3 Weeks Already???!!!

Mason is 3 weeks old already! I can't believe how fast the past three weeks have gone by, I guess sheer exhaustion will do that to you! I will try to continue to update the blog with all of the exciting things happening in the "World of Mason" although I can't say how good I'll actually be at updating. It's funny how little time you have with a newborn, and if it comes down to it, a shower will win over a blog update ;).

So, here goes. Jeff and I have been getting settled into our new role as parents. The countless feedings, diaper changes, spit ups, etc. have certainly been keeping us busy. Mason has become quite the fussy baby, and tends to cry a significant portion of the day. He is great, however, whenever we have company, so if anyone would like to come by for a visit, we'd gladly accept your offer ;). I think all of this fussiness may be the result of reflux/gas, so the pediatrician prescribed some medicine that "might" help. It can take one to two weeks to make any improvement and we are keeping our fingers crossed. If not, we'll see what else the pediatrician can suggest, and hope that it's not colic.

At his two week check-up his weight gain was up, tipping the scales at 10 lbs. 2.5 oz. He was in the 85th percentile for weight...yikes! That explains my growing muscles. He is also very alert. He can follow me with his eyes, and he's getting really good at holding his head up, a miraculous feat given his head size! He also does great on car rides, and ventured out with Auntie Kym and myself on a shopping excursion last Sunday. It was our first trip out somewhere besides the doctor's office, and also our first trip lugging the stroller/diaper bag. I felt a little silly pushing the stroller, and by silly I mean it was so surreal to have a real live baby. I felt like I was back in high school, pushing a stroller with the mechanical baby from my health class. I came back to reality while changing his diaper out of the back of the car when he decided to pee all over.

Here are a few pics from the first three weeks, including some pictures from his first bath. He is so stinkin' cute, and no, I'm not biased at all ;)!

Mason is here!!!

Our baby boy, Mason Jeffrey arrived on Sunday, January 24th at 3:15pm. A lot of people have asked about his birth story, so I thought I'd post it here. So, if you don't want to hear anything too "graphic", change the channel now ;).

I woke up at 5:15 Sunday morning to what I thought was my water breaking. It turns out, it wasn't my water, just a loss of bladder control (a pregnancy symptom I won't miss). Since I thought it was my water, I called labor and delivery and they told me to come in, but that I had time to shower and eat breakfast. Contractions hadn't started yet, but Jeff and I proceeded to get ready. Not even five minutes later the contractions started, and they were hard and fast. They were immediately five minutes apart, and they hurt like hell!!! I took a shower while Jeff ate breakfast, and by the time I got out of the shower my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart. I was in so much pain, that Jeff bypassed the shower and we went straight to the hospital.

Once we arrived (6:40am), they checked my water, which hadn't broken, but saw that I was five centimeters dilated and 90% effaced. I was having a baby...today! We got settled into our labor and delivery room, and I got my epidural at 8:10am. It was such a relief considering the amount of pain I was in, but it took four tries for the anesthesiologist to get the epidural in the right place. I dilated to ten centimeters by noon, at which point, they broke the flood gates (my water) and I began to push. The nurse thought it would take about an hour and a half to push him out based on how quickly I dilated, and they estimated he would be 7 1/2 pounds. Three hours later, I was still pushing, and Mason wasn't any closer to joining us. He actually had his head turned sideways, and despite the doctor's efforts to turn him twice, he wouldn't turn. After a daunting three hours, we decided to use the vacuum since I was so tired, and he was not coming. The vacuum delivery was horrible!!!! It was the worst pain I have EVER felt, and Jeff said it was the most horrible thing to watch. He actually had to look away. The vacuum helped and Mason arrived at 3:15pm. I wasn't able to hold him right away since they had to check him quickly due to the vacuum. In the meantime, I was getting stitched up. I tore really bad in EVERY direction. I asked the doctor how many stitches I needed, he said it was too many to count. I asked the doctor what degree tear I had, he said they don't "score" them in these directions because it wasn't a common tear. I was so nauseous from the blood loss, and I just wanted to see and hold our baby.

Mason did great after being born. He weighed in at 9lbs. 3oz. (not the 7 1/2 pounds they thought). He was 20 inches long, and had a head circumference of 14.5 cm. No wonder he couldn't come out. He scored 8 and 9 on his apgars. And, he is the most beautiful baby ever! He looks just like his dad! He has blue eyes, and brown hair with frosted blond tips! When I finally got to hold him, I instantly fell in love! It was so amazing to see this little man that had been in my belly for nine months!

The doctor told us that had we not done the vacuum, I easily would have been pushing for another few hours, and it was doubtful he would've come after that. After Mason arrived, and I was "repaired" they moved us to the recovery room. We had to stay in the hospital for two days because of the severity of my pain, and Mason had a jaundice level they were monitoring. We had to supplement with formula in the hospital to help lower the jaundice level since my milk hadn't come in yet. I was devastated by this because I wanted to breast feed exclusively. But, we gave him the formula, and his level went down enough for us to be released. The day after we were released, we had our first doctor's appointment, and his jaundice level went back up despite supplementing with formula at home as well. Due to the incline in his jaundice, he has had to be on a photo therapy lamp at home for the past five days. We've had to take him back to the hospital everyday to have his blood drawn, and his levels checked. His levels have been going down, and today they were finally low enough for us to take him off the lamp, but we have to get his blood drawn later this week to make sure the jaundice levels continue to drop. We have been breastfeeding at home since my milk finally came in. It has been a rough transition, but it is worth it to be able to nurse our son.

Mason is a very sleepy baby, and we have to wake him up to feed him. He doesn't cry too much, and loves being held. We are so excited to have him here!

Here are some pics of Mason, as well as some postpartum pictures of me (40 week pics to be exact, good thing he came early, or he would've been ten pounds...yikes!) Also, and please don't hate me, but I'm actually back to my pre-pregnancy weight! I haven't been dieting at all. I guess when your baby is a third of your weight gain, it makes it easy to lose those extra pounds. My clothes still don't fit right, and my tummy sticks out, but exercising right now is the last thing on my mind. I need to heal and take care of our baby!

39 Weeks...on Maternity Leave

Yesterday I hit the 39 week mark, and it was my last day of work! Woo Hoo! I originally planned on working up until my due date (the 29th), but upon returning to work after Thanksgiving break, I came to my senses and turned in my leave notice to have my last day be the 22nd. I was actually feeling pretty good at work on Tuesday, but called in sick on Wednesday due to persistent contractions from 2:50am to 6:00am. They weren't painful, just came with some lower back pain. They were ten minutes apart, and after calling the doctor, she recommended I don't go in to work in case they got closer together. They didn't, in fact, as the day went on, they became further and further apart. Aside from being tired (because I was awake since 2:50am) I really feel I could've made it through the day. So, Thursday and Friday I went in to work to finish out my commitment. Those two days were definitely a lot harder physically than my work days have been this entire pregnancy, but I guess that's what happens when you are 39 weeks with a mammoth belly ;)! So, I am now officially on maternity leave until May, when I'll return to work for five weeks, and then Jeff and I will be on summer vacation with our little guy!

I don't have another doctor's appointment until our due date, and since my last scheduled appointment was on the 11th, it was driving me crazy not knowing if I've made any progress from the 2-3cm and 80% effacement. So, last Monday (when we were off work) we went to labor and delivery to be "checked." I normally wouldn't have gone in, but I was having some pretty severe upper abdominal pain that wouldn't go away. I also had some swelling in my hands, which I haven't had the entire pregnancy. So, we went to labor and delivery and got checked. And....NO PROGRESS! I was still 2-3cm and 80% effaced. But, they think the pain in my abdomen is our long legged little man, and all the other tests came out normal. If Mason doesn't make his appearance this week, we will see if those contractions have made any difference this coming Friday! Then Mason will be served his eviction notice! Here is the 39 Week belly shots, and according to the home scale, I'm up 27 pounds (just because you all like to know the weight gain:) ).

38 Weeks...No Baby/Big Belly

I'm 38 Weeks pregnant today, and I still have an inside baby. I know a pregnancy lasts 40 weeks (approx.), and that it could last longer than that, but I was really hoping Mason would arrive this week. That of course was thanks to my doctor who planted the idea in my head that he would "definitely come this week." I had my 38 week appointment this past Monday. My blood pressure looked great, I'm up 25 pounds, and Mason's heart beat was 148 bpm. What got my hopes up though was that the doctor said I was 3 centimeters dilated and 80% effaced. She commented how I was progressing like a mother who was on her second or third baby, and that I would "definitely have the baby this week, if not tonight." So, excitement set in (panic for Jeff ;)), and everyday this week I found myself wondering when he would arrive. I'm still not sure what a contraction feels like, but I'm sure that won't last too much longer.

In light of the "progression" my long term sub came in this week to have her "transition days" into my class. I am so grateful for my sub! She is a fantastic, credentialed teacher that used to teach at my school. It will be so nice to be home with my baby boy, and not have to worry about my 20 other kids! I still have one week left of work, unless Mason decides to make an early appearance, but I'm not going to let anyone else get my hopes up ;).

This past week has also been a time of wonderful baby showers. Last Friday my awesome partner teachers (Jen and Corinne) threw a staff baby shower me. We played games, ate lots of food, and opened such thoughtful gifts. Mason received so many cute outfits, last minute baby items, and a very generous gift card to Babies R Us. Corinne made a delicious cake that looked like a baby, and added a fun play-on-words to the cake that has been a school joke since Jeff and I got married (Brown-Heiny). The shower was wonderful, just like the great people I work with!

Today I had a shower as well! The parents and students in my class gave me a baby shower, and it was a complete surprise! I had no idea they were planning this, and even had to cancel the spelling test to have it. Well, actually one of my parents cancelled the test, but the kids loved it! The shower was complete with baby shower games. Second graders are pretty picky, just like me, but they were good sports about trying the baby food. They also played baby shower bingo, guessed the number of M&M's in the baby bottle, and had treats to enjoy. They made an adorable baby book where they guessed when Mason would arrive, his weight, length, age when crawling, age when walking, career, and if he will laugh or cry. One of my students thinks he will weigh 20 pounds! Yikes! And about 16 of my students think he will be a teacher like his mommy and daddy. Mason also received some great baby clothes, toys, and blankets, and even some student made onsies! It was so touching that my class did this for our baby! We are truly blessed!

Well, that's the update from here! I will try to update shortly after his arrival, or perhaps I will be posting again at 40 weeks while on maternity leave. Only time will tell. Here is the 38 week belly! I'm not sure how much bigger I can get!

36 Weeks...Finally 2010!!!

Happy 2010 Everyone! We are so excited for the New Year, and what an exciting year it promises to be. We never thought January would get here, but it has, and we could have our baby at anytime! I am 36 weeks pregnant today, and I have a lot to update for all you avid readers.

I had my 36 week appointment on Wednesday, and I'm up 20 pounds! So, despite the added goodies during Christmas, I managed to prevent myself from packing on the pounds. Mason's heartbeat was a strong 142 bpm, and my blood pressure was great at 117/67. My doctor also did my first internal exam. Mason is head down, and I'm already 1 centimeter dilated and thinning. I know 1 centimeter doesn't mean much at this point, and he could stay in for another 4-6 weeks, but hearing that my body is already doing what it's supposed to really made things "real." Not to mention that I still can't tell when I'm having a contraction...maybe the real thing won't hurt that bad ::laughs uncontrollably::.

The nursery is also complete! We love the way it turned out, and I often just sit in the glider and think of when Mason will be here. I've washed his clothes, and the car seat is installed. We have also packed the diaper bag, so other than some last minute details, we are about ready to meet our little guy! It's a good thing too because I'm starting to get pretty uncomfortable. I don't sleep well at night, waking many times to go to the bathroom. I think it's funny because people say "It's just preparing you for when he gets here." If he gets here, and I'm able to sneak out of bed, go to the bathroom without turning on any lights, and be back in bed asleep less than two minutes later, I think I'll die of shock! I've also started to get acid reflux (attractive, I know), but I haven't had any heartburn. And, the nausea has come back. I'm usually okay until the late afternoon, but after dinner I tend to feel pretty sick. Thankfully, it's not nearly as bad as it was in the first trimester, and I have yet to get sick ::knocks on woods::.

Well, that is the update from here. Perhaps my next post will include pictures of Mason, and a birth story???!!!! You'll have to check back to find out. In the meantime, here are the 36 week belly pictures, pictures of the nursery, and our family Christmas picture (before Mason, of course!)

34 Weeks...and 2 weeks of vacation!!!

I am 34 weeks as of Friday, and I'm officially on winter break! I know, enjoy the break now because once the baby comes, blah, blah, blah...and that is my plan. The past few weeks I haven't slept very well. The 3rd trimester waking has set in, and I find myself going to the bathroom three to four times a night. So, I'm looking forward to getting some rest during the next two weeks. That will hopefully give me the energy I need to get through three weeks of teaching in January. Then, I will be on maternity leave until May! It's weird to think how in just a few weeks Mason will be here. I know it will be life changing and exhausting, and I've never been more excited about anything in my life. Jeff is excited too, and has even been having baby dreams about changing diapers and feeding the baby. Jeff tells me that in his dreams, Mason doesn't cry that much. Hopefully that will hold true ::fingers crossed::.

In addition to waking at night, my back continues to give me the biggest source of pain. Jeff gives me back massages, and I use a heating pad when the need arises. I don't want to think about getting bigger, and how much more my back will hurt then. I am definitely growing too! I'm pretty sure I will have an outtie in the next few weeks, but I'm hoping the stretch marks stay away! According to the home scale I'm up 19 pounds. A coworker of mine puts a basketball under his shirt to poke fun when we're at yard duty.

Other than growing, we're working on finishing up the nursery, assembling the stroller, and putting all baby things in their place for Mason's arrival. We also attended a breast feeding class last week. I am actually excited to take the Christmas decorations down, so we can clean and get organized...let the nesting begin!

So, that about does it for now. On Christmas I will be 35/35...35 weeks pregnant with 35 days to go! We have our next doctor's appointment on Dec. 30th, and dare I say I'm kind of hoping it's an internal exam. With that said, here is the 34 week belly pics. Be sure to check back for doctor's updates and nursery pictures! Merry Christmas! I have also fixed the comment function on the blog...and it only took 34 weeks! Feel free to leave comments by clicking on the word "comment" next to the pencil below the post!

32 Weeks...and getting big!

I'm 32 weeks pregnant, 8 months, and now when people ask when I'm due I can technically say "next month." Yes, it's the end of next month, but next month just the same. I definitely find myself thinking more and more each day about what he will look like, how he will act, and all of the things Jeff and I will teach him. I love feeling him in my belly, but get so excited thinking about holding him in my arms. He better stay put though for at least another 6 weeks!

This week I had my 32 week appointment, and we scheduled all of our appointments through Mason's due date (Jan. 29th). The appointment went well. I am up 16 pounds total, which puts me on target to gain the recommended 25 pounds. It also gives me a little wiggle room in indulge during the holidays. Mason's heartbeat was a strong 130 bpm, and the doctor could feel that he is already head-down. Of course that could change over the next 8 weeks, but I'm happy that he is in the right position for now. I was also given the H1N1 vaccine. My arm hurt like no other after the shot, but anything to protect Mason and I from that pesky pig flu!

We've also been trying to get ready for Christmas (just three weeks away)! The house is decorated, and we're almost finished with our holiday shopping, but despite being organized with Christmas, I find I'm not as excited about Christmas this year as I have been in the past. I'm just eager to get through the holidays, and be that much closer to meeting out little boy!

Just for fun, and a recommendation from Grandma Sheila, I've added a new poll "How big will Baby Boy Brown be?" Be sure to vote on how much you think Mason will weigh. Here is the 32 week belly pics. Sorry for the repeated shirt, the maternity wardrobe is limited, but I assure you, these are the 32 week pictures!

30 Weeks...A Survey!

I am 30 weeks pregnant, and I'm happy to report that I don't have much to report! It's been a pretty uneventful two weeks in pregnancy land, and I'm very content with that. I feel like I'm growing everyday, and Mason has been very active. I often feel him push on my left side, and Jeff and I enjoy playing "guess the body part." He also seems to have the hiccups quite regularly. His hiccups even woke me up yesterday morning. With parent/teacher conferences last week, I found myself REALLY tired (I'm normally tired after conferences, but add in the pregnancy and it's no wonder I was in bed by 9pm every night). I also find myself telling Jeff "You try growing a human, it's exhausting!" We are still working on organizing the nursery, and finding wall art. As soon as it's complete, I'll post new pictures. We don't have our next doctor's appointment until early December, but this week we do have our late pregnancy class at Kaiser where we get to tour the labor and delivery wing, and we get to pre-register! I thought a survey might be fun, since I don't have a lot to share.

• How far along: 30 weeks
• Total weight gain: According to the home scale I'm up 13 pounds.
• Maternity clothes: Yep.
• Stretch marks: None yet, but I do have to have Jeff check the underside of my belly, I can't see it ;).
• Sleep: Not very good, but I'm never been a deep sleeper. I toss from one side to the other throughout the night. I know it's only going to get worse.
• Best moment this week: Not pregnancy related, but being on Thanksgiving break!
• Movement: Tons. Lots of kicking, but also lots of stretching & shaking around. My whole belly shakes from side to side when he moves now & it still doesn't get old watching it :)
• Food cravings: I want salami!!! But no deli meat until after Mason is here, so after delivery someone will be making a Subway run!
• Labor signs: Nothing yet, thank goodness!
• Belly button in or out: It's in, but it's pretty darn flat.
• What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and salami!!!Oh, and eating junk food, I'm trying to be good.
• What I'm looking forward to: Our tour of labor and delivery, and seeing our families on Thanksgiving.
• Milestone: Reaching 30 weeks!

Here are the 30 week belly pics, and before I close, a Cassie update. We took her to the vet last weekend, so he could examine the area and see if there's been any regrowth of the tumor. He didn't feel or see anything, her lymph nodes felt great, and she seems to be doing really well. The vet thinks it is slower growing, or they got it all. Only time will tell, but I'll take that great news!!!

We are so blessed!!!

Sunday was our baby shower for Baby Mason! Grandma Sheila and Auntie Kym planned the baby shower, and I had a wonderful time! The shower was held at mom's house, and so many of our family and friends were able to attend. There was delicious food, fun games, and great company! Everyone was so thoughtful in their well wishes for our little man, and Jeff and I are so blessed to have received so many thoughtful gifts. We have some absolutely beautiful, homemade blankets that Mason is going to love. We also received a lot of clothes, bath supplies, and even our play pen and travel system! I was exhausted after the shower, but have so many wonderful memories to cherish! Here are a few pictures from the shower! Enjoy!

28 Weeks...We have a NAME (well...2/3 anyway)

I can't beleive I am 28 weeks, 7 months, along in this pregnancy! It seems like it has flown by, yet somehow January feels sooooo far away! This week has been pretty eventful in pregnancy land, but I'll get to that in just a bit. As the title of this post reads, we have a name!!! Our Jelly Bean will be named Mason Brown! It took many weeks of discussion (i.e. me convincing Jeff), but we are really happy with the name choice. I didn't even have to bribe Jeff with a flat screen TV ;). We are still discussing the middle name, but 2/3 isn't bad, right?

In other news, I had my one hour glucose test last Tuesday. This is a standard screening test they give all women around 28 weeks to check for Gestational Diabetes. Well, I failed the one hour test, and was absolutely devastated. I have been eating soooo healthy, and was really worried about how this would affect the rest of the pregnancy. If you fail the one hour, you have to go in for a three hour test that involves fasting, a disgusting sugary drink, and blood drawn four times in three hours. I had that test on Friday, and I'm relieved to say that I passed! So, I will continue my pregnancy eating habits, and don't have to worry about avoiding sugar (which I already eat a minimal amount of)! Yeah! In addition to failing the one hour test, my blood work also showed that my iron was low, so I am now taking an iron supplement in addition to the prenatal vitamin...but I'll do anything to keep Mason healthy and growing! At my 28 week appointment Mason's heartbeat was 134 bpm and overall I'm up 11 pounds.

And, to give a quick update on Cassie...my other baby...she is doing well! She had her stitches removed on Monday, and is her happy, playful self. She is eating regularly, and is as lovey as ever. I'm still so concerned about her, but we're just loving her the best we can. She has another appointment in a week, where they will check the surgery site to see if there has been any regrowth of the tumor. I'm hoping it comes back clear, keep your fingers crossed!

Finally, my baby shower, given by Grandma Sheila and Auntie Kym is tomorrow! I'm so excited to see my family and friends, and celebrate Mason with them (of course Auntie Kristi will be greatly missed)! It is sure to be a fun day! Check back to see shower pictures!

Here are the 28 week pictures! The lighting in the second picture is bad. It looks like I'm the sweatiest pregnant woman on the planet. I really haven't been sweating, and surprisingly, haven't had any increase in body temperature thus far.

26 Weeks...A rough two weeks!

Hello out there in blog land. I am 26 weeks along, and physically I'm feeling pretty good. The past two weeks, however, have been a bit of an emotional roller coaster. Let me apologize now, as the next part of the post isn't Jelly Bean related, but Furbaby related.

Last week my puppy Cassie began walking funny. We took her into the vet, only to find out that Cassie had a tumor in her anal gland. She had surgery last Monday and they sent the tumor off to be biopsied. The results came back Wednesday, and the news wasn't good. The tumor was a very aggressive form of cancer. The tumor was connected to the tissue, and this type of cancer isn't responsive to chemotherapy or radiation. So, our only choice is to make sure Cassie is comfortable, and watch her activity level and appetite to get an indication of how fast growing it is. Cassie is between 11 and 13, so she isn't a young pup, but it's my first "baby" and this news is just devastating to me. I'm hoping that is will be very slow growing, that she still has plenty of time left with us, and that she gets to meet Jelly Bean. So please keep her in your thoughts and prayers! Here I am with my lovable ball of fur Cassie!

In addition to the stress of Cassie's health, Jeff and his dad have been working very hard on the nursery. Last weekend they installed chair rail. This was a gift from Jeff's parents, and I have to say, I had my reservations about the men doing this project (they haven't done any projects like this before). It was a weekend long project, that involved several trips to Home Depot, but the chair rail looks fantastic!!! It really gives the room a "finished" look! Jeff and I moved the furniture into the room (my mom, Aunt Dee Dee, and I assembled the dresser), and are amazed at how well the nursery is looking. We still have to paint the closet doors, find/hang artwork, organize the closet, and add some other details, but overall it looks like a nursery! Yeah! Here are some pics of the room (ignore the random bedding in the crib...now that I've mentioned it, you're going to look in the picture ;)).

Here is the 26 week belly pic. It is getting big! I am wearing all maternity clothes now, which I find to be unattractive and uncomfortable, but maybe that will change the bigger I get!