A Dad's Perspective

Author’s note: I apologize I advance for the length of this post, but it isn't often that I’m asked, or even permitted to write a blog (the very first, in fact), so I am taking full advantage of the opportunity!

Friday, February 6th started the way most days leading up to it started. Laura and I woke up, got ready, and went to work. I was much more at ease since earlier in the week we visited her OB/GYN, and came up with a strategy: Laura would stop the Heparin shots the upcoming Sunday evening; we could go in for an ultrasound on Monday; and depending on the results of the ultrasound, start induction or go in for a C-section on Tuesday. Tuesday the 10th was going to be the day! The day that our family was to start! While it wasn't what we’d planned for or wanted, at least we had a concrete plan… at least until about 10:30 on Friday.

I got a text message from Laura saying she’d been having some pains in her back that she thought may have been contractions; they became regular, so she started keeping track of them. They were rather close together, but very short in duration. We were both convinced that since they were only in her back that they were Braxton hicks contractions, and weren't really the ‘real deal’. Well that was until they continued on through lunch and into the afternoon. I recommended she go home and relax as much as possible, and thankfully her supervisors agreed and insisted she leave. I wrapped things up at the office shortly after she headed for home, and got there about 30 minutes after she did.

As soon as I saw her face when a contraction hit, I knew it was likely the ‘real deal’ after all. From what we learned previously, I suspected that our little peanut was still in the wrong position and was likely pressing against her back, causing the back contractions. We decided to continue to relax at home, I mean, nobody has their first kid fast right? It takes HOURS of labor…

As Laura already mentioned, we were watching Jimmy Fallon write out his Thank You notes (Thank YOU to Jimmy Fallon for getting the ball rolling!) when the Great Deluge happened. That is when things started to blur for me – there was no question whether the contractions were real or not. Those very real contractions started to get more intense, now that there was no amniotic fluid cushioning her pelvis. Still operating under the assumption that our Baby Fox was breech, we decided it was high time to get on the road and beat as much rush hour traffic as we could.

As the more intense contractions hit Laura, I tried to be as supportive and constructive as possible, reciting mantras that our doula introduced – like ‘do your best to relax’. I believe the exact response I got back was, “If you tell me to relax one more time, I’m going to punch you in the face.” Now, I’m used to this threat after the number of miles we’ve run together, but this time I was scared. So I decided that instead of giving suggestions of relaxation, I’d just comment on the traffic we were in. That was also a poor decision on my part. After a few terse miles, we were in the clear and pulled into Mease Countryside Hospital just after 5pm.

I believe Laura did a more than sufficient job in her blog post earlier of describing the series of events leading up to her transportation into the delivery room. By that time, the initial diagnosis by the admitting nurse was that our munchkin had flipped, so we were riding high, and there wasn't a big hurry to get her IV in, etc. That all changed when Dr. Ancheta arrived and did his own exam. Since they ignored our request for an ultrasound to confirm the position of the baby, it came as a shock that he determined that it was indeed not a head, but a bottom that could be felt through her cervix. She had progressed an additional 3 cm in the 15 minutes between exams. This kid was coming fast! The call was made for an emergency C-section, and at the word “Stat!” the place whipped into frenzy. I was led to the side of the room and a Tyvek suit was thrust into my arms, with instructions to put it on. As I tried to make sense of how to comply with those instructions, they started to wheel Laura out of the room. I went to follow and was told that I must put the clothes on before I could proceed. I was left alone; with but a single nurse e.g. guard to ensure I was fully robed as required before taking me back to the Operating Room. When we arrived at the door to the OR Laura was in, I was told to wait in a solitary chair positioned in a tiny alcove adjacent to the hallway for word on when I could be admitted. A great number of gowned figures passed in and out of the door while I waited. Finally, a nurse exited and came up to me, telling me that the anesthesiologist was uncomfortable with how recently she’d had a Heparin dosage (that morning) and was unwilling to proceed with a spinal epidural for fear of hemorrhage. That meant that our worst case scenario was becoming reality – general anesthesia cesarean. Keep in mind that less than 10 minutes prior we believed it was possible we would have an unassisted ‘natural’ vaginal delivery – the exact opposite end of the spectrum we were now squarely faced with. With her being put under general anesthesia, it meant that I could not be present in the OR when my child was born. The nurse assured me that Laura was in good hands, and I conceded that I knew that to be true. The nurse then retired back into the OR, only to be replaced with another different nurse telling me the same exact thing, nearly verbatim. I reassured that nurse that I understood. That nurse was subsequently followed by no less than four more with the same spiel. I distinctly recall thinking there must be a hidden camera somewhere and I was going to find myself face to face with the Impractical Jokers.

Finally when 80% of the attending team of nurses finished assuring me of their competence, one truly helpful nurse gave me the tip that a dad earlier in the week discovered a small area in the window that the frosting had been scratched off, and a determined observer might be able to gain a few glimpses of the procedure. I eagerly found the clear spot, about the size of your pinkie fingernail and surveyed the room beyond. I could see the clean zone tarp and much of the equipment surrounding Laura, but I could not see her at all. It was obvious by the frantically coordinated movements of the team that the operation had begun. In the adjacent OR, the two cleaning ladies kept talking about how much blood the previous mother had lost and how it was a mess to clean up. I prayed harder in those few minutes than I ever have in my life for God to deliver a healthy baby, and to keep Laura safe. From inside the OR I could hear general words being spoken, but could not make them out. Before too long, I could see Dr. Ancheta hold our baby up, and I could distinctly make out the word ‘girl’ spoken inside. So it was a girl? I was convinced our baby was going to be a boy. I quickly determined that it was part of a question – “Boy or girl? Boy or girl?!” There was what seemed like a very long pause before the response: “Boy! It’s definitely a boy!” And it was then that I simultaneously broke out in a grin and in tears. They put him on the table, cleaned him off, and suctioned out his mouth and nose, then left him to scream bloody murder. He was kicking so violently I pitied the nurse that had to go wrangle him to get his weight and measurements. Shortly after that, a nurse came out and asked if I’d been able to see the gender of the baby and if I wanted her to take some photos inside the OR of my brand new baby boy.

When she returned with my camera, she gave me the run-down of what I could expect moving forward. They would be bringing my son out to me shortly, and he and I would be able to spend some time bonding while they finished up the procedure with Laura – in all, about 45 minutes just him and me. She then asked if my sister-in-law was Kim, an AOD at another Mease hospital in New Port Richey; when I confirmed this, she asked my permission to let her know that both mom and baby were doing well. I agreed, but asked that the gender be kept a secret.

An excruciatingly long couple minutes later, they brought out my son. The nurse was required to carry him to the postpartum room, where she could then hand him over. Once she relinquished him, she asked if I wanted her to turn on the TV, and to what channel. I’m sure my face must have betrayed my disgust at the idea; I told her that I was holding the only entertainment I needed. During those 45 minutes he and I discussed all manner of things, from his plans for the future to what his family is like. When I say ‘discussion’ I really mean ‘monologue’, but having no evidence to the contrary, we both thoroughly enjoyed it.

When Laura was finally brought in, she met our son for the first time face-to-face. She was still a bit out of it when she first arrived, but quickly regained her lucidity once our baby was in her arms. For the next hour and a quarter we could have no guests, so we made the most of that time to bond as a family, leaving our families sitting in wonder out in the waiting room. It was during that time that we decided he definitely did not look like a Landon Henry – one of the two names we had narrowed it down to, should he be a boy. At the end of the recovery period, I was able to go out and greet our families. I had it all planned out what I wanted to say and how I wanted to reveal the gender; but upon seeing them all, my mind went to mush, and I think I asked a blasé question about how they were doing instead. At the near-hysterical demands of the group, I admitted the family name would continue an additional generation and proceeded to bring them back to meet our baby boy, Grayson James Raposa… and to check on Laura. But make no mistake about it; she and I both know who the most popular member of the Raposa household is these days: Mr. Gray-J.

The following days in the hospital were a blur, with all the nurses, questions, feedings, diaper changes, brief periods of sleep, family and friends, it wasn't long before we were packed and ready to come home to start incorporating our miracle into our daily lives, and adapting those daily lives to accommodate the most popular Little Fox on the block.

Grayson James Raposa's birth story - Mommy's version of events

Here is my recollection events of Friday, February 6, 2015 AKA the best day of my life so far:

Friday morning I got up at normal time (around 5:45 am) and started to get ready for work.  I noticed that my back was a little tight/sore, but it was not too uncomfortable.  I had been moving pretty slow, so it took some time to take a shower, have a cup of coffee, and get ready for work.  Right before I left, Ben gave me my heparin shot and I headed in to the office.  Seemed like it was going to be a typical Friday.

I had planned on going grocery shopping when I got home from work and Ben was scheduled to run the Best Damn Race in Safety Harbor on Saturday morning.  I was planning to spectate and cheer him and some other friends on.  Our mindset was that this was going to be our last weekend without a baby and we were going to relax, stock everything up, and maybe go out to dinner as well.

Around 10 am or so, I started noticing that my back pains were getting worse, but only for about 30 seconds or so.  I went to a lecture given by the United Way and just tried to stay as relaxed as possible.  When I got back to the office around 11 am, I started googling "How to tell if you are in labor".  That was the point that I decided to start keeping track of my "contractions" to see how frequently they were coming (this task also keep my mind busy and gave me something to do as well as being able to send the information to Ben so he could see):

At this point on Friday, we started to have "fire drills" to test some system (I honestly didn't care too much to ask).  Since my office is on the 3rd floor, we had to take the stairs down to wait in the safe area while the drill was ongoing.  And since I did not want to get stuck in an elevator in case of an actual emergency or equipment failure, I took the stairs back up to my office when the drill was over.  This happened twice.  I honestly thought that I might not make it.  (One of my coworkers later asked him if we named him Grayson because I looked so gray on Friday...)

It got to be about 2:00 and my coworker, Wendy, told me to go home.  She went to speak with my boss and then they both came in to my office and said to go home.  I thought about it for a second and then conceded.  The drive home was pretty uncomfortable, I couldn't really talk on the phone and was just trying to breathe and get home as quickly and safely as possible.

When I got home, I put on some music and got in the bath.  Ben was on his way home and I was not really in a condition to be doing anything.  I wasn't sure if this was actual labor, but the contractions were coming pretty steadily.  They would only last for a couple of seconds.  We didn't really know what to do, if we should go to the hospital or if we should just try to stay at home in case these weren't really contractions/labor.  I got out of the bath and we decided that we were going to watch the recorded version of Jimmy Fallon from the night before to relax and laugh a little bit.

Just as Jimmy was writing out his thank you notes, (around 4:30 pm) my water broke (all over the couch!).  At this point, we both went in to panic mode.  The contractions started to get more intense and we now had to drive to the hospital in Friday rush hour traffic.  We had made the drive several times, and had our route planned out.  I tried to call our doctor on the way to the hospital, but his office was being moved that same day and the line kept ringing busy.

I could hardly believe that this was happening - we were sitting in 5:00 traffic and couldn't get a hold of the doctor.  We had agreed that Ben would call his parents and my sister and then they would spread the news to the rest of our immediate family.  He made his phone calls and tried to calm me down as much as possible (not particularly an easy task).  We arrived at the hospital right before 5:00 and went up to the labor and delivery floor.

The receptionist told us to have a seat and she would get our paperwork ready to fill out.  I couldn't believe that this woman expected me to complete paperwork while I was in labor.  I shifted the papers to Ben and told him to fill them out and then I would just sign them.  At this point, we still did not know for sure if the baby had flipped or not.  We indicated that we would need to get an ultrasound as soon as possible to determine the positioning of the baby.

They told us to have a seat in the lobby/waiting room and someone would be with us shortly.  I could not believe that I was now sitting in the lobby of the hospital in full blown labor on a Friday evening, just waiting.  At this point, Ben tried to help keep me relaxed until the woman came to get us.  Basically I just remember telling Ben that I could not do this.  Over and over again.

They finally came to get us to check to make sure I was in labor and see if I was dilated.  I'm going to estimate it was probably around 5:30 to 5:45 pm at this point.  The woman had me get undressed and checked me. I was already 5 cm dilated(!)  Ben reiterated the fact that we did not know if the baby was still in the breech position, so the woman felt around and said that she felt a head.  We were super relieved at this point because that means I could potentially have a vaginal delivery instead of a c-section, which is what we were hoping for.

My dad and my sister arrived at this point and came in the room.  I told them that this was the real deal and we are going to have this baby today!  They asked me if I wanted to walk to the delivery side of the floor, to which I promptly said no.  They brought in a wheelchair we were off to the races.  It was incredible how many people were in that tiny room all around me so quickly.

In the delivery room, Dr. Ancheta finally showed up!  We asked him again about the breech position and he felt around and said "that is not a head, that is a bottom".  At this point, everything escalated.  I'm going to estimate that it was about 6:00 pm at this point and the doctor indicated that I was already 8 centimeters dilated and that I was going to have to have an emergency c-section.  Part of me was relived and another part of me was terrified.

The doctors and nurses took one look at my stomach (which was extremely bruised from all the heparin shots) and wanted to know what the bruising was from.  We told them that I was on heparin due to a clotting disorder and I had a shot around 7 am.  The next thing I know, I'm on a stretcher rolling down the hospital hallway just staring at the fluorescent lights in the ceiling.  I can honestly say that I've never been so scared in my entire life.

When I got in to the operating room, the anesthesiologist decided that I would need to be under general anesthesia instead of a typical spinal epidural.  I knew this meant that Ben (or anyone else) could not be with me, but I asked them anyway.  The next thing I know, I'm staring at the big surgical lights and breathing in to a mask.  What occurred after this moment is a mystery to me.

I woke up a short time later to people calling my name.  It was eerily quiet as I opened my eyes and looked around.  I asked the nurse if I had my baby as she was wheeling me to my postpartum room (this trek seemed to take FOREVER!).  She said yes.  Clearly she wasn't going to give me any additional information without prompting, so I asked if the baby was a boy or a girl.  She said it was a boy.  I just smiled and then asked how/where Ben was.  She said that he was in the room with the baby.

It was love at first sight.  My first thought (and things were a little fuzzy coming out of surgery) was that he looked just like Ben, but a little more wrinkled.  He was born at 6:40 pm, weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces and 19.25 inches long.  I honestly thought he would be bigger!  We still hadn't decided on a name since we didn't know the gender.  Our boy name choices were narrowed down to Landon Henry or Grayson James and upon laying eyes on our handsome fella, he definitely did not look like a Landon.  (Our girl name was going to be Jocelyn Ann).  Here are some shots from the hospital:

My men:

 After eating

After the first bath

 Finally home and passed out

 Morning "activity" time with Mommy

Suddenly, all the things that people kept telling me started to make more sense.  It still feels a little strange that we are parents.  The goal is to have Ben's version of events posted at some point to help fill in the blanks that I am unable to.  This adventure has been such a roller coaster.  There have been highs, lows, sweet rewards, and frustrations.  We are trying to navigate parenthood as best as we can, but every day when I look at this sweet face, it is so worth it.  More about the first couple of weeks of Grayson's life later, hopefully this makes enough sense to y'all and my spelling and grammar isn't too terrible.  :)

Week #38 - subtitle - Final countdown!

This week, Baby Raposa is approximately 19.75 inches long, 6.8 pounds, and about the size of a leek.  The good news for this week is that my weight gain should slow, stop or even drop a little (thank goodness because it's starting to get uncomfortable!).  This photo pretty much sums up how I feel:

This one is pretty funny/true as well:

Some people have been asking me about working out/running and I am still staying slightly active.  I haven't really "ran/jogged" since January, but I have been walking several times a week.  The walking should help open up the hips and help prepare for childbirth.  There are some days when I just need to come home and relax after work, though.  I foolishly thought that I would be able to stay extremely active throughout my pregnancy, but that just hasn't been realistic some days. Here is a run down of what I did last week:

Monday: yoga
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 2 mile solo walk
Thursday: 3 mile walk with Ben
Friday: rest
Saturday: walked to and around Kumquat Festival, maybe 1 mile or so
Sunday: 6 mile solo walk at Flatwoods

Here is a rundown of the highlights from Week #38:

On Friday, my coworkers threw me and Ben a "book shower". (Yes, another shower - this is the last one!).  The premise is to give books instead of traditional baby shower gifts, which was awesome.  Both Ben and I love to read and we have been reading to the baby almost every night before bed.  We haven't received any Dr. Seuss books until Friday.  It was kind of interesting how many we got from people who work in academics(!).  But here is the growing collection of books that Baby Raposa has accumulated:

We can only hope that he or she loves books and reading as much as we do.  The only shower game we played was trying to guess which coworker bought which book.  Let's just say that we did not win.  But, the shower lots of fun and my coworkers got specific gifts just for Ben, which was adorable.  Also, I have to show you this adorable photo on the fruit carriage that one of my coworkers made:

On Saturday, we decided that we were going to check out the Kumquat Festival in Dade City.  It was crazy crowded!  In hindsight, I don't think we would have chosen to go if we would have known how nuts it really would be.  But, we did pick up some kumquat honey (so good!) and got to squeeze in a quick visit with Ben's parents.

We had a couple of things to drop off/pick up in Wiregrass, so we decided to stop in at 100 Montaditos, which just opened in the mall on the way home for lunch.  They are a Spanish tapas style restaurant with mini sandwiches (3 inches long).  The sandwiches were really good, but the dessert sandwiches were amazing!  We would go back just for dessert!

Then we decided that we should stop in at Sam's Club on the way home as well, just to stock up on household/paper goods for when the baby comes.  Since it was the Saturday before the Super Bowl, it was obviously pretty crowded.  But, we were able to stock up the pantry and freezer.  It's hard to believe that our lives are going to be so different in just a few short days, but we are doing our best to squeeze in as much as possible and get ready before then!

On Tuesday, we had another doctor's appointment.  This appointment was literally the first time that we haven't waited almost an hour for our appointment, but since this will most likely be our last appointment it was pretty fitting.  The doctor, Ben and I discussed the ECV again and decided that the procedure would be a little risky for me because of the blood clotting disorder.  I'm not even kidding when I tell y'all that right now my stomach looks like a literal battlefield.  The heparin shots have caused quite a bit of bruising and it's not a good look.  That combined with the ECV would cause even more bruising and may potentially not even work.

The doctor agreed to order another ultrasound for Monday to check the baby's positioning.  Until then, we are basically in a holding pattern - a few things can happen.  One, the baby can chose to come at any moment (best case scenario).  Two, at the ultrasound on Monday the baby could have moved to the correct position and we are going to be induced on Tuesday evening.  Three, the baby is still in the breech position on Monday and we will have a c-section on Tuesday (worse case scenario).  Whatever happens, it appears that by this time next week, Baby Raposa will be here (just typing that is nuts!)

Finally, I have to brag on Benjamin for just a minute, because he's really been nothing short of amazing the past couple of weeks.  He has assumed so many new roles - storyteller, doctor (now administering two shots per day, which he draws up himself), chef, and official assembler of all things baby.  He patiently sits next to me as I hang upside down on the stairs and talks to the baby, it's all very sweet.  I'm certain I may melt in to a little pile of mush upon seeing him with the baby in his arms.

That is all for now, y'all - next post may very well be Baby Raposa's birth story (assuming I can still form coherent thoughts).

Week #37 - subtitle - Relaxxxx

This week the baby is measuring approximately 19.25 inches, 6.3 pounds, and the size of Swiss chard...? The internet says Swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable often used in Mediterranean cooking.  Here is a photo:

The baby is now officially considered "full term", which means that he or she can arrive literally at any time.  The baby's organs are all nearly fully developed and prepared for the outside world.  Since the doctor does not want me to go past 40 weeks, it is very likely that we are down to a dozen or so DAYS.

Here is a rundown of the latest and greatest going on in the Raposa household...

On Saturday night in to Sunday morning, Ben's coworker Jonathan threw him a diaper kegger/Dad-chelor party.  The premise is that Ben's friends will bring diapers in exchange for beer, food, laughs, etc...  Apparently these parties are very popular in the mid-west, but we both just recently became aware of such a thing.

Let me just say that the thought of Ben spending the night away (even if it was just in the next county) while I was 37 weeks pregnant was not particularly inciting to me.  However, he's been under a lot of stress at work recently not to mention the impending life change we are about to undergo, so I came around to the idea.  (Let the record show that I did ask if I could attend (denied) - everyone knows that Jonathan makes the best smoked sausage in town!)

So, while I'm not privy to the details of the party, it appears that everyone got along really well and these men sure did deliver!  Also, I was super impressed his Dad-chelor party was attended by men ranging in age from their 20s to their 50s(!) - the photos looked like a true pack of misfits  Check out the diapers:

The final count was just over 2,000 diapers and 1,000 wipes.  Ben and I were discussing it on Sunday, and we really do have such an amazing support system.  It is very difficult to express (in words that make sense) how appreciative we are to have such incredible family and friends that are willing to help us navigate this new/scary/crazy adventure. 

Speaking of family, on Saturday, I attended Kristi's shower in Dade City.  Here is a photo of myself, Kristi and Charity (We all have February due dates - 13th, 26th, and 15th respectively).:

The shower was beautiful and I got to see a lot of family members, presumably for the last time before we welcome the baby.  It was a really relaxing afternoon hanging out with the ladies of the family talking about babies, eating delicious food, and cake.  Speaking of cake, check out the adorable/delicious cake Auntie Tallie (and Shyla!) made for the occasion:

On Sunday, I started to try all sorts of things to get Baby Raposa moving in the right direction.  Here is a link to the article our doula recommended.  We have tried the forward leaning inversion, side-lying release, breech tilt (with ice pack at the top of my stomach and heating pad at the bottom).  I'm anxious to see if any of these efforts are working, but we won't know until some time next week.  Other options include an ECV, visiting a Chiropractor for the Webster Technique, and finally a c-section if all other options do not work.

In addition to trying all these tips,  I have been trying other natural things in order to prepare my body for baby.  I have been drinking red leaf raspberry tea (daily) - here is some information on the benefits.  Taking evening primrose oil supplements (1 x day) - here is the thought on how it works in pregnancy. I've also been walking as much as possible to open up my hips and prepare.  Finally, I've been trying to chill the heck out.  My personality truly is to be a high-strung individual.  I can't really help it.  But, if I find myself getting too worked up over something (especially something silly), I try to just take a couple deep breaths and move on.

Also!  I'm no longer taking the Lovenox shots.  The doctor officially switched me Heparin until the baby is born.  Heparin is a lower dosage blood thinner, so it will exit my body sooner than the Lovenox shots.  The difference is that you (i.e. Ben) has to draw the liquid in to the syringe for the Heparin; whereas the Lovenox shots were pre-loaded.  Additionally, because it is a lower dosage, it has to be administered twice a day.  Here's a photo of the new set up:

The needles are smaller so it actually does not hurt as badly as the Lovenox, but it clearly is a lot more work on Ben's part to load the syringes.  I've been told that these shots will likely cause more bruising as well.  The great news is that there clearly is some light at the end of the tunnel.  The shots will only have to be administered for a few more days and then we are going to stop 48 hours before the induction.  A few days after, we will resume the Lovenox shots for 6 weeks postpartum.  

That is all for now y'all - until next week!

Week #36 - subtitle - NINE MONTHS!

I've officially been pregnant for nine months.  Wowww...seems like forever some days and other days it seems like the pregnancy has flown by. This week the baby is 18.75 inches long, 5.75 pounds, and about the size of a crenshaw melon.  Apparently a crenshaw melon is a hybrid melon with very sweet, juicy orange flesh.  Here is a photo for reference:

The baby is still gaining weight and becoming rounder in appearance.  He or she is most likely head down at this point.  We went for a walk around the neighborhood on Sunday morning and it dawned on me that Ben and I only have about 3 weeks together as a duo - forever.  Bananas!

On Sunday, my friend Tracey hosted an amazing shower for myself and Baby Raposa.  There was even a baby version of Jeopardy! (my favorite game show!).  My team totally dominated the "Celebrity Mom" category, but we did not get Final Jeopardy correct...  Here are some photos to enjoy:

Here is a photo of my friend Michelle who is due about 2 1/2 weeks before me (January 26th).

 It has been really nice to have another first time mom to compare and contrast what is going on.  Can't wait for our little babes to meet each other!  I've been really, really bad about taking photos lately.  I know that I need to be a little more diligent because I'm not going to get this time back, but my brain is just not working correctly, y'all.

On Monday, I had my very first non-stress test.  It was not as bad as I was anticipating, it was actually quite nice to listen to the baby's heartbeat and read for 20 minutes.  The nurse told me that everything was "perfect" with both heart beats and my blood pressure.  I asked her that if I continue to score perfectly, would I be able stop coming twice a week and she said no!  Of course.  But, she said it's only three more weeks, so it shouldn't be too bad.

Since I was off work on Monday for the Martin Luther King holiday, Ben's office coordinated a shower for us as well as two other couples in his office who are expecting.  One of the couples is due on the exact same date as us and the other is two weeks after us.  (Of course all these dates are relative to what baby decides).  The party was so generous and everyone is so excited.  There are so many more people that work in Ben's office than mine, so it was a little intimidating and I totally needed a nap afterwards!  Here's a photo of the three of us:

On Wednesday, we finally got to see our little babe again.  I was over the moon excited because it had been since September since we had an ultrasound.  The baby has still not "turned" head down, but from what I've been told it can happen pretty quickly.  Also, there are technically still four-ish more weeks.  Here are the photos that we got:

The lips are very prominent and apparently the baby does not like having their photo taken.  Their arms and hands have always been covering the face in every ultrasound.  The legs are pretty cramped as most of you can imagine (Ben is 6'3") and they are folded in half essentially.  The baby in weighing in at almost 6 pounds now, which seems about right on track for the delivery date.

On Thursday, I had my second non-stress test as well as my weekly doctor's appointment.  This was the first time that I've gone to my doctor by myself.  Ben was a little nervous because it appears every time I go to the doctor without him, something bad happens or I get some really bad news.  Well, he may actually be correct on that one.  The doctor is really concerned that the baby is still in the breech position.

The doctor said that if the baby does not turn on his or her own by my next doctor's appointment, a c-section will have to be scheduled.  Now, I'm going to be doing everything in my power (i.e. laying upside down on the couch, bouncing on the exercise ball, etc..) to make this baby turn on it's own.  Any (not-too-crazy) suggestions are welcome as well!.  Naturally, after the appointment, I was pretty upset.  I don't think having a c-section is the end of the world, but because of the blood clotting disorder, any surgery puts my health in more risk.

I'm trying my hardest to just relax and tell myself that this is truly a situation that is out of my control.  Also, the baby is thriving and my mind and my heart know that he or she will be here in just a few weeks and everything will be fine.  But at the same time, I'm really scared that something may go wrong.  For now, the plan is to focus on getting through the next couple of weeks and seeing what happens.  Ben did give the baby a stern talking-to last night about "turning" after reading his nightly story.

Time will tell - that is all for now!

Week #35 - subtitle - Showers of Appointments!

At this point, all of the baby's major organs are nearly complete.  His/her kidneys are completely developed and the liver is functional and capable of processing waste products.  The baby is approximately 18 inches long, 5.25 pounds, and about the size of a honeydew melon.

Week 35 has been a very busy/exciting one in the Raposa household!  On Saturday, my sister threw Baby Raposa (and myself) a shower for family and close friends of the family.  She really outdid herself and put Martha Stewart to shame! (Although, Martha would have had two brie dishes...kidding!)  Here are some highlights:

Fox and friends cake (so delicious!  I should note that I got the cake cutting responsibilities taken away from me because I apparently don't cut small pieces of cake...):

Drawing babies on their forehead:

Super creative onesie painting! I took a moment to look around the shower as everyone was diligently painting and decorating onesies and was completely overwhelmed by all the love in one room. (Let me also just say that everyone was SUPER creative and they all turned out great!  I can not wait to put these adorable creations on the baby!  I requested that everyone "sign" or mark their onesies so that way when the baby is sporting their creations we will know):

This is the rocking chair that my mom rocked my sister and me in when we were babies.  My sister and her friend Carrie re-finished, reinforced, and changed the fabric on it and then used the same chair for my nephew and niece when they were babies. Now, our little babe will get a go in the same rocking chair: 

 With Auntie Kim:

This is no doubt that Kimber is going to be the greatest auntie ever!  We are only 14 months apart in age and it is no secret that I wanted to be just like her when we were growing up.  Even though we are very different people, she has always been there for me.  I couldn't be more excited to see our little babe in the arms of Auntie Kim.  Clearly, the shower was a major success!

On Tuesday, we had a doctor's appointment.  It had been almost three weeks since we have seen the doctor and we had a lot of questions.  When we arrived, the waiting room was packed!  Turned out that the doctor was at a delivery and they wanted everyone to reschedule if possible, unless you have to see the doctor every week.  We decided to wait it out and it turned out that it wasn't too much of a wait (plus I couldn't/didn't want to take off work to see the doctor on Wednesday).

Anyway, we wanted to talk more about the induction/birth plan, which we were able to do.  First topic was the Lovenox shots.  There was some debate about the shots and when they should be stopped, if they should be changed to a lower dosage, etc...  The risk of bleeding too much during childbirth while taking the shots (which are essentially a blood thinner) is the concern.  For that reason, he wants to induce some time between the 39th and 40th week (February 6th and February 13th).  The plan for now is to stop the shots two days before the induction date OR when/if contractions start on their own.  This means that we will be having an Aquarius baby for sure!

Second topic was our birthing plan.  Depending on the last administration of the shots, I may or may not be a candidate for an epidural.  Luckily, the hospital that we chose does offer nitrous oxide as an alternative that the doctor thinks would be a better/safer option for pain management.  There is also a water birthing tub (ONE!) at the hospital that may alleviate some of the pain/pressure.  Our plan is to try to get the tub if possible for laboring, but not have an actual water birth.

Finally, starting next week, my doctor feels like it is necessary to start performing two non stress tests each week as well as a biophysical profile once a week.  This may or may not change the due date.  Either way, we are coming down to the wire here, y'all!  The really exciting news is that we finally get another ultrasound next week!  Eeek!  It's been since September since we have "seen" the baby and I'm so excited!

That is all for now, until next week y'all!

Week #34 - subtitle - I'm running out of creative subtitle ideas!

This week the baby is about 17.75 inches long, 4.75 pounds and about the size of a large cantaloupe.  The baby's lungs are continuing to mature in preparation for breathing in the outside world.  It is hard to believe that our little babe will be in a mere six weeks or so!  It's very exciting and scary at the same time.  I feel like there are so many things that need to be done before he or she arrives, but I just have to have faith that things will fall in to place

Workouts this week:

Monday: yoga
Tuesday: 3 mile walk with Ben
Wednesday: 3 mile walk with Ben and exercise on demand video
Thursday: rest
Friday: Exercise on demand video
Saturday: 3 mile walk with Ben
Sunday: 4 mile solo/run walk with 1 mile walk cooldown

Sunday was the first time that I've actually ran/jogged in a bit and it felt really good.  Ben and I met up with Tracey and her family at Flatwoods and I forgot how much I liked it out there.  It has been unseasonable warm in Florida (shocking!), so I just make sure that I keep my heart rate in check and drink plenty of water when exercising.

Things we accomplished this week:

Got the car seat installed!  Ben is officially in charge of putting together and installing all things related to baby.  On Sunday, he set out to put the car seat base in my car because we are supposed to "be ready" at any time now.  I was really surprised when he came back inside after about 3 minutes and said he was done!  It was a lot easier than he thought (yay!).  We are still going to have one of our firefighter/paramedic friends check out the base to make sure it was installed correctly (the hospital told us that 80% of car seats are installed incorrectly).  But it is REALLY strange to look in my back seat and see a car seat!  Yikes!

Here's a photo of his hard work:

Also, we found a pediatrician!  Woo!  I also did not know that the baby will need to be discharged by a pediatrician and my doctor will discharge me from the hospital.  We were given a list of pediatricians who visit Countryside hospital and I was able to schedule a couple of appointments for my last week of Winter Break.

We decided to go with North Pinellas Children's Medical Center in Westchase.  (Also, there is a Starbucks right out front of their building - that did not hurt matters at all).  There is a group of doctor's at the practice, so they do try to keep you with the same doctor, but that may not necessarily be the case every single time.  I also liked that they had a separate newborn waiting room so that babies do not have to be around other sick children.

I went back to work!  The It really hasn't been as bad as I thought it was going to be and everyone gives me a little extra special treatment because I am pregnant.  It really is amazing to me how interested perfect strangers are about my pregnancy.  Students that I don't even know ask me so many questions and are so excited about someone they hardly know.  I can't believe that someone would waste the time they have for themselves to ask questions about me...

Ben and I have both been putting in more hours than normal this week, so it makes things pretty hectic.  At least for me, the peak registration/busy period will only last through January 16th so there is an end in sight.  I do not know how people who have jobs that are physically demanding (i.e. nurses, police officers) are able to work while they are pregnant.  The tiredness alone is enough to make me want to put my head down on my desk at some moments.

Thanks is all for now - have a great week, y'all!

Week #33 - subtitle - Ciao 2014!

This week the baby is approximately 17 inches long, 4.25 pounds, and about the size of a pineapple.  The baby will continue to gain another half pound per week until next month.  I would say that pregnancy is starting to get more uncomfortable at this point.  However, we are coming in to the "home stretch" and things have been pretty good thus far.  With the exception of the Lovenox shots, I would say that my pregnancy has been fairly easy and uneventful and I consider myself very lucky.

Several people have been asking if I'm still running/working out and the answer is yes, just with much less intensity.  I wouldn't classify myself as a "runner" these days, but it feels good to get outside and get my heart rate up a little.  Here is a sample of what I did last week:

• Monday: Yoga
• Tuesday: 3 mile solo run/walk
• Wednesday: 4 mile walk with Ben
• Thursday: rest
• Friday: 4 mile solo run/walk (mainly walk)
• Saturday: 3 mile walk with Ben
• Sunday: 5 mile run/walk with Tracey

You should probably know that on our walks, I will be sweating like a pig and Ben will only break a sweat if I make him sprint to the finish and wait for me!  But the time that we spend together walking, talking, and dreaming about the future is priceless.

This past weekend, we did some serious cleaning/organizing for baby at the townhouse.  We are in a lease currently until the end of June, so there are going to be a few months where we will be here with baby.  But, we aren't planning on setting up a full nursery here.  Our plan is a bassinet for the first few months and then we will move the baby to his/her crib when our living situation is a little more stable.

Luckily, we got a few very thoughtful and generous Christmas gifts that are going to help us out.  Here is an organizer from my sister that we were able to set up and organize all the baby goodies that we have received so far:

A new welcome wreath from my parents (fox themed, of course):

Peanut's family tree (as researched and prepared by Ben's mom):

Super cute personalized Christmas ornament from Aunt Faye and Uncle Johnnie (Ben's side): 

If you are interested, this ornament is from Bronners.  We have received several ornaments from Bronner's as gifts in past years and they are always beautiful.  I can't wait to open the boxes every year and see them again.

Speaking of Christmas, we weren't really planning on taking all of our Christmas decorations down this past weekend, but we did.  It seemed like the logical thing to do since we were both home, had time, and were in the cleaning/organizing mode.  I kept joking that Ben probably couldn't wait to go back to work so that he could take a break from all the work that he was doing at home.

Saturday evening, we went over to the Holloway Holiday Party(!) in Trinity.  It was been a while since either of us have seen Chris and/or Elizabeth and we were excited to see them (and their super adorable doggies), hear some great music and relax with friends.  Both Chris and Elizabeth are both accomplished singers, and they invited a few of Chris' voice students as well as Constantine Grame who was an incredible pianist for a great performance/concert.

Elizabeth asked Constantine to play a piano solo (which he said that he had never been asked before) and he chose Beethoven's Piano Sonata No.14 No.2 aka Moonlight Sonata - both parts.  I must admit that I have never heard this particular piece before, but apparently there are two parts and the second part is much harder than the first.  Let me just say that Constantine's performance brought tears to my eyes, it was so moving and beautiful!  The baby was all about this piece as well and was kicking like crazy during his solo.

Here is a photo of Constantine and Chris: (both photos courtesy of Jennifer Crouch photography - who donated her time and talents as a gift for the holiday party!)

Elizabeth, Winston (blond) and Mabel:

It was nice that the party was after Christmas so that we had more time to really relax and celebrate since the stress of Christmas was over.  We both commented that it really put us in the Christmas spirit with all the wonderful Christmas carols.  Another highlight of the evening was all the female singers singing "Let it Go" from Frozen as our friend, Dan, played the Piano. You have to admit that the song is really catchy.

This week is my last week of Christmas break, so I've been trying to take it easy as much as possible.  When I go back to work on Monday (January 5th), we will be seeing tons of students so I'm a little worried about my stamina for an eight hour (probably more) work day.  It has been harder for me than I initially anticipated to slow down.  However, I've grown accustomed to life moving at a certain pace and it's just another transition that is going to have to happen.

I have been scheduling interviews for pediatricians and trying to figure out if I will medically need to be induced or not.  My doctor is closed this week for the holiday, so the majority of our questions (and answers) will have to wait until next week.  Luckily, we have a few weeks to get things figured out before we have to make any decisions one way or another.

Hope y'all have a safe and happy New Year!

Week #32 - subtitle - 8 months!

This week the baby is 3.75 pounds, 16.7 inches long and approximately the size of a large jicama.  Say what?!?  Just when I thought my knowledge of fruits and vegetables was beginning to reach new limits...  My research indicates that a jicama is also known as a Mexican yam or turnip (so strange).  Here is a photo:

The baby is really plumping up and will continue to do so as he or she will gain almost half of his or her body weight by delivery time.  This past week has been crazy with Christmas, holiday traditions, and spending time with family and friends. Here's a recape of the latest happenings:

Last Friday we went out with two of my coworkers and their spouses for dinner at Castile Restaurant on St. Pete Beach.  It's been a really long time since we have traveled down to St. Pete Beach, and it was nice to see everything all decorated for Christmas.  Our waiter was a little strange, but the food was great and the laughs were continuous.  (Here is a link to the menu - I had the crab cakes and Ben had a wahoo fish special).  It was a really relaxing evening.  One of the funniest moments was when we were waiting for our cars, two other (much older) couples were leaving at the same exact time and apparently drove the same exact car (white Cadillac CTS, of course) and the one guy could not tell which car was his!  The told us that we have this same sort of adventure to look forward to!

On Saturday, we were running around at the mall (apparently this is called Panic Saturday) and it was complete chaos.  We lost track of time and were wandering a little longer than necessary and much longer than we intended to be there.  We had to rush home to make some goodies for an annual family gathering near Brooksville area.  There is always plenty of good food, family and children running around, and the paparazzi photo sessions are relentless. (Kidding!)  Here are few of my favorites:

Ben's cousin, Kristi, who is due on February 26th (one week after baby R!):

Our whole family shot with Grandma and Ben's parents:

I am standing on the fireplace ledge in all the photos with Ben's family because they are so tall and I basically look like a circus midget around them, just in case you were wondering. ;)

On Sunday we did a little more running around to get a few final gifts for Christmas, which included a stop at our favorite local nursery for some plant shopping.  They have several beautiful peacocks and chickens.  This particular chicken was following us through his pen and he was almost so ugly he was cute:

Sunday night we headed over to Dade City for Church Street Christmas.  The weather was looking rainy, but this was really the only night that we were going to be able to see Church Street this year.  We checked out the play that several family members were in at the First Baptist Church and then drove Church Street instead of walking it (typically the street is closed to traffic and you can walk to see the lights, Santa, carolers, etc..).  It really wasn't the same, but hopefully this will make next year even more special.

On Monday, Ben had to take his truck in for service and since I'm on Winter Break, he was going to take my car to work and then pick me up later in the day.  Since I was homebound, I did a lot of reading in the book that I'm just finishing. (Off the Menu - didn't really enjoy it too much).  When Ben got off work, we went with my sister's family and my parents to go see Santa at the mall.  They were really excited and really well behaved for Santa (and color-coordinated, of course!)

On Tuesday, I had a doctor's appointment that my sister went to with me since Ben was planning on working late to get some hours in since he was going to be off Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  It was nice to have my sister there because she has actual medical knowledge and who has been through this process before.  But, it is becoming more apparent to me that my doctor is not as familiar with the blood clotting disorder that I've been diagnosed with as I originally thought.

Medically, he wants to induce me on a set date so that he control the birthing environment.  He feels that because I'm on the Lovenox shots, which are essentially a blood thinner, there is more of a chance of me bleeding out.  I'm really not wanting to be induced, so he agreed to speak with the specialist that prescribed the Lovenox to determine if I need to stop them at a certain point.  Ben and I also want to speak with her after the holidays to confirm the same information. She did specifically tell us that the Lovenox that she was prescribing was such a low dosage, that it wouldn't have any affect on the delivery, but apparently that may not be the case.

On Wednesday, (Christmas Eve) Ben and I went over to my sister's house to hang out with the kids and have our annual baking and gingerbread house building session.  My sister and I decided that we weren't going to bake this year, just relax and watch the kids.  Here is a shot of Ben jumping rope with the kids and their dog, Baxter, decided that he wanted to try!  Baxter was especially attached to Ben on Wednesday, but we had a really good time hanging out and getting them ready for Santa.

Here is the final product of the gingerbread house building:

Finally, here is a shot of Ben, Alex, and Emily (and her doll, Olivia) relaxing on Christmas:

More about Christmas on next week's post - have a great week, y'all!