Soon...

I will blog again.  Soon...  I hope...  I think a new laptop is in my near future.  Right now I am too busy with the baby to find time to sit down and type.  I supposed I could type one handed, but the posts would be short.  I will leave now with a recent pic of the peanut:

A baby story

Ava Brooke McGinn

June 28

4:32pm

8 pounds  11 ounces

21 inches

Wow, time does fly!  Ava has been here for three weeks now.  I've been meaning to blog about it... but there's always something baby-related that needs to be done!  So better late than never, here's the story of how Ava arrived:

Sunday, June 27:  Awoke at 5am with contractions.  Mild, nothing major.  Got up and started doing some last minute house cleaning.  Went to church at 9:30 and the contractions were pretty regular but still not very painful. Went to the hospital around noon.  I was dilated 2-3 cm, same as the week before.  They told me to go home and rest and return if the contractions got worse, otherwise to go to my OB appointment at 2:30pm on Monday.  I was bummed!  Contractions continued throughout the day - got really bad around 9pm.  I was contracting every 10 minutes, each one lasting about 50 seconds.  The pain was getting intense!  At around 3am I couldn't take it anymore.  There was no way I could endure this until my appointment at 2:30.  So back to the hospital we went.  This time I was dilated to 5cm.  Yeah!  I got to stay.  In went my IV and epidural (piece of cake).  My OB came in around 10:30am to break my water.  Contractions continued about every 2 minutes until 3:30pm when it was time to start pushing.  Unfortunately, I pushed for 2 hours.  After about one hour of pushing I started to feel the contractions.  Not sure if they turned down my epidural or what.... but it was painful!  I went into the experience thinking that an epidural = no pain.  Boy was I wrong.  Finally at 4:32pm on June 28 Ava made her grand entrance into the world!  Seeing her chubby cheeks made it all worth it!  We've been snuggling her at home for about 3 weeks now.  Time flies!  Most days are good, all are exhausting.  More blogging to come!

Not much longer...

Everything turned out good at the doctor today.  Good as in bad because that means the baby probably isn't coming today.  The ultrasound showed that my amniotic fluid level was 20 (normal is 10-20).  This explains why I haven't had any contractions, there is just too much fluid for my uterus to get some good squeezes in.  I wish I could spring a slight leak...  Baby's weight is estimated at 8.5 pounds.  She has hair!  Thank God because she has lots of bows.  She is still a she - thank God again.  People were always asking me, "Are you sure it's a girl?  I would buy some boy clothes just in case."  This isn't the 1970's people.  Like the ultrasound tech said today - "If we can see all the chambers of the heart, I'm sure we can see if it's a boy or a girl."  I love technology.  She passed the non-stress test with flying colors.  Again - yea!/boo!  Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy that I was able to cook this baby to full term.  I'm glad that she will be a normal sized baby.  I'm just getting so bored.  I can't imagine keeping ourselves occupied for another long weekend...  If I'm still pregnant on Monday I go back to the doctor to pick a birth date!

Can't waits

All the things I can't wait for:
- pat a little baby's rear end
- lay on my back
- ice cold Coors Light
- 12 weeks off work
- baby girl dresses
- onesies with chubby legs
- baby's first photo shoot with Leah
- summertime road trips
- walks with baby and Darrell (probably both in the stroller)
- watching Mike learn how to take care of a baby

I am so bored.  I have nothing to do but blog and eat popsicles.

40 week update

Just got home from the doctor's office.  I'm dilated to 2-3 centimeters, an improvement from last week.  The doctor spent a lot of time talking with Mike and I about where to go from here.  She offered to induce me this week, or let mother nature take its course and wait another week.  The thought of having this baby girl here by the weekend was so exciting!  But... I'm not one to mess around with "God's plan," so I decided to hang on another week.  Truthfully I'm worried about the odds of having a c-section if I'm induced.  The doctor said that there is a slightly increased risk of c-section if I were to be induced..... but on the other hand.... the baby is only getting bigger as the days pass so waiting also increases the risk of a c-section.  Hmm.  The doctor said the baby could gain another pound by next week.  I'm seriously on track for a 15 pounder.  Anyway, the plan is to have an ultrasound on Thursday to make sure my amniotic fluid levels are ok and a non-stress test to make sure the baby is ok.  If the results are good = doctor appointment on Monday and induce sometime next week if mother nature doesn't hurry up.  If the results are not good = induce me this Thursday or Friday.  Or it would be really sweet if my water would just break tonight and I wouldn't have to make any decisions!

Leaving you with a precious picture of Darrell, from his first visit to Aunt Leah/Uncle Billy's house in July 2006.  He's very curious about what the counter has to offer.

Paperboy

Just wanted to share with you a letter that our paperboy/man left in our mailbox:

Dear Des Moines Register Family members,


It comes with great pride and happiness to announce that on or around June 30th, Jennifer my wife is expected to give birth to our second child, a baby girl which we will name "Julia."  I have and will continue to be your carrier.  Any "family member" that would like to mail any type of support will be greatly appreciated.  Christ and God have blessed us.  


Your carrier and second child's father,  
Georgios


Is it me or is this the weirdest thing you've ever read?  The creepiest part is "Your carrier and second child's father..."  Um, you should have had someone proof read this George!  I want to leave him a letter and tell him I'm giving birth on or around June 20th and if he wants to start giving me the DM Register for free he can do that.  Or he could stop throwing the paper against my glass door every morning at 5:30am and waking up my dog.  Needless to say I'm not giving him squat.

Due!

This tank top used to fit me... Anyways, I'm 40 weeks!  This baby is due today!  I'm doubting that she will arrive today, unless I have a spontaneous fluid burst...  Doesn't Darrell lil head look cute in the corner of the picture?  I've been trying everything this past week to get things rolling.  I've been sitting on an exercise ball for hours at a time - it's supposed to encourage the baby to lower into the pelvis.  If I could walk this baby out, she would be here by now.  I go to the doctor tomorrow.  I doubt there's been much change but I'm hoping so!  My last official day of work was Friday.  What a good feeling to walk out of there, thinking the next time I'd return will be in late September.  But... if the doctor doesn't have any promising news for me tomorrow I'll probably pick up a few four hour shifts this week.  Sitting around the house is driving me crazy!  Yesterday I got this urge to shop for myself.  Other than maternity clothes, I haven't been able to buy any cute spring/summer clothes for myself this year.  It's so hard to buy when I have no idea what size I will be this summer... or better yet when I will return to my pre-pregnancy bod.  I hope I'm really motivated to lose the baby weight, because I know I'll feel crappy about myself if I don't.

Reasons why this baby should arrive today:
- she's due.  And I like things to be done when they're supposed to be done.
- my stretch mark prevention lotion ran out today (no stretch marks on this bod - boo yea!)
- my prenatal vitamins are almost gone
- I'm done with work
- I don't want my children to have to share a birthday.  (Darrell's is July 1).

This weekend has been very strange.  Mike and I had nothing planned.  We thought for sure we'd have a baby by now.  Today we celebrated Father's Day by going out to breakfast.  We are spending the day doing chores and home improvement projects.  Mike and our friend Doug are installing a ceiling fan in the baby's room which is turning out to be a major ordeal.  It's making me a little nervous that there are tools laying everywhere, but they hope to be done today.  Darrell and baby bought Mike this sweet bike jersey for Father's Day:

Not much else to report.  I'll update tomorrow after the doctor.  Unless I'm at the hospital...  :)