EYES WIDE OPEN

Today is James' due date, and he is 5 days old already!! We've had multiple requests for photos of James with his eyes open, and we wouldn't want to keep his adoring fans waiting, so here ya go!

BABY JAMES' BIRTH STORY

Disclaimer: I have included all details of my labor and delivery for my records and the enjoyment of those who are interested in such things. If you don't want to know all the details, I would skip the text of this blog post and scroll down to the photos!

Technically, it all started on Monday, March 2, 2009. I felt great all weekend long, but then had strong, pulsing back aches all afternoon on Monday. Later that night, I had lots of what I thought were Braxton-Hicks contractions, since they were so irregular, but it turns out that I was in the early stages of labor.

This morning, March 3, 2009, I drove myself to Jackson for my regular scheduled 39 week prenatal appointment at 8:00am. I signed in and went through the usual motions (weight, blood pressure, urine sample, etc). Then, as I was getting up onto the exam table, my water broke! (this was around 8:15am) At this point I was REALLY glad that Jean had gone with me to the appointment! It was just a trickle at first, so I wasn't convinced that it was really happening. I sent Jean out to find the nurse, and she came back with both the nurse and the doctor. I had Jean call Jay while I was being examined, and at first he didn't even believe her! He quickly left work though, after alerting our bosses, and headed home to grab a few unpacked items (like the laptop and camera). When the doctor checked me, I was 3 cm dilated, and she ended up with a gush of water on her! I was in such shock at first - the doctor and nurse and I were just giggling like crazy! (apparently they don't have a lot of spontaneous water breaks during prenatal exams, especially just before the actual exam) Of course, the doctor sent me straight down to labor and delivery to be admitted. I felt silly, but I had to stuff towels into my pants in order to walk down there without leaving a water trail! On the way, I called my mom to tell her that it was a good thing she didn't buy plane tickets for Wednesday travel, since she and my dad needed to get to Mississippi ASAP! She booked the next flight out, scheduled to arrive in Jackson at 9:00pm tonight.

By 8:45am I was in my hospital gown and calling Jay to let him know that everything was OK with me and the baby, and to remind him to drive safe! We thought it was fun that I had worn my amethyst earrings that morning, a souvenier from our honeymoon, which turned out to be the zodiac birthstone of our first born son (pretty cool, eh?) At 9:00am I was hooked up to the monitors and IV (following all sorts of paperwork and questions, even though I had pre-registered), and they had taken a blood sample. I was having weak contractions (which felt like menstrual cramps) at about 6 minutes apart, and they were irregular. Because at this point I still wanted to attempt an all-natural labor and delivery, we collectively decided to let things progress on their own for a few hours and see what would happen. While we were waiting for Jay to arrive, at around 9:30am I met with one of the anesthesiologists about my possible pain relief options. Because it was important to Jay and I that I not receive any medication that would affect the baby, we decided that should I need something, we would wait as long as possible and then go straight for the epidural. At 10:00am, Jay arrived with the biggest smile on his face that I have ever seen! It was time for hugs and kisses, with the realization that we would be bringing our baby boy into the world sometime today!

3 hours later, at 1:00pm, my contractions were still irregular (though they were a little stronger), so we decided to start pitocin at the lowest possible dose (2 cc, which the nurses called a "sniff", and is sometimes enough to get contractions really going), since we were very concerned about labor taking too long - our hospital requires a delivery within 12 hours of the waters breaking, so a long labor could result in a C-section. Shortly after this, I received a beautiful vase of flowers (gerber daisies and lilies) from Jay, and I cried (of course) when I read the notecard that said "For my sunshine and our lucky charm". By the way, up until this point, I had been keeping myself busy by taking notes of everything that was going on, emailing, and playing around on the computer. Oh, and talking on the phone. I don't even remember how many people I talked to while I was in labor...

At 2:15 my doctor came through to examine me and I was at 3.5 cm and 80% effaced, with the baby at -2 station (this is the location/depth of his head in the pelvis). She had to help finish breaking my water bag (ouch), then upped the pitocin slightly to 12 cc (this is still lower than what they normally start with for inductions). The pitocin was doubled at 3:00pm, and then again at 3:30pm. By this point, the contractions were getting really strong and painful (much more painful than I had expected, even though I knew labor was going to be difficult), so I asked the nurse to check me and see if I was dilated enough for the epidural. I was at 4.5 cm, so we decided to go ahead with it.

At 3:45pm the anesthesiologist came in and administered the epidural. Jay had to leave the room because it is a sterile procedure, but the nurse stayed with me. It was over in less than 15 minutes and I didn't feel a thing. Everything I had worried about was for nothing - I didn't even feel the lidocane shot to initially numb my back. I did feel the medicine go in, which was strange - just a feeling of "fullness" in my spine. It started working within 5 minutes, and the nurse had me flip from side to side, then stay centered, to help evenly distribute the medicine (side note: 5 days later I am still numb in my upper left thigh, where I laid during the epidural procedure, even though everything else was back in working order within a few hours of delivery). Within 15 minutes I was completely numb from the waist down, so the nurse put my foley catheter in and examined me again. So, at 4:15pm I was at 7 cm and 90% effaced - the epidural had relaxed me so much that I had gone from 4-7 cm! At 4:30pm I felt like I was passing something, so the nurse checked and found some large blood clots, which she said was an excellent sign that labor was quickly progressing. This led to another internal exam, and I was already at 9 cm! The nurse said that I would most likely be ready to start pushing within 15 minutes, so she started the preparations for delivery (lots of other nurses and technicians brought in all the necessary equipment). At this point I was feeling great and on such a high knowing that I would be meeting my son very soon!

At 4:50pm I started pushing with Jay at my side. We did the standard 1) wait for contraction to start, 2) take a deep breath and hold it, and 3) bear down and push hard to the count of 10, then repeat 2 more times until the contraction ends. The nurse and Jay had to coach me through this because I couldn't actually feel my contractions, and hadn't felt them since about 4:00pm (and I must say, I am now a big proponent of the epidural - it saved me from a long labor and a lot of pain that just wasn't necessary). That first set of pushes brought the baby's head way down and the nurse called for my doctor thinking he would be out in the next 5 mintues. Turns out, Baby James had a huge head (not a big surprise, really), so things slowed down before he reached the crowning point. We ended up going through a total of 12 contractions, with 5 nurses to help deliver the baby (plus Jay - who was an AMAZING coach). Jay held my left leg and shoulder, another nurse was on my right side, there was another nurse at my back to help push me forward (this was the nurse that later took all our first photos during the actual delivery), another nurse to watch for contractions and count (and by the way, they count fast up until 6, then they slow way down until you think you're going to pass out from lack of oxygen!), and finally, my main nurse (Kim) who was working the business end of the deal, stretching me as much as possible to try and avoid a tear or episiotomy (I bet she was sore the next day from all the work she was doing)! Towards the end of the pushing, I was able to reach down and touch Baby James' head twice, and I got to see it in a mirror - it was so awesome, and so motivating (it is exhausting, regardless of the epidural, to push that hard for so long). After the 10th set of pushes, the nurse called my doctor back in (she was upstairs in a meeting, but luckily hadn't left the building, so was still able to be there for the delivery) just in time to "catch" the baby! After his head passed, they had me pause my pushing while they cleared his mouth and nose, then with one final quick push the rest of his body came free (and I could actually feel his limbs passing through me, which was just too cool!) And another side note: throughout the entire delivery (actually, from about 4:00pm onward), we listened to Pearl Jam on my iPod!

At 5:29pm Baby James entered the world! They placed him immediately on my abdomen and it was the BEST moment of my life!! I never believed in love at first sight until I met my son! Jay and I both started crying and stroking him. When the nurses called Jay to cut the umbilical cord, they had to tell him twice, and he still didn't hear a thing they were saying - his eyes were glued to his son. I had to grab his arm and say "Jay, if you want to cut the cord, now is the time to do it!" It was super quick, and he was right back by my side. We "held" James for about 5 minutes, then the baby nurse (Charlie) took him over to the corner incubator to do his initial exam, and Jay joined him of course. My eyes never left James or Jay, so I don't know exactly what went on after the delivery on my end. I remember feeling the placenta come out, and I felt some tugging as the doctor stitched me up from a 2nd degree lateral tear (I told you James had a big head). Before I knew it Jay was headed back towards me with our son bundled in his arms. He handed him to me and we both just cried, kissed, and stared at James for about 10 minutes until he had to be taken down to the nursery for the rest of his exam. We couldn't believe we had done it, that our little lucky charm was finally in our arms, instead of in my belly!

My labor lasted only 9 hours, if you count from the time my water broke. James Henry Lindsay IV was born at 39 weeks 2 days gestational age, and he weighed in at 8 lbs exactly. As he was being examined by the baby nurse (there were probably a dozen people in the room at this time), the nurses started taking bets on his weight. I don't remember everyone's guess, but the baby nurse thought he would be 7 lbs 13 oz. I guessed 8 lbs, and I was the winner! And what a prize I had!! James was measured at 20 3/4 inches, though that's somewhat subjective, since it's hard to get a perfect length measurement on a baby that is used to having his limbs all folded up. And that big head? His head circumference was 34.5 cm! His APGAR scores were 9, then 10 (a perfect score)! He peed twice before they were able to get a diaper on him, which Jay and I both thought was hilarious! Later that night they did a hearing test, and James passed. His blood type is A+, so I had to get another Rhogam shot (remember, I did this once back at 28 weeks because I am A- and Jay is O+).

Our first night with the baby was a late one. My parents arrived at 9:15pm and we had to wait until 10:00pm for James to be released from the nursery (they do a 4-5 hour observation during the "transition" period). It was so fun to watch the grandparents meet their first grandson - my dad was so very sweet with him (don't worry, pictures are below). We were all moved to the postpartum wing around 11:30pm, and Jay and I were awake off and on all night to feed and change James. We think we may have gotten a total of 2.5 hours of broken sleep that night. Jay has really been amazing - he has changed almost every diaper, he has given me endless love and support, he has assisted with every feeding, he has asked all the right questions of the doctors and nurses, and he has been so very sweet with his "sweet baby boy". I really could go on and on, but I won't. I will just say that James and I are very lucky to have Jay as our daddy and husband.

We spent the next morning meeting with the baby nurses again, and the lactation specialist. My parents and Jean arrived at lunch time, with lunch (hooray for non-hospital food!), and spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening passing their grandson round-robin, whenever he wasn't eating or getting his diaper changed (he passed lots of meconium and had tons of wet diapers during those first 2 days). They left us at 7:00pm that night so we could get some rest, since both Jay and I were pretty darn exhausted. We fed the baby, and took a good 45 minute nap (funny that 45 minutes sounds like a good amount of time, but that was the most we had gotten in any one stretch up until this point). We repeated this around 9:00pm, then again at 11:30pm. James found his voice this night, and the first time he really screamed (he had been quite the calm baby up until the 2nd night), it broke my heart! Jay helped me through it though, and we knew this was just the first of many potentially frustrating moments as we learned to care for our newborn son. At midnight the baby nurse came to take James to the nursery for more assessments, and we decided to let the nursery keep him until he was due to feed again at 2:30am so that we could get some more sleep. I felt guilty, but it was a good decision, because the rest of the night went better once Jay and I had both had a bit more uninterrupted sleep.

The next morning we learned we would be discharged from the hospital that day around 11:00am. We went through the morning with lots of anticipation, and then had to wait until 1:30pm before we were actually released! Baby James cried some real tears before we left the hospital (newborns usually take a few days to start producing tears - before that, they just cry without them). He weighed 7 lbs 8 oz when he was discharged, so he lost weight within the normal range, but he also had a slight case of newborn jaundice, also normal. We were instructed to treat the jaundice with frequent feedings, and to return in 2 days for his first check-up (our hospital requires all breastfed babies to return 2 days after their discharge to be sure they are back on the upswing of weight gain and doing well). We made it home safe and sound to the welcome of balloons, flowers, and cake, and 3 proud grandparents waiting in the driveway!

This is my last belly photo, towels in my pants to soak up the amniotic fluid and a huge smile on my face as I went from shock to excitement, knowing that today was the day I would meet James:

At 10:00am Jay arrived with an equally huge smile on his face. Here we are celebrating the start of true labor with a cup of ice chips:

This is the last photo we took prior to starting the pushing phase of labor. You can see my beautiful flowers, my "focus object" (a framed 4D sonogram from our 12 week appointment, our favorite one of James), and the mirror I was able to use during delivery to see my son's head crown:

Here is James, freshly delivered and still gooey. I can't completely describe the joy and amazement of meeting my son, hearing him cry, and holding him immediately after delivery. There is absolutely nothing in this world that could replace that precious 5 minutes!

Here is James following his initial exams, cleaned up and bundled into his proud daddy's arms:

Later that night, around 10:00pm, the grandparents got to meet their little prince (my mom's nickname for James) and tadpole (Jean's nickname for James):

And here is my dad with James, just quietly staring at his sweet little face:

Jay and James were both pretty tired on Thursday morning, while waiting to be discharged from the hospital:

While we waited, I had my first photo shoot with my Sweet Baby James:

James looks so much like his daddy! They have the exact same chubby cheeks (as babies, of course), chin, eyes, and eyelashes. He might have my nose and ears though! He definitely has my high arches - his feet are so thick that every single nurse commented on them! His second toe on his left foot is slightly crooked, but that will most likely correct itself as he has time to stretch out. We have no idea where he got his crown of thick, dark hair though (it's over an inch long in most places) - maybe from the Jackson side of my family. It's actually thickest and longest in back, so we've been teasing him that he has a "Mississippi Mudflap"! He's actually quite the hairy man baby - he has hair on his ears, legs (especially his ankles), and shoulders, even a little on his back! Here he is, sweetly sleeping in his carseat on the way home from the hospital:

I'M A DADDY!

James Henry Lindsay IV has arrived!

Born on March 3, 2009 at 5:29 PM

8 lbs exactly, 20 3/4 inches

Both Denise and James are doing great!

Stay tuned for the birth story, James' coming-home day, more photos, and all those details you know Denise can't wait to share with you! Here is one last photo, of our little pirate baby:

Love Jay

TOP TEN LIST

We're at 39 weeks today, so I thought I'd take a moment to reflect on the past 9 months...

These are the TOP TEN things I'm going to miss about being pregnant:

10. Practicing my baby-handling skills while it doesn't yet matter whether I get it right or wrong
9. Reading a slew of gudies and how-to books (I love research)
8. Receiving extra courtesy from strangers
7. Getting my way for dinner decisions (and breakfast, and lunch...most days, anyway)
6. Having that "pregnancy glow"

5. My built-in TV tray
4. Having an excuse to eat ice cream (almost) every evening before bed
3. Being able to go to bed early, sleep in late, and nap, all in the same 24 hours
2. Unlimited back rubs and foot massages from Jay
1. Feeling Baby James kick, punch, squirm and hiccup, and having him all to myself

And, while I'm reminiscing, I'd like to thank all the moms I know who have tolerated my endless questions about pregnancy, labor and delivery, and to beg for your patience with the endless questions about newborn care that are sure to arise over the next few months! So, don't forget to check your email, and keep your cell phones handy!

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARENTS-TO-BE

Jay and I read quite a few books over the past 9 months, some that were excellent, and some that weren't so great. Here are the titles we particularly liked:

The Mother of All Pregnancy Books: The Ultimate Guide to Conception, Birth, and Everything In Between

The Mother of All Pregnancy Organizers

Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy

Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads

My Boys Can Swim!: The Official Guy's Guide to Pregnancy

Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth

Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality

The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer

Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers

The Mother of All Baby Books: The Ultimate Guide to Your Baby's First Year

Baby Laughs: The Naked Truth About the First Year of Mommyhood

Teach Your Baby to Sign: An Illustrated Guide to Simple Sign Language for Babies

10 MORE DAYS?

Today we had our 38 week appointment (at 38 weeks 4 days). We had the growth assessment ultrasound and they measured Baby James to be 7 lbs 1 oz, give or take a pound - it's difficult to get an accurate measurement at this point because it's hard to get clear shots of the different body parts that need to be measured, since they're all squeezed into such a tight space. Honestly, Jay and I were asking the whole time, "What is that?", although Jay could point out the femur when Baby James was getting his soccer legs measured! He's in the 42nd percentile this time around and the doctor said that's right where she wants him to be. His current estimated size does not necessitate an induction, although the doctor did give us the option. We're holding off though - the amniotic fluid levels are still good, and Baby James' heartrate was good and strong, in the 120's, so we can't justify an "elective induction" (i.e. no real medical reason). However, I have progressed again! I'm up to 2 cm dilated and am now 50% effaced, so the doctor decided to strip my membranes a little. This is a natural method of labor induction, but it will only work if Baby James and I are both ready anyway. Most patients who have the procedure done at their 38 week prenatal are simply less likely to go past their due dates. And no, it doesn't cause the waters to break. We'll just have to wait and see what the weekend brings, or doesn't bring... We really prefer Baby James to make his entrance on his own schedule. Lucky for us, our doctor is on call this weekend, should we need her!

Also, we did get a new photo of Baby James today, though I wish you luck in interpreting it! If you look closely, you can see his closed eyes and his nose, with his left index finger held underneath as if he's trying to stifle a sneeze:

DINNER WITH JOSH

We had a surprise visitor tonight! Well, it was planned, but not until this afternoon, so it was still somewhat a surprise. Josh is in town (Jackson, anyway) for a workshop and decided to make the trip over to Vicksburg for a quick visit. Of course, we went to Rusty's, the best restaurant in town. Tonight's special was shrimp and crab au gratin, and it was delicious! Thanks for stopping by Josh - we love visitors!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TARYN!

Happy Birthday little mama! We hope you have a great one, Love Denise and Jay

FINAL TOUCHES

We are SO ready (read: anxious) for our little man to make his grand entrance! We spent the weekend cleaning house and completing our final preparations for his arrival... I washed all the baby bedding again to freshen it up (even though Mouton promptly snuggled right back into the Pack-N-Play... I guess we'll be washing those sheets again when James actually comes home), Jay bathed the cats so that they would be also be freshened up (nobody likes a "smelly cat"), I pre-addressed the birth announcement envelopes, and Jay put the finishing touches on his bookshelf and the map frame, then hung them up along with the camera for the baby monitor that Daryl and Margie sent us (and it works great by the way). The map really brightens up this side of the nursery (thanks again David and Taryn):

Here is a close-up of the rowboat bookshelf Jay built, complete with hand rails and rope cleat:

And the first "person" to use the new bathtub was Jude, and she loved it (yeah, right):

HAPPY MARDI GRAS!

Today was our one and only local Mardi Gras parade... They don't do things in Vicksburg quite like they do in NOLA (or anywhere else in LA), but it's still a good time. This year's parade had fewer floats, and the weather was cold and rainy, but we had a great assortment of cajun/creole dishes at Sandy's apartment (always our gracious host) and good company. We started off the afternoon by throwing beads to the kids below, while we all waited for the parade to start:

This was the King's float:

Technically, Baby James attended his first Mardi Gras parade today. Here we are at 38 weeks!

FULL TERM STATUS!

Although pregnancies typically last for 40 weeks, the baby is technically considered to be full term at 37 weeks. We reached that milestone over the holiday weekend, and had our 37 week appointment today. Things are still progressing - I'm now at 1.5 cm and Baby James is low enough for the doctor to touch his head (that's interesting, eh?) My blood pressure was good, and everything else with me checked out OK. I didn't get a measurement for Baby James' heartrate, but it was loud and strong, and sounded as wonderful as it always does. We're really in the home stretch now... There's no belly photo for this post (it's only been a week, after all) and no new baby photo (and we probably won't get one next week when they do the growth assessment ultrasound, since he's in such tight quarters), but we do have some fun nursery photos to share. We're still working on the finishing touches for Jay's bookshelf and the islands map, but we hung the sign that Taryn made, and it's awesome:

You can see it as soon as you reach the top of the stairs and face the nursery. Here's a close-up:Isn't it adorable? The monkey is even holding a banana! Thank you SO much Taryn, we absolutely LOVE it!! And thanks to Kendall for G.I. Joe-ing it to get it here in one piece! And one last photo, of a cool painting of a ship's wheel inscribed with S.S. James:We have no idea who sent this to us (there was no information whatsoever in the box), so if it was you, please let us know! It looks great up in the nursery and we really appreciate it!

SUCCESSFULLY REMODELED

Jay has completely finished the downstairs bathroom remodel!! We've been waiting on the medicine cabinet and shelf we ordered a while back, and when it arrived today, Jay jumped at the opportunity to put his biggest project in this house to rest! It was a complete remodel, where the only "old" thing we kept was the light fixture above the sink! He recruited assistance for the tiling (thanks Jerry, the floor really does look amazing), but did everything else himself (including the plumbing)! When we bought the house, the downstairs bathroom was a pink monstrosity (pink shower/tub, pink toilet, pink sink, pink-flowered linoleum - and as we learned later, walls that were pink before they were blue):

After nearly two years, we finally got around to getting rid of the pink! It was a satisfying demo:And the finished product is better than I could ever have imagined!For anyone who's curious, it's the Kohler Archer series that we went with.

IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN...

You know you're getting close to your delivery date when the doctor starts making you come in EVERY WEEK for prenatal check-ups! Today was the 36 week check-up and it was busy! First, I found out the results of my Group B Strep test, and they were negative (which is good news, for anyone not in the know). Then, I found out I am 1 cm dilated (also good news - my doctor says that most first-time-moms don't dilate early). I've been having Braxton-Hicks contractions more and more often over the past few days. Then came the bad news... high blood pressure (and they took 3 readings over the course of 2 hours just to be sure) and trace amounts of protein in my urine (sorry if that's too much information for some of you, but that's how they check my health at these appointments). These are early signs of developing pre-eclampsia... so, they ran some bloodwork, and it all came back perfect (they had actually ordered my results "stat" and had them within half an hour). While we were waiting on the bloodwork, they sent me over to sonogram to have a BPP (that's a Biophysical Profile - the second one I've had now, with the first one being back at the very end of December). Baby James' heartrate was strong at 161 bpm, the amniotic fluid levels were good, and we saw lots of breathing movements, so he scored an 8 out of 8! We didn't get any new photos of the little guy though because he is in some seriously tight quarters! His little feet and knees are wedged up against my ribs on my right side (just like I've suspected) and his head is still down low and in position - it's very unlikely that he'd flip at this point, and that's good news, because there's a good chance I'll be induced next week... I'm home this afternoon on bedrest and am doing a 12-hour urine collection test, then I go back to the doctor with it tomorrow morning. Depending on the numbers, if they determine that I am developing pre-eclampsia, I will be on bedrest through the rest of this week and be induced sometime early next week (when I hit the 37 week mark, which is technically considered "full-term"). On the other hand, if everything looks OK tomorrow, then I'll probably be allowed to go back to work and just "take it easy" as much as possible until Baby James shows up on his own. Either way, I highly doubt we're going full-term (as in 40 weeks) with this little guy! I believe our little lucky charm is going to be a February baby instead...

As for this week's belly photo, I'm sharing the one that Jay took for me on Sunday, at 36 weeks exactly, as my pregnancy keepsake. I'm lucky to have a photographer for a husband...

My belly button looks really tiny on that big belly, doesn't it?

We received an awesome gift over the weekend too, a Valentine's Day present from my Aunt Margie and Uncle Daryl - a handheld color video monitor and the Mei Tei baby carrier. Of course, we had to try out the baby carrier right away, and who better to play the baby than Jude? Hopefully Baby James will like it better than she did!

We also added some more decoration to the nursery over the weekend. Jay finished one of the bookshelves he's been builing, so I stocked that with the baby books we've accumulated thus far and some of the cute toys Baby James has received. And, although they don't have any of our photos in them yet, we hung up the hand-painted picture frames we received from Nicole at our work baby shower (they're the striped ones in the second photo).

And just for memory's sake, here's a shot of Baby James' closet, fully stocked and ready to go (good thing, eh?) Between all the new clothes we've received as gifts (and purchased ourselves), and the awesome variety of hand-me-downs (from our coworkers' kids and little Jagger James), we can only fit the basics in the dresser (0-6 months onesies, sleepers, pants, socks, and bibs). Everything else has been hung up (the rompers, t-shirts, overalls, and jackets). All the 6 months and older clothes have been stored in plastic bins at the bottom left of the closet. We're using the shelf to store blankets (receiving and otherwise), swaddlers, burp cloths, towels, wash cloths, the baby carriers (we have a Hotsling too), nursing cover-up, and the diaper bag. And yes, we have lots of diapers (size N-2) and booty wipes. So, for all those folks who keep asking if we're ready for this baby, we can honestly say that we are, at least as far as his "stuff" is concerned (although we're feeling pretty mentally prepared also)!

One other bit of preparation we did this weekend was to sterilize all the breastpump accessories (thanks again Nicole, for saving us from having to buy the pump!) and a set of 4 oz bottles (just in case we need them):

We'll have one last nursery photo update later this month when we hang the other bookshelf Jay is making and the pirate sign that Taryn made (wait until you see the creativity and talent some members of our family have - of course, they're the ones that married into the family!), and the pirate-themed Caribbean Islands map that David and Taryn sent us. Other than that, this nursery is ready for baby (again, good thing, eh?)

So, anyone who hasn't posted their guess for Baby James' birth date, time, weight, and length on Expectnet.com yet should do so very soon - you may have only one week left! Just click on the ExpectNet.com box in the upper right-hand corner of the blog (under our profile photo and the Upcoming Events) and it will take you directly to our game. Good luck, and may the best guesser win!

NEXT DAY UPDATE

I'm back at work today! Apparently, it takes 24 hours to get the results from the 12-hour urine test I did last night, so I won't know until tomorrow whether my protein levels are OK or not. However, my blood pressure was back in the normal range this morning and they didn't tell me NOT to come back to work, so here I am (and yes, I'll be taking it easy, just writing manuscripts from the comfort of my computer chair instead of my bed). We'll see what the doctor has to say tomorrow, but my best guess at this time is that we will NOT be induced next week, since they scheduled my next prenatal check-up for next Wednesday. Maybe Baby James will get to pick his own birth date after all?

GOOD NEWS!

They rushed the results for my test and found NO proteins, so NO pre-eclampsia!!

I'm OK to be back at work, and I plan to continue on until Baby James makes his appearance!

POOR GENERAL MOUTON...

He's had a rough end to his week! We took him to the vet on Thursday morning because we woke up to find a cat nail shed with dired blood on it on the stairs, and upon inspection, we determined that it was Mouton (and not Jude) who had the issue - he wouldn't really let us touch/look at his right paw, but we could tell the fur was matted and he was walking on it as if it were very sensitive. We also wanted to get his teeth looked at again (he has bad genes, and has lost almost all of his incisors) because one was looking yucky, even though Jay has been brushing them (yes, we love our cats that much). Well, Mouton wouldn't let the vet look at his paw either, and they couldn't do a teeth cleaning (which they needed to do to assess any underlying damage) because he'd already had breakfast, so we had to bring him home unhealed. We took his food and water away at midnight, which meant he (and Jude) were pretty fussy and wild. We dropped him off at 7:30am Friday morning, hoping all would go well and we could pick him up at the end of the day. No such luck though. His tooth was OK (the vet said the brushing is helping tremendously) and didn't need to be pulled, but they had to remove the damaged claw. Due to the anethesia, Mouton was too groggy to be released home and had to stay overnight. So, we spent a night in a one-cat house (unless you count Maxine, our stray kitty who lives in the sunroom - who also went to the vet Thursday for a checkup). Jude thought it was strange, we could tell, but I think she liked the extra attention. We picked Mouton up from the vet first thing Saturday morning and he cried all the way home, even though his voice was hoarse from all the crying he must have done at the vet's office:

WHOA BABY!

Today we had our 34 week prenatal, which included the standard Group B Strep test (results forthcoming). In addition to that fun, we were relieved to hear that I am not at all dilated yet. Then, in more interesting news, Baby James' heartrate was in the 150's and I measured on schedule with a fundal height of 34cm. The doctor was happy, and she called me perfect again, so I was happy. Jay and I asked a lot of questions about the delivery, and learned some things they didn't mention in our classes (or any of the books I've read). We love the fact that our doctor is very frank with her answers and explanations, and she doesn't leave anything to the imagination!

Whoa Belly! My belly continues to grow, yet somehow still defy gravity... Although everyone does tell me that I'm carrying low - of course, they've been saying that since week 28!! I'm feeling OK - still sleeping well, but I've been waking up with sore knees and hips. I always feel good during the day though, except when the little guy is kicking me in the ribs... Or when my sciatica acts up! Here I am this morning, at 34 weeks 4 days:Our classes, and thus our crazy January, have come to an end. Last week we had a doubleheader: the Infant CPR & Safety Class AND Childbirth Class #3. In the CPR class we learned the American Heart Association method for infants: 2 breaths, followed by 30 compressions at the rate of 100 per minute. Jay was a pro (due to all his years of lifeguard training), and the instructor called him out right away - I'm just glad he's so confident! Between the 1/3- to 1/2-depth chest compressions and the strong whacks on the back you're suppose to give a choking baby, I personally felt a little nervous. I certainly learned all the techniques, but I worry about doing them incorrectly (i.e. too delicately), should I ever find myself in the situation. Everyone says you remember though, even in the heat of the moment, so I'm trying to just trust myself. I'm really glad we had the training (or, a refresher in Jay's case), even though I hope we never need it... Childbirth Class #3 was the opposite of fun. It's the class where they tell you about all the potential interventions during labor and delivery: Pitocin, vacuum, forceps, C-sections, etc. AND then came the epidural information! For anyone out there who, like me, was unaware of the exact procedure for getting the epidural, let me break it down for you:

1) Daddy is required to leave the room because 9 out of 10 men faint at the sight of the needle
2) The needle really is THAT large
3) Mommy curls into the fetal position (out of fear, as much as for allowing spine accessibility)
4) Local anesthetic is applied to the area to reduce the pain of the giant needle
5) The giant needle is injected into Mommy's spine
6) It's not over (I was under the impression that the epidural was simply a big shot - it's not)
7) A catheter is placed, through the needle, into Mommy's spine (yes, a catheter)
8) The giant needle is removed, leaving the catheter behind to administer the medication
9) The catheter is taped to Mommy's back and hooked to a machine - Mommy is no longer allowed to move around, let alone leave the bed anymore (and that means a second catheter...)

So, I had been planning on having the epidural from the day I found out I was pregnant... Now, not so much. I hate needles (not that anyone likes them), and the idea of being bound to the bed for 10-20 hours makes me cringe. Not to mention, I'd really like to avoid Pitocin, which is much more likely to be administered following an epidural, since epidurals tend to slow labor. Then we'd have to deal with the loop-de-loop of drugs to find the right balance. And if the Pitocin isn't enough to keep labor moving along? Then you're at a higher risk for those other interventions I mentioned earlier (vacuum, forceps, or C-section). No thanks. We're now aiming for a natural, drug-free labor and delivery, while keeping the option of an epidural open if it becomes absolutely necessary (if it just REALLY hurts, or if I'm getting too exhausted - i.e. if labor ends up being really long). I've written a birth plan to state my wishes, but I'm calling it my "Birth Preferences", since I'm certainly willing to do whatever it takes to deliver Baby James safe and healthy!!

There was one fun part of the class though... we got to have a hospital tour to see the labor and delivery rooms, post-partum rooms, and the nursery. That's always Jay's favorite part - watching the new babies! We even bumped into someone we knew, a member of our church that was there to welcome his new granddaughter - she was a big girl (almost 9 lbs), and really cute - very pink and wiggly (Jay and I think it's funny that newborns seem to spend so much time stretching their fingers and toes and arms and legs - it really is adorable).

Then, tonight was our final childbirth class, and this was the really fun one! We learned all about caring for our newborn!! The instructor showed us everything that would be used on myself and the baby while in the hospital, and explained every standard procedure, including the APGAR test (where they score the baby a 0-10 based on heartrate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, relfex irritability, and color), baby's first bath, the vitamin K shot and hepatitis B vaccine, and the goop they put in the newborns' eyes. And we didn't even have to watch any videos! Then, to end the night (and the class series), she once again split the men into 4 teams and had them do a relay race of diapering, changing clothes, swaddling, and bottle feeding. And once again, Jay went first for his team. And once again, his team won (even though they had an extra person)! What a great note to end the class on! I'm really proud of him, and we both feel so much more ready for the arrival of our little lucky charm!!

SHOWERED AT WORK

Jay and I are feeling very lucky today... Our coworkers threw us an awesome baby shower! We had attendees from both of the branches we work in (for those who don't know, Jay and I work together, but we don't actually WORK together - we are on different teams, in different branches of the Environmental Lab), as well as some of the ladies that I play BUNKO with from the admin branch. There was a great turn-out and we received some really generous gifts: lots of adorable baby clothes and blankets (even some handmade items, including 2 blankets, a bib, and a nautical-themed set of picture frames for the nursery wall), some really cool toys (including a basket that was filled with bathtime fun items, all in the underwater theme), and some items from our registry that we were really hoping for (including the baby grooming and first-aid kits, the highchair, and the crib tent - to keep the cats off Baby James while he sleeps). We also had the opportunity to talk with other parents and get some advice, which we always appreciate. If we had only written down their cell phone numbers so we can call them at 3am with questions...

Here we are with the ultra-soft and cuddly teddy bear that Pam gave us:

And here is a small sampling of shower attendees, enjoying their cake:

The best part about the baby shower (other than the gifts, of course) was the lack of baby-themed games (hooray!) and the presence of TWO cakes (one vanilla, one chocolate - and yes, Jay and I had both - twice)! The Ahoy James cake was made by Cheryl, and the super-duper chocolate cake was made by Marilyn's mother. They were both delicious, and I'm happy to report that there is plenty left for us to eat cake all weekend if we choose to...

Now, I don't think I've mentioned it before, but there is something in the water here at the Environmental Lab... Jay and I are the 5th couple to be expecting a baby this year, with at least 3 more couples due after us! The newest addition was our youngest baby shower attendee, Dawn's adorable son Coltin (7 weeks old). He was a perfect little angel throughout the party. Check out his gorgeous hair:

By the end of the party, we had quite a haul of bags and boxes to tote to the car!

Thank you all for such a wonderful baby shower - we feel so spoiled!