Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving we took a little road trip to visit my parents. We were nervous about traveling with the baby for the first time. (Who knew something so little could need SOOOO much stuff.) We had a great time there and the babe had fun with Grandma and Grandpa who were all too happy to give him all the attention he wanted. We are grateful for our family and our many blessings.

Halloween

This year for Halloween, Ethan was a bunny. We didn't really want to do too much for a two month old so luckily our niece Heather was nice enough to give us some of the things her kids outgrew.

Smiling

I finally caught a decent picture of Ethan smiling, although his head is turned to the side a little, you get the picture (ha ha ha). The first picture is the look he usually gives me when I put a camera in his face to try and get a smiling picture. It kind of makes me laugh to see his little dirty looks.

What we have been doing lately

So I think I am finally adjusting to motherhood and I think mothers are amazing. It really makes me appreciate all that my own parents have done for me a lot more. I am sure as our little one grows I will appreciate them even more. I have been just trying to take care of the baby and manage to get some kind of work done during the day. Although I am not able to get as much as I would like to get accomplished, I am still managing to do something so I figure I am on the right path. Aaron has applied for residency and has started getting interview requests. So far he has interviews in South Carolina, Arizona, New York, Maryland, and I think somewhere else that I am forgetting but I can't remember. Ethan is doing great and has started to smile a lot, which is really cute. (I especially like it when I wake up in the middle of the night to feed him and he will give me a big grin after he has eaten - before he gets food though forget it, he must take after his dad) I have been trying to get a good picture of him smiling, but he either stares at the camera with a dirty look on his face or is moving so much I just get a blurry picture. Once I manage to get one, I will post it.

Baby Pictures

This last month both my mom and my sister came out to help me and to see the baby. Here are some of the pictures that we took of our little guy.

Oh Baby

So I have been really slow in posting again to our blog. Who knew a new baby could be so tiring. I am amazed at all the people that live around us that make it look so easy. I think I am almost recovered from my c-section, thank goodness. Now I am just trying to get some sleep and start to work again on my graduate school stuff. I realize that though a lot of people have tried to get a hold of me, sometimes it has been really hard. I figure I will just lay it all out there. I seem to be suffering from a postpartum depression. If I don't return emails or calls, I am sorry, it has been a difficult little bit for me. I do love Ethan and am glad I am a mom, I am just struggling with the adjustment. I am hoping that things will settle down soon and get easier. There have been so many things on our plates recently. The c-section was a surprise, making recovery that much harder, Aaron had his STEP 2 exam, which is huge, Aaron starting a new rotation and being gone, trying to continue graduate school and adjusting to the new little one not to mention dealing with all kinds of insurance fun to try and get the birth covered, which it should be. So, if you are wondering what happened to us, hopefully you will understand and not give up on me.

Welcome Baby Ethan!

The big day finally came! We want to welcome baby Ethan to our little family. His stats:

Birthday: August 17, 2009

Time: 1:05 PM

Weight: 8 lbs 5 oz

Length: 23 inches

Aaron with Ethan in the operating room right after his birth.
(I can't believe I am posting this picture) Aaron, Ethan and I in the recovery room after my C-section.

Ethan under the Bili lights

So I was meaning to get something posted about the big day earlier, but I have had a hard time finding the motivation and energy to. Hopefully this will make some sense as I haven't gotten a whole lot of sleep since last Saturday night.

On Sunday night I went to sleep and woke up about half an hour later because I thought I might have wet the bed. After a minute, I realized that luckily I don't need pull-up training pants because my water had just broken. I wasn't really having regular contractions at all. Since my water broke, we headed to the hospital at about 11:30, were checked out (to make sure I didn't just pee my pants) and were admitted to labor and delivery. After being admitted, I started to have regular contractions that were really quite painful. After trying to tolerate the pain as best as I could, I got an epidural and continued to labor. I just want to say that I don't really know how people stand having natural child birth, it really hurt and I wasn't even to the pushing part. By about 10 in the morning I was fully dilated, to a +2 station and completely effaced and ready to push. Aaron and I were both actually pretty surprised that I was ready, we figured we would be waiting a few more hours.

I started to push and try and get that baby out, but after the first hour, and the baby not budging one bit, it wasn't looking real hopeful. Luckily his heart rate and everything else was still looking just fine. At that point, the doctor told us that it was up to us, we could continue to try and push but it was likely we were going to have to have a cesarean since the baby wasn't moving. We were still hopeful that he may come out so continued to push for another hour. After that hour he still hadn't budged. Apparently my pelvis is on the small side and our baby's head was on the large side so in the end, we had to get a cesarean. Luckily everything went well and we are both healthy and happy.

The past week I have just spent recovering in the hospital from the c-section. Ethan lost a little more weight than they were comfortable with and also developed jaundice while we were at the hospital. We had to put him under the bili lights yesterday and it was about the hardest thing I think I have ever had to do. I never really thought about it being such a traumatic thing, but it really was. After getting about 7 hours of sleep since the previous Saturday, it was so awful to see my new little baby boy put under the lights and not be able to do a whole lot to comfort him. They have to take all their clothes off except for the baby's diaper so they don't really like it and they can't be wrapped in a blanket. He just cried and cried at first, I don't think I have ever felt so helpless in my whole life. For the next 24 hours the only time he could come out was to be fed. Because of the weight loss, he was on a strictly regimented feeding plan to try and make sure he would be ok. I know it probably doesn't sound like it would be that big of a deal, but I am sure anyone who has had to stick their new baby under the lights would understand. Luckily this morning, after a long night of worry, his blood was tested and he was fine to be out from under the lights and we could finally go home. It is just so nice to be out of the hospital. Well, I am about ready to fall asleep as I type so I am going to try to get a little sleep while I can. We will try to post some more pictures this next week.

Cervical change plus contractions equals labor right?

I am still pregnant. Yesterday I really thought I was in labor though. I started having contractions at 2:30 am and they continued into the late afternoon/early evening yesterday. They got closer together, and became increasingly painful. We reached the threshold to go to the hospital and after waiting several more hours finally went to be checked. Unfortunately according to the midwife in the labor and delivery area, nothing was happening. In fact, my cervix is getting thicker, it had almost doubled in size since Friday and the baby had apparently been getting further away from coming out and was further into my body than at any of my checks the last 4 weeks. Aaron told me that you aren't really in labor until you have contractions and cervical change. I pointed out to him that in fact I did have cervical change and contractions so I must be in labor. There was no stipulation the cervical change had to be in the right direction.

(As a side note, yes, I realize my cervix isn't really getting thicker and it is likely the baby's station hasn't actually changed. I know cervical checks are highly subjective and rather meaningless but was rather annoyed anyway.)

It's been 5 years of fun

I can hardly believe it, but it has now officially been 5 years since Aaron and I were married. I don't know where the time has gone. Happy Anniversary!

Why animals are smarter than people

I was thinking today about how hot I have been lately. No I am not talking in vanity terms here. I mean I am roasting because I am about ready to have a baby (I am 36 weeks now... Wahoo). I decided that most animals are smarter than humans because they have their babies in the spring. None of this roasting to death in the summer for them. Maybe next time I will have to tell Aaron that human mating season is July though September and any other time is off limits. Yes, animals are definitely smarter.

A New Baby

No, it isn't what you are thinking.  My baby is still safely in my stomach giving me stretch marks thank goodness.  This post is dedicated to Devin and Karah, they will know why.  So we had a nasty little surprise today, a couple of days ago I noticed some little shreds of paper in my trunk.  I thought it was weird, but then just didn't think about it and figured maybe Aaron made some sort of a weird mess and just didn't clean it up.  When I went to put my bag in my car trunk today, I thought, no, Aaron hasn't used my car in the last week and so he couldn't have made the mess.  So, I lifted up the floor panel that covers the spare tire and made a gruesome little discovery.  Apparently there is a hole somewhere big enough in my trunk for a rat to squeeze through.  A pregnant rat mind you.  I saw a mass of toilet paper and poked at it with a random glove (no, I did not put my hand in the glove) and this is what I found.  A nasty little dead rat pup.  I don't know if I will ever be able to use my trunk again.  I guess it is a good thing that the momma rat was not still in my trunk or I may have gone into labor.  Needless to say I did not put my bags in the trunk nor will I possibly ever again.  Well, I went to work and got home.  Luckily Aaron was home when I got there.  I told him I needed a new car (I still think I need one).  I think he thought that I got in an accident except for the fact I started laughing at how sick the whole thing was.  Aaron being the nice husband put on some rubber gloves I use for cleaning and cleaned scooped it out the carcass and threw it away (we then threw the gloves away).  We went and Aaron vacuumed out the entire car especially the trunk which we took everything out of, including the floor panel and extra tire.  When Aaron took out the extra tire he found 3 more dead rat pups that he vacuumed up.  I lysoled everything thoroughly, the tire, the back everything got a good coat including the floor panel on both sides and the carpeting and stuff.  I figured it was about as good as I could do for sterilization of a car trunk.  Needless to say that even though I will have to walk 3 times as far, I will no longer be parking our car anywhere near the bushes in the parking lot.  If you zoom in on the picture, you may even be able to see the missing (probably chewed off) front leg and the big nasty tooth sticking out of its little mouth.  I guess I am just glad that the temperature is hot enough that I think they cooked to death and dehydrated instead of starting to rot.  I told Aaron I love him a lot more now than I did before, it is true too.  

Yellowstone

I guess I uploaded the photos in the reverse order of what I intended so you all just get to view our vacation backwards.  Aaron was able to some how get a three-day weekend so we took full advantage and decided to have a quick last minute get away.  We went up to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons since we figured that I could walk on the boardwalks being fat and pregnant.  

This is a view of the Tetons

This is a mom and baby moose (the sun was behind them though so sorry the contrast isn't better)

This is up at Mammoth Hot Springs in the morning

Pregnant me in front of the 45th parallel sign

Aaron in front of the Roosevelt Arch

Baby bison taking a nap

A pretty view down the Gibbon River in Yellowstone

Jackson Lake (I think)

Mt. Moran from Oxbow bend

Our hideous hotel room.

What we have been up to

So once again I am feeling guilty for my lack of posting.  We have just been working away on school and work things.  Aaron is currently on his OBGYN rotation at the U.  Although I don't think it is really his calling in life (meaning he doesn't really love it), I think it has been a good experience for him to see babies being born and has made what I am going through and the fact we are going to be parents a little more real to him.  According to Aaron OB is the wettest thing he has ever seen due to all the bodily fluids.  I just have to laugh.  

I have just been working like mad to finish up a paper and most of the rest of another research project before my advisor leaves for almost a month in May.  It has been a little stressful but the more I get done now, the less I will be pressured after the baby is born.  

Other than the school/work thing, we moved into a new apartment in the same court as our old one.  We figured that after 4.5 years of marriage and with a baby on the way a little extra room may be nice.  Turns out we were right.  Although the extra room is nice, the best thing has to be the fact that our water actually gets above a luke warm temperature.  You don't realize how great a warm shower is until you don't really have one for 2.5 years.  We are pretty much just trying to prepare for our baby boy in August, which is more like procrastinating the preparation.  Every time I go into a store like BabiesRUs I feel so overwhelmed I practically get hives.  Wipe warmers, bouncers, swings, diapers, bottles, bedding, furniture, clothing... who knew something so small supposedly needs so many things.  If any of you have advice on what I actually do need please let me know.  Somehow I think our baby will survive if his butt gets cold because his baby wipes haven't been warmed.  Maybe I am wrong though.  

California

So I know this was a couple of months ago, but better late than never right?  In January we went to visit our friends Jason and Jeni in San Francisco.  We had a lot of fun seeing all kinds of stuff.  Here are a few pictures of what we saw.  

Golden Gate Bridge - Our first stop was at a park where you could see the Golden Gate Bridge.  We first drove over it and then stopped to see it.  

Muir Woods - This was a little state park that had redwoods in it.  Not the huge type that you see, but still pretty big.  We wandered around and looked at all the big trees.  

Stinson Beach - After Muir Woods we headed straight to Stinson Beach on what had to be the worlds most curvy road.  The beach was pretty but on the way back I had to make Jason stop the car so I could get out and hopefully avoid barfing.  I don't know if I had ever felt that car sick before in my life.  

After Stinson we went back to Berkley where Jason and Jeni live and got some food.  Later we headed into town and grabbed some dinner.  

Berkley - The next day we went to the Berkley campus to see where Jason spent most of his time (he is super smart and in law school there).  This is a picture of the clock tower on campus.  

The pier and Alcatraz - Later we headed down to the pier for some lunch and to go to Alcatraz.  It was a gorgeous day and luckily Jeni was able to come with us.  Alcatraz was pretty cool and kind of creepy.  I would recommend it to anyone going to San Francisco.  The people in the pictures that you may not know are Jason and Jeni if you can't figure it out, although I hope you can.  

The Exploratorium - Finally, we did what any former respectable Joe Andrade student would do and went to the Exploratorium.  (We actually happened to be on the same flight as him going to SF.)  For those of you who don't know, Joe Andrade is a bioengineering professor at the U and is dedicating most of his energy at this point to getting a world class science center in Salt Lake City.  He is a great guy and I used to work for him designing an exhibit to go in the science center (The Leonardo) when it opens.  The Exploratorium was pretty cool and had lots of geeky things to play with.  We spent most of the day there and then went and got ice cream sundays at Ghiradelli square (no pictures of that, I guess we were too busy eating).  

It's a BOY!

This last Friday we went in for our ultrasound.  It looks like we are going to have a baby boy!  We are pretty excited to know what the little bugger is.  It was really fun to actually see him, it just seems to make it a little more real.  We have some pictures they printed for us and a DVD but I haven't had time to put them in my computer.  Hopefully I will soon and then I will post a picture of our little dude.  

Its just hormones

I have decided that it is Aaron's turn to have the next baby.  I really don't see how women willingly want to get pregnant for a second, third, or fourth time.  Maybe I will change my mind after my new little bundle of joy is so great that I am willing to go through this all again, or maybe I will just forget until it is too late and I am pregnant again (I think this is more likely, not that I don't think our baby will be great).    The wealth of baby books telling you what to expect are not helpful at all either.  Every week starts with some list of symptoms I am probably feeling (these have been the same symptoms I have been feeling for the last 3 months).  I don't really need someone to tell me what I am feeling or to suggest new ways I may be feeling bad.  I think that sometimes maybe I don't notice until someone points it out.  Also, I love how everything is because of hormones, can't we come up with a better explanation?  I think maybe they don't really know and so that is what they say... you grew a third eyeball, must be the hormones, your toe fell off, must be the hormones.  My nausea has finally started to subside (thank goodness!) but I still just feel tired and not that great most of the time, I guess it just must be hormones.  I am blaming my general crankiness and recent aversion to household chores (aka laziness) on hormones too.  (Maybe this means I am having a boy and the extra testosterone has lowered my cleanliness standards)

It's a human baby

So I thought I would post something that has been occupying most of my thoughts lately... AARON AND I ARE HAVING A BABY.  I know you are probably shocked.  But we are going to be parents in the middle of August.  So, if you have wondered why I never update my blog, now you know.  I am at 12 weeks right now and have finally stopped feeling nauseated all the time so hopefully I will be more on top of things (probably not though).  We had a great Christmas with family in Vegas.  In early January visited our friends Jason and Jeni in San Francisco and had a great time.  I will hopefully one day post some pictures.  Other than that, Aaron has been enjoying his break and I have been trying to get lots of work done on my Ph.D.  I have decided to try and finish so I really need to get most of my research done by August so hopefully I just have to write up my thesis after the baby is born.  Wish me luck, I think I am really going to need it!