Tomorrow is the big day. (Well, technically it's already here since it's after midnight.) It's weird that it's finally here after all this waiting. It's like I know what's coming, yet I'm still sure it's going to seem so new and be full of surprises.
Apple is announcing their next iPhone.
Are you as excited as I am?
Oh yeah, and we're having a baby.
I haven't done much blog updating on Baby Tiny lately, so let me give you the latest scoop: Julie has been having contractions for weeks now (some fairly intense) and we've even been to the hospital a couple of times to get checked out, but Baby Tiny has thus far refused to vacate the premises. (The premises being Julie's body.) Basically, the doctors have said her uterus is relaxed enough (thank you twins) that Tiny has plenty of room to maneuver and the contractions haven't been enough to get her to move into the birth canal. On top of that, Julie had an ultrasound two weeks ago and we discovered that Tiny, despite having been head down for many weeks, had flipped over and was breech (headed out feet first). It's unusual for a baby to flip this late in the pregnancy, but again, Tiny apparently is comfortable moving around in there however she pleases.
So here we are, in our 40th week. The plan is to go to the hospital tomorrow at the crack of dawn and do an ultrasound. Hopefully we'll see that Tiny has flipped back to the head down position. If she has, they'll induce labor right away. If she's not head down, they'll try a external version (trying to flip the baby manually from the outside). If they can get her head down, they'll induce. If they still can't get her to go head down, then they will perform a c-section tomorrow.
One way or another, Baby Tiny is joining our clan tomorrow.
I'll admit I'm way more excited about Baby Tiny's entrance into the world than the launch of another iPhone. (Though wouldn't a brand new iPhone be great for documenting and sharing said entrance?) And by excited about Baby Tiny, I think I might mean terrified. It's 1:00 in the morning and I don't feel like sleeping at all. There's a lot of adrenaline already pumping through me. It's not that I'm terrified by newborns or that I'm worried about having five kids aged six and under. But I do worry about Julie and the new baby during the actual birth. I'm nervous every time (though I try not to show it). Plus I'm getting a little anxious about how our whole family dynamic will change, especially after things seem to be so settled now. So while I am excited about meeting this wonderful new daughter, I am also nervous about a day that seems full of uncertainties.
Cross your fingers for us. Pray for us. Wear your lucky underwear. You know, all that good vibe stuff.
Showing posts with label new baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new baby. Show all posts
Oct 4, 2011
Aug 27, 2009
Aug 26, 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen, Please Welcome...
OK, sorry about all the suspense. When I made that last post, I was fully expecting to make a quick follow up post with some new pictures and the baby's official new name. Somehow, the day quickly got away from us. (Hmmm, how did that happen?)
So, without further ado, I give you: Darwin Santiago. (Yes, that's his real name.) And while it's a name potentially slathered with meaning, irony and symbolism (you can draw your own conclusions), it's really just the best name for our new little guy.
(And it's only a few letters away from Dougwina. Sorry, Doug, that's the best we could do.)
So, without further ado, I give you: Darwin Santiago. (Yes, that's his real name.) And while it's a name potentially slathered with meaning, irony and symbolism (you can draw your own conclusions), it's really just the best name for our new little guy.
(And it's only a few letters away from Dougwina. Sorry, Doug, that's the best we could do.)
While this may look like Julie is telling me to buzz off, she's actually waving at the camera. I just happened to freeze the exact wrong moment of the wave.It was a smooth delivery and Darwin did so well, right from the beginning.
7 lbs. 12 oz.
The kid's got some pipes.
Mom was convinced she was carrying a girl. This is the face she makes when she realizes she's been the victim of a nine month hoax.
Don't worry, Darwin, the beard is coming off.
Jameson is super, super, super, super, super excited. Really.
Man, this family is getting big.
Welcome to the world, Darwin.
I Have a Name
when I wake up from my nap.
Aug 25, 2009
Kermit Bartholomew
Now that's a name.
Just not the baby's name. Still working on that. But we're tired, so we'll worry about that in the morning.
Today went about as well as we could have possibly hoped. Here's the recap:
5:20 A.M. - Julie is jolted awake by the hardest baby kick she's ever felt. After coming to her senses following her rude awakening, she decides to take a bathroom break. On the way to the bathroom she comes to the realization that the Chuck Norris special she just received may have broken her water.
5:22 A.M. - Definitely breakage of the water.
6:10 A.M. - We're checked in at the hospital. Julie is lamenting having skipped her routine midnight snack. Once labor has begun it's ice chips and apple juice only.
7:00 A.M. - 3 centimeters, 80% effaced (see this post for the gory details)
8:00 A.M. - 5 centimeters, satanic contractions, demands for an epidural (like NOW)
8:30 A.M. - Sweet relief
9:00 A.M. - Time for a quick nap. (Julie rested, too.)
10:30 A.M. - Nurses say 7 centimeters, doctor says 5 centimeters. Five thousand year old doctor-nurse fued continues.
11:00 A.M. - Check in with Jameson. He wants to know the moment I find out if it's a boy or a girl.
11:30 A.M. - A slight dose of pitocin to ramp up the contractions.
11:45 A.M. - Running on empty, Dad snags a protein bar and some juice in effort to avoid being that guy. (As in that guy passed out on the floor.)
12:15 P.M. - 8 or 9 centimeters, contraction junction what's your function?
12:28 P.M. - Dad begins daydreaming about cutting off beard. (Focus, Dad. Focus!)
1:00 P.M. - All right, who wants to have a baby?!?!
1:24 P.M. - Three rounds of pushing and it's a baby boy! (Cranium from Mom's side of the family cuts delivery time by 68%)
1:27 P.M. - Proud doctor poses with placenta as if it's a trophy walleye. Dad snaps greatest labor and delivery photo ever.
What a day. Relatively speaking, this was our easiest delivery yet. It was amazing how fast he was born. And he seems so big compared to our other babies. He already has some fat rolls on him and he's all for extended nursing. Apparently he knows he needs to bulk up as soon as possible so he can face the circus waiting for him at home. He's pretty vocal, yet, easy going.
So far he seems like he's going to be a very easy baby. (I'm sure that thought just completely jinxed us.)
Julie is doing really well, too. The delivery itself was so short and Julie has become a bit of a pro at this. She's recovering really quickly, too, with relatively little pain. (Easy for me to say, right?) He's been in our room (and mostly in our arms) every second since being born and it's truly been a blessed experience. All around this has been the most uneventful, least stressful delivery we've experienced. A beautiful, healthy and strong baby boy and a beautiful, healthy and resting mother. We couldn't ask for much more.
And now for that name...
Just not the baby's name. Still working on that. But we're tired, so we'll worry about that in the morning.
Today went about as well as we could have possibly hoped. Here's the recap:
5:20 A.M. - Julie is jolted awake by the hardest baby kick she's ever felt. After coming to her senses following her rude awakening, she decides to take a bathroom break. On the way to the bathroom she comes to the realization that the Chuck Norris special she just received may have broken her water.
5:22 A.M. - Definitely breakage of the water.
6:10 A.M. - We're checked in at the hospital. Julie is lamenting having skipped her routine midnight snack. Once labor has begun it's ice chips and apple juice only.
7:00 A.M. - 3 centimeters, 80% effaced (see this post for the gory details)
8:00 A.M. - 5 centimeters, satanic contractions, demands for an epidural (like NOW)
8:30 A.M. - Sweet relief
9:00 A.M. - Time for a quick nap. (Julie rested, too.)
10:30 A.M. - Nurses say 7 centimeters, doctor says 5 centimeters. Five thousand year old doctor-nurse fued continues.
11:00 A.M. - Check in with Jameson. He wants to know the moment I find out if it's a boy or a girl.
11:30 A.M. - A slight dose of pitocin to ramp up the contractions.
11:45 A.M. - Running on empty, Dad snags a protein bar and some juice in effort to avoid being that guy. (As in that guy passed out on the floor.)
12:15 P.M. - 8 or 9 centimeters, contraction junction what's your function?
12:28 P.M. - Dad begins daydreaming about cutting off beard. (Focus, Dad. Focus!)
1:00 P.M. - All right, who wants to have a baby?!?!
1:24 P.M. - Three rounds of pushing and it's a baby boy! (Cranium from Mom's side of the family cuts delivery time by 68%)
1:27 P.M. - Proud doctor poses with placenta as if it's a trophy walleye. Dad snaps greatest labor and delivery photo ever.
What a day. Relatively speaking, this was our easiest delivery yet. It was amazing how fast he was born. And he seems so big compared to our other babies. He already has some fat rolls on him and he's all for extended nursing. Apparently he knows he needs to bulk up as soon as possible so he can face the circus waiting for him at home. He's pretty vocal, yet, easy going.
So far he seems like he's going to be a very easy baby. (I'm sure that thought just completely jinxed us.)
Julie is doing really well, too. The delivery itself was so short and Julie has become a bit of a pro at this. She's recovering really quickly, too, with relatively little pain. (Easy for me to say, right?) He's been in our room (and mostly in our arms) every second since being born and it's truly been a blessed experience. All around this has been the most uneventful, least stressful delivery we've experienced. A beautiful, healthy and strong baby boy and a beautiful, healthy and resting mother. We couldn't ask for much more.
And now for that name...
Aug 24, 2009
Aug 23, 2009
The More You Know
Hey, kiddos! It's time for Learning with James!
Today's topic: the wonderful world of cervical dilation*
This is a sexual education class that will cover many mature topics. If you have not turned in your permission slip signed by a parent or guardian, you may not participate in today's discussion. Please leave immediately. You are free to explore any other blog until lunch when you may rejoin your fellow students in the cafeteria.
Now for the rest of you - let's start talking about the cervix!
Madam Cervix lives in the lower, narrow portion of the Uterine Dormitory (i.e. "The U") just past where Miss Vagina hangs out. Madam Cervix is a tough broad that acts like a bit of gatekeeper to The U. Most days of the month she does her best to keep any undesirables (namely the boys from Sperm State) from gaining access to the unsuspecting girls that take up residence in The U. Occasionally though, she lets down her guard (usually after a few glasses of red wine -- she's a bit of a lush) and some unsavory gentlemen sneak past her. Often times, this leads to a sudden increase in church attendance, an uncomfortable conversation with someone's father and/or a wedding involving a smoothbore gun for firing small shot at short range.
Now let's get a little more technical about cervical dilation.
Got all that? The cervix is going to open up and thin out so this baby can be born. In other words, it's like hand-tossed pizza dough with a hole in the middle of it. As it keeps getting tossed in the air, the dough is going to thin out and the hole is going to get bigger and bigger, until, Mama Mia! Eetsa baby!
So where does Julie stand right now? One centimeter at last Thursday's doctor visit. Lots of painful contractions and cramping the last couple of days. No sign of any bloody mucus plugs.
*Cervical dilation information courtesy of Wikipedia and my wife's thoroughly familiar doctor. Bad pizza dough analogy -- all me.
Today's topic: the wonderful world of cervical dilation*
This is a sexual education class that will cover many mature topics. If you have not turned in your permission slip signed by a parent or guardian, you may not participate in today's discussion. Please leave immediately. You are free to explore any other blog until lunch when you may rejoin your fellow students in the cafeteria.
Now for the rest of you - let's start talking about the cervix!
Madam Cervix lives in the lower, narrow portion of the Uterine Dormitory (i.e. "The U") just past where Miss Vagina hangs out. Madam Cervix is a tough broad that acts like a bit of gatekeeper to The U. Most days of the month she does her best to keep any undesirables (namely the boys from Sperm State) from gaining access to the unsuspecting girls that take up residence in The U. Occasionally though, she lets down her guard (usually after a few glasses of red wine -- she's a bit of a lush) and some unsavory gentlemen sneak past her. Often times, this leads to a sudden increase in church attendance, an uncomfortable conversation with someone's father and/or a wedding involving a smoothbore gun for firing small shot at short range.
Now let's get a little more technical about cervical dilation.
In the later stages of pregnancy, the cervix may already have opened up to 1-3 cm (or more in rarer circumstances), but during labor, repeated uterine contractions lead to further widening of the cervix to about 6 centimeters. From that point, pressure from the presenting part (head in vertex births or bottom in breech births), along with uterine contractions, will dilate the cervix to 10 centimeters, which is "complete." Cervical dilation is accompanied by effacement, the thinning of the cervix.
General guidelines for cervical dilation:
*Latent phase: 0-3 centimeters
*Active Labor: 4-7 centimeters
*Transition: 8-10 centimeters
*Complete: 10 centimeters - Delivery of the infant takes place shortly after this stage is reached (although the mother does not always push right away).
Symptoms
During pregnancy, the os (opening) of the cervix is blocked by a thick plug of mucus to prevent bacteria from entering the uterus. During dilation, this plug is loosened. It may come out as one piece, or as thick mucus discharge from the vagina. When this occurs, it is an indication that the cervix is beginning to dilate, although not all women will notice this mucus plug being released.
Bloody show is another indication that the cervix is dilating. Bloody show usually comes along with the mucus plug, and may continue throughout labor, making the mucus tinged pink, red or brown.
The pain experienced during dilation is similar to that of menstruation (although markedly more intense). Most of the pain during labor is caused by the uterus contracting to dilate the cervix.
Got all that? The cervix is going to open up and thin out so this baby can be born. In other words, it's like hand-tossed pizza dough with a hole in the middle of it. As it keeps getting tossed in the air, the dough is going to thin out and the hole is going to get bigger and bigger, until, Mama Mia! Eetsa baby!
So where does Julie stand right now? One centimeter at last Thursday's doctor visit. Lots of painful contractions and cramping the last couple of days. No sign of any bloody mucus plugs.
*Cervical dilation information courtesy of Wikipedia and my wife's thoroughly familiar doctor. Bad pizza dough analogy -- all me.
Aug 17, 2009
Tick Tock Tick Tock
There is still time to guess the baby birthdate, weight and sex. But not much time. We're in the home stretch now. Julie is having contractions nearly every day now. She's tired most of the time but gets sudden bursts of energy to complete tasks like reorganizing all the children's clothing in the house (i.e. nesting). The nausea that has been absent since the first trimester has subtly returned. She claims that the baby has moved from crowding her lungs to crowding her bladder. This party could get started any day now.
Here's where the betting has trended as of this morning:
Birthdate: 9/3/09
Sex: Female (by a ratio of 5 to 3)
Weight: 7 lbs. 4 oz.
Some of you have asked what's in it for the person who wins the guessing game. I thought long and hard and I've come up with a pretty stellar selection of prizes from which the winner can choose:
Prize #1: Baby Name. That's right. I'll let you name the baby. (I still need to run this one by Julie, but I'm sure she'll be cool with it.)
Prize #2: Baby Diaper. You can have the first one (of thousands) that I'll be changing. For those of you not in the know, the first one will not be filled with poo, but rather with meconium. Some people believe this mythical substance can grant magical powers like invisibility or the ability to fly. (Not sure if you have to rub it on your face or eat it or what. You'll have to let me know how that works out.)
Prize #3: All Inclusive Two-Week Vacation. Vacation to my house that is. And all inclusive as in changing diapers and feeding babies that is. What?! That's not a prize?! Like hell it isn't. Just think how much more you'll appreciate your tranquil life after you've spent two weeks at ground zero. Money can't buy that kind of zen-like like enlightment.
Prize #4: Stuffed Rabbit. This is no ordinary stuffed bunny. This thing is four feet tall, weighs thirty pounds and has spent the last two years in a musty, unfinished basement. Ol' "Fluffy" has been gifted and re-gifted so many times that this is actually the third separate occasion that it has been in my possession. What does this have to do with the baby? Nothing, really. I just want the damned thing out of my house. If you choose this prize option, you pay shipping and handling, but the asthma inducing mold and any stray spiders are included at no extra cost.
Prize #5: My Beard. The beard is coming off once the baby is born, so what better way to celebrate your victorious prognostication than with my actual beard. It will be packaged in a genuine Ziploc storage bag and would look lovely mounted above your mantle next to your deer rack and large mouth bass.
Click on this image above or the one to the right to guess the baby's birthdate, weight and sex. The "winner" will be the person with the closest guess to the actual birthdate and with the correct sex. Closest birthweight breaks any ties.
Here's where the betting has trended as of this morning:
Birthdate: 9/3/09
Sex: Female (by a ratio of 5 to 3)
Weight: 7 lbs. 4 oz.
Some of you have asked what's in it for the person who wins the guessing game. I thought long and hard and I've come up with a pretty stellar selection of prizes from which the winner can choose:
Prize #1: Baby Name. That's right. I'll let you name the baby. (I still need to run this one by Julie, but I'm sure she'll be cool with it.)
Prize #2: Baby Diaper. You can have the first one (of thousands) that I'll be changing. For those of you not in the know, the first one will not be filled with poo, but rather with meconium. Some people believe this mythical substance can grant magical powers like invisibility or the ability to fly. (Not sure if you have to rub it on your face or eat it or what. You'll have to let me know how that works out.)
Prize #3: All Inclusive Two-Week Vacation. Vacation to my house that is. And all inclusive as in changing diapers and feeding babies that is. What?! That's not a prize?! Like hell it isn't. Just think how much more you'll appreciate your tranquil life after you've spent two weeks at ground zero. Money can't buy that kind of zen-like like enlightment.
Prize #4: Stuffed Rabbit. This is no ordinary stuffed bunny. This thing is four feet tall, weighs thirty pounds and has spent the last two years in a musty, unfinished basement. Ol' "Fluffy" has been gifted and re-gifted so many times that this is actually the third separate occasion that it has been in my possession. What does this have to do with the baby? Nothing, really. I just want the damned thing out of my house. If you choose this prize option, you pay shipping and handling, but the asthma inducing mold and any stray spiders are included at no extra cost.
Prize #5: My Beard. The beard is coming off once the baby is born, so what better way to celebrate your victorious prognostication than with my actual beard. It will be packaged in a genuine Ziploc storage bag and would look lovely mounted above your mantle next to your deer rack and large mouth bass.
Contest open to all legal U.S. residents (including Obama). Limit one entry per person. Not valid with any other coupons or offers. Prizes subject to change without notification. All decisions are final.
Click on this image above or the one to the right to guess the baby's birthdate, weight and sex. The "winner" will be the person with the closest guess to the actual birthdate and with the correct sex. Closest birthweight breaks any ties.
Jun 27, 2009
Take Your Best Shot
Click on this icon to the right to guess the baby's birthdate, weight and sex.
Clues:
+The official due date is 9/13.
+We currently have two boys and one girl.
+All of our babies have been early.
+James has a beard.
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