guess I can't pinpoint many. What made me take a pregnancy test in the first place was wanting to eat Mexican food everyday for about seven days straight and realizing after about the fifth day that that was a little odd. During my first trimester, I was sick with nausea and throwing up for about eight weeks straight, and my food choices were little. During that time I did crave Edy's Slow Churned Rocky Road Ice Cream and Ore Ida Tater Tots (we were going through at least two bags a week for awhile) because they were one of the few things, besides Rice Chex and Crackers as well, that sat well in my stomach.

The one thing I have not been able to stand this entire pregnancy is ground beef. During the first trimester, it was any meat all together, but now it's just ground beef. The smell and taste of it leave me gauging.

I cannot WAIT to eat certain foods again. Specifically soft cheeses. I know some are comfortable eating them if they're pasteurized, but I just was too paranoid.  So, I'll be having some goat cheese pasta and brie with jam, along with a glass of wine or a cold beer as soon as I can.

After this weekend, the final touches of nursery should be done, so in my next post I'll give you a little tour with links to the products we purchased. Stay Tuned!


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End of September Thoughts

I have a million things racing through my brain, so here's a random post for you all that lists them.

1. Recipes. I'm in total cook and bake mode. Some of the items being frozen for when Baby Cush arrives to enjoy, some being scarfed down immediately. My next recipes on the list: Iowa Girl Eats Starbucks Imitation Pumpkin Scones, Confessions of a Gluten Free Mom Muffins, and my Chicken Enchiladas and Cottage Cheese Pancakes. I'm now noticing that three out of those four are breakfast pastries.
2. Packing my hospital bag. After our tour yesterday it's top of mind. So far I have: two outfits for baby, including hat and socks, swaddle blanket, miracle blanket, last blanket my grandma knitted (I came home from the hospital in one she knitted), basic toiletries, tooth brush for Ben, change of clothes for Ben, extra blanket for me, bathrobe, two changes of clothes for me (both comfortable and oversized), medications recommended by friends (and just in case other clueless first time moms read this, I'll tell them too, Tylenol and Stool Softener, don't act all grossed out, it's reality). I also have a few things to pick up to add, like I want to find some really great gluten free shampoo to treat myself with after the birth, tennis balls for back massaging during labor, a birthing ball and nursing bras. Oh, and snacks for Ben as well.
3. Our nursery. It's nearly finished, and I put a sneak peak on twitter (@AlexaTC) if you want to check there. Still a few things to get to make it complete, but I just love it! There were some changes to the original plan I blogged about previously, but overall it's the vision I've had since about ten weeks. 
4. Finding a gluten free pumpkin beer. Is there one? Google hasn't helped me much, one possibly in Michigan? Post Delivery I want to have a few of my favorite beverages I've been missing, like sweet wines (I have a bottle from Northern Vineyards I bought in June put away to toast with after birth), a Moscow Mule, and a Gluten Free Pumpkin Beer. Of course I'll have like half a glass of any of these and probably be tipsy. 
5. My great and generous friends and family. We've had one great shower here in DC, have another one coming this weekend and my friends from afar have participated in a virtual shower that's had a package on my door step nearly everyday for the past two weeks. I'll leave you with a few pictures of some of the great items we've received! (BTW, I am not some weirdo who takes pictures of all of their gifts, part of the virtual shower was taking pictures of them and posting them to the evite).

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For the Love of Etsy

Lately, Etsy has had quite the great finds for me. I love this website, because I am not crafty, but these people are, and they make cute things, at a more affordable price, and I love them.

I've found these that I think will be a great way to decorate the baby's room for our owl and bird theme, and you can order them in various colors. We also won't have to commit to painting something on as well, as these are easily removable.

Once I have the room set up and can see where these would go on the wall, I'll order either one or both of them.

I was also in love with this completely over priced J Crew Bubble necklace, but there's no way I would spend $150 for what's basically costume jewelery.

Well, wouldn't you know it, found nearly the exact same necklace on Etsy for $18! $24, with shipping; a fraction of the J Crew price.

 J Crew Version

Etsy Version

I found the perfect bridesmaid jewelery on Etsy. I've bought holiday gifts on there. It's so great to find such personalized items, that you know are handmade, and be able to get them at an affordable price.

And payment is easy and secure as well.

Also, a recipe I forgot to note in my last post I tried recently and LOVE. I'll surely be making them again. These, Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

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Welcome to August

The month of July has been a whirlwind. From a trip to LA for work, to a train ride to Connecticut for a family wedding, and a visit from my parents, it was one thing after another and I've loved this summer, especially since its our last summer of truly being carefree

And now that August has hit, we're packing up our apartment and moving in ten days; I can't wait! We decided to ditch our two bedroom apartment and are renting a bigger townhome for at least the next two years. I can't wait to have a garage, a little backyard, a deck with a grill, and two family room areas.

Since I can't do much as actually moving things, I've been packing like crazy (thank goodness for my parent's visit and all of their help) and plan to be the delegater at the new house when the movers are bringing stuff in, telling them exactly where things go.

Once we are moved in, we can also finally start working on the baby's room!! At nearly 28 weeks, I'm more than ready to start nesting and creating our child's room. I'll for sure provide photo tours of the baby's room.

This weekend we're going to purchase a dresser from Ikea and order the glider from Pottery Barn Kids.

 Ikea Dresser

The coveted Pottery Barn Glider. This is my push gift, will serve me much better than jewelery!

We've been registering for everything under the sun (registered at Target, Land of Nod and PB Kids) so that we can at least complete the registries with the 10% off. I can't wait to really start nesting and getting things ready for Baby Cush. If my growing belly didn't already make things very real, having a room prepared for it's arrival sure will.

To avoid the comments, yes, you can prepare a room when you don't know your child's gender! I find it laughable the people who think you can't put together your baby's room if you don't know their gender. Before 1990ish, most couples didn't know their baby's gender at all and they survived. And, I'm personally not a huge fan of gender specific decorating. We don't do it as adults, why do kids need do it? I love the bedding we picked out from Land of Nod that's yellow and gray and would have picked the same one had we known our baby's gender. 

So excited about this bedding and the birds & owls theme!

I had to share some recipes I tried over the last month that I recommend for all. Of course I made them gluten free (ask me if you have questions as to how), but seriously, check these out!

• Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Skinny Enchilada Lasagna 
• Spicy Stewed Beef and Cheddar Grits (this gave me heart burn for two days, but tasted great going down. That said, I'll probably never be able to eat it again!)

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