In Love

Who knew that a week ago I felt as though I had almost forgotten that the close of my pregnancy would mean a baby! Everyone always says how in love you fall in love with your baby the instant you meet her, and now I must say it was definitely love at first sight. Fred and I are totally in love with our precious baby girl. I can hold her and stare at her for hours. She is the most wonderful gift that God has ever given me. I am so happy with our little family. Who knew that one could instantly fall head over heels for another person like this? We could just look at her for hours and hours.

We took these pictures before bedtime last night:


Daddy and Sweet Charlotte:

Mary Charlotte Comes into the World

We are so excited to introduce our precious new bundle of joy, Mary Charlotte, to the world. We plan to call her Charlotte (Charlee for short), but the last 48 hours we've generally used her full name, so I guess we'll see what happens.

Mary Charlotte
Born 8/26/2007 at 10:02 PM
7 lbs, 5 oz
19.25 in long.

I'm going to have to type this up quickly while Daddy and Charlotte are sleeping in the other room (curled up together, since she doesn't seem to tolerate sleeping by herself).

We are home from the hospital and all are doing well, though still trying to adjust. Miss Maddie is really confused by the whole thing so she is going to stay at my parents again tonight while everyone continues to adjust. It is nice to be home, and I'm feeling really good, despite delivering a baby 48 hours ago. I'll post pictures and then follow with our delivery story.


The Big Day

When I woke up Saturday morning I noticed that the baby had moved, as if she was facing a different direction than before, though still head down. Not really mentionable, except it made me feel that she was lower. I was also having the same, slightly harder, contractions I've been having for a while, but still irregular. We were busy all day with cleaning, a baby shower for our friends Tony and Michelle, and dinner with my Mom and Ernest. We were home around 10, and I started feeling like the contractions were coming more frequently around 11, but still tried to get some sleep.

By 2am I was up because the contractions were definitely around 8 minutes apart. I thought I'd start timing them a little more consistently and throw together a few last minute things. They quickly increased to 3-5 minutes apart and prompted a call to the Doctor's office. So we sped off to St. Luke's only to find out that I was still in early labor, but the contractions were maintaining, so they admitted me just after 4:00 am. By 8 I had progressed just a little, and the contractions were coming a little bit stronger; by 12 I hadn't progressed any more at all, and my contractions weren't picking up, so the doctor wanted to break my water and start pitocin. I said okay, but so long as I get my epidural first. (I might have forgone the epidural if things were better at this point).

They kicked Fred out during the epidural, so I was a little nervous, but it was really fast and totally awesome. WAY easier and less scary than I anticipated. I still felt the contractions, but no pain. This way I FINALLY got a little sleep, though not good sleep, since the pressure could still be a little intense. By 4:00, and then 7:00, I still hadn't progressed very far, although I was feeling some serious pressure. At 7:00 the nurse who checked us in at 4:00 came back on duty, which was a little discouraging to realize we'd been there that long. Suddenly, at 8:30 they checked me and I was just shy of complete! No more looming c-section. After an hour of pushing, Mary Charlotte came into the world.

Let me just say Fred was totally awesome and an incredible cheerleader. The nurse really knew what she was doing, and the Dr. covering for Dr. Dryden on Sunday (an older man - Dr. Zepeda) was great. 48 hours later, and my arms are the most sore part of my body from using them in a trick the nurse taught us to make pushing more effective.

K, now off for a few z's for me before baby wakes up again!

The baby is finally here!

Baby Sanchez has finally arrived! Baby Sanchez was born on August 26th, 22:02 and was given the name Mary Charlotte. It is now 3:45am the next day so this daddy is going to catch some z'sss so he can introduce her to all our family and friends today.

Still no baby

Still no baby. Set for the induction on Monday night - so we'll probably have baby in our arms no later than Tuesday. I am really un-excited about the induction. I really want this baby to come on his own; I really don't like the added c-section risk that an induction brings.

In all of the focus on the waiting part, I feel like I've stopped thinking about the baby part. I was so busy getting everything ready for so long, but the nursery has been completely put together for almost a month now. Now I spend all my time cleaning things that I know I won't clean after the baby arrives and trying to keep my mind off of the contractions that come off and on all day but never show signs of strengthening. I feel that with all of the waiting that I've forgotten that what I'm actually waiting for is a baby! Like somehow I'll be surprised when at the end of it all they hand me a little person and look at them in disbelief when told he or she is my child. Right now I just can't seem to wrap my mind around it. It makes me feel a little guilty, because I should be really eager and excited, right? All I can think about is being NOT pregnant and not the reward of this journey. Somehow I feel that at least if labor starts on its own (there is still some time left!), it will put me into the right state of mind to deliver this baby. I'm afraid that going in to be induced after not wanting that will make me feel too much like I am going in for a medical procedure. The increased chances of a c-section don't help either!

All of that said, I'm certain that my due date is dead on - in fact, the 15th is the latest I would put my due date, based on when I know this child was conceived. That means waiting past Tuesday to induce puts munchkin at 'past due' and we would have to worry about other rising risk factors that would bring for our baby. I just pray that my worries are for nothing because my body will go into labor on its own, or at least that we are making the right decision for both me and the baby.

Waiting - From Conception to Birth

Today is August 23rd, I am 41 Weeks and 1 Day pregnant and am still waiting. Though I have learned many things about pregnancy, sometimes it feels like the biggest lesson is to have patience. First we spent two weeks waiting to find out if we were pregnant or not. Then I spent a couple of weeks waiting for my first doctor's appointment to make sure everything was good. We waited until I was 12 weeks pregnant before sharing the news with everyone.

I waited for the first trimester to come to a close in hopes that food would taste good again, the sink would no longer smell like rotting garbage, and that I could extend my bed time past 9 pm. Eagerly I looked for any sign that my tummy was growing and rejoiced in the first sign of a barely noticeable lump. I waited to feel that first baby movement, which came right at 16 weeks. Then we waited for those little movements to get big enough for Fred to feel. We waited eagerly for our first "big ultra sound" where they checked all of Baby Sanchez's parts and made sure he was healthy.

We were excited to see the end of the second trimester, and felt relief once we we reached the point when even the early arrival of Baby Sanchez would have been hard, but probably okay. We waited for test results that might have indicated any other problems. Finally, after 37 weeks of waiting, the most exciting waiting of all - for Baby Sanchez to arrive. I never really thought it would be almost the end of August before this little stinker got here, but here we are, still waiting.

Eviction Date Set

So after another visit to doctor-i-don't-like, who determined this baby doesn't seem to be any closer to coming than last week, and a non stress test that shows Baby Sanchez is indeed happy and healthy in his current home, we've scheduled an induction for next Monday night. Actually, though I'm not any more thrilled with the doctor, her take on the situation is exactly what I would have offered myself - I go back on Friday for another NST to make sure everything is still good, and have the induction on Monday, after Dr. Dryden gets back in town. Of course, Baby Sanchez could still show up before then, which of course would make me thrilled.

Overdue

40 Weeks, 6 Days
5 days overdue, and still no baby. I think this is driving Fred a little more nuts than me, but it isn't easy! Baby Sanchez is racking up the late fees! (Yes, the shirt I am wearing is one of the few that still fits!)

We kept very busy this weekend; I wore myself out, so I guess I am pretty glad this peanut didn't try to come last night - I never would have made it. Today was pretty much about taking it easy and recovering. I did finish the counter tops (finally!), did laundry, went grocery shopping, made dinner, and went walking. The guy behind the seafood counter at HEB thought I looked only 5 months pregnant, a nice boost when I feel like a whale.

We have another trip to doctor-i-don't-like tomorrow. They'll check my amniotic fluid levels and run a non-stress test to make sure the baby is coping okay with being overdue. I'm not exactly sure what this test will entail, so we'll see how it goes! No mater what, they will probably try to get me to schedule an induction. As great as it would be to hold our baby, I really don't want to be induced. Honestly, this pregnancy has been so good, I don't think there is much of a reason until we get closer to 42 weeks, unless something changes. Stats from my NFP book: 65% of babies are born within 7 days (either before or after) of the estimated due date, 85% within 10 days, and 99% within 14 days.

Meanwhile, I'm just trying to enjoy the quiet and freedom of each day instead of going bonkers over my big belly, because I know these are my last days of quiet and freedom.

Still Here

So, the counter tops look GREAT, but still no baby. Yesterday I finished getting out all the old grout, which turned out to be even more of a pain on the two remaining surfaces, because the sealant/caulk, whatever that was on top of the old grout, proved really hard to remove. By the end of the day though, I managed to have all the new grout in. Very Good! This evening the first two counter tops were dry enough to put on the sealant/colorant - antique white to match the aged backsplash grout I didn't replace. All in all, I am quite pleased with myself :-). Now on to the next project...

Since baby hasn't arrived yet, we were lucky enough to have dinner at our friend Alvaro 's house before he moved into St. Mary's Seminary today. Our friends were surprised to see us, but I was glad to have another chance to visit with them all before things are turned a little upside down. As always, the food was yummy - especially the tres leches - and the company enjoyable.

Also since baby hasn't arrived yet, Fred and I went to his sister's engagement lunch - a pomelaye (I know I butchered the spelling...) meal at Kim Son with both families. Lunch took care of the formalities of the engagement (Fred and I went through a similar meal) with Todd's parents asking my in-laws if Fiona could join their family. With all of the "officialness" aside, Todd pulled an engagement ring out of his pocket for Fiona. She had no clue that the ring was coming today, so it was a great surprise. Congrats to them both! I'm really glad we attended, but now, Baby, no more piddling around; time to come into the world!

The Waiting

So now we are on to the waiting. To keep myself busy through the waiting, especially since the flood waters blocked me in today, I decided to finish the re-grouting project Fred and I began shortly after we moved in. I worked on two of the counter tops today and will tackle the remaining two tomorrow. I wish I had a good before shot of the counter tops that I actually did, although you might be appalled to see what I've lived with since November. The "before" shot is actually of the counter top I'll tackle tomorrow.

Before:

The stained grout shown was actually under a slightly less stained layer of sealant that someone else did a poor job of putting down. Bleach does no good. Not all the grout looked this bad, but right next to the stove was worse! My solution? Cover it with a glass cutting board so no one could see it ;-). Not anymore! All in all, the tile is so chipped, it could be replaced, but I think this is a great makeover for starters. I'll add sealant after it has had a couple of days to dry.

After:

Still hoping this baby will make an appearance before Monday...

Flood

Good thing this baby DIDN'T try to come this afternoon; I would have had to call for a truck to come get me! You can see the water was all the way up on the lawn!

Due Date!

So I was hoping that today would be the big day. We even went to Mass last night to celebrate the feast of the Assumption of Mary and got a special blessing and prayer from the priest (which was great!) in hopes that our little one would come today, but no cigar.

This afternoon Fred went with me to the Doc's; I was supposed to see both my doctor and the new one. Well, Dr. Dryden ended up being in surgery, and the PA I love is out on her own maternity leave, so it was just us and the new doctor. You might imagine I wasn't very thrilled with this set up to begin with, so shocker that I didn't leave very thrilled either. I really didn't like the new Dr, though I wouldn't say it was a strong dislike - just the bound to happen dislike of a 40 week pregnant woman who is trying to get a feel for a doctor who knows nothing about her beyond what is written in her chart. I know the point of a chart is so that any doctor can come in and know how to treat a patient, but there is something very comforting in your own doctor who hardly has to glance at your chart to remind herself of the details and discuss any issues at hand. It doesn't help that my doctor has a way of always putting me at ease, and this lady did not. Of course, she JUST started on MONDAY at the practice, so I am sure this week hasn't been easy for her either.

Anyway, I submitted myself to this lady's examination, which was way more formal than the laid back exams I generally receive. Perhaps that too was due to the fact that she had to review my chart for every piece of information. (Why is that so frustrating for me?) She said I haven't changed at all in the last week. (In fact, said that what was in my chart was "very generous" and not what she would have said...why did that comment make me mad too? Who cares? Its not as if these things are measured with a ruler or something. Just say there isn't any change, not, in essence, "There isn't any change, in fact, you haven't even progressed as much as you thought you had.") So, since there has been no change, it made me think that an induction would be even harder to handle, and maybe I should just let this baby come on his own time. But I still rather deliver this baby with Dr. Dryden, who will be out of town for a week beginning on Monday. So I either have to have this baby before she leaves, or cross my legs and hold her in (and fight against scheduling an induction next week by new doctor) until Dr. Dryden gets back.
So I'm going to sleep on it and call to talk to Dr. Dryden in the morning, since I didn't get to talk to her today. Though I guess I could have, I didn't feel like telling the new doctor that I'm tempted to schedule an induction just to have Dr. Dryden delivery this baby before she lives. Of course, maybe, despite the "no change" this baby will decide to come soon on his own.

Anyway, that is my drama. Sorry if I tossed out too much information. I'm just a crazy 40 week, almost overdue, pregnant woman. Support welcome :-).

The Watched Pot Never Boils

39 Weeks, 5 Days

Sometimes it feels like this baby is never going to come. The waiting part is getting old fast! I think it would be easier if I didn't have contractions that amounted to nothing. Last night we were on our way out to a friend's party in The Woodlands when I had a few contractions that were a little more intense than usual. I kept noticing them at the party, but wasn't really paying attention to how they were timed or anything. After a few hours I noticed I'd had three in around 10 minutes, so I thought, eh, maybe we should head back towards home. Then on the car ride home they were coming 7, 6, then 5 minutes apart, with a little pain and discomfort that I assumed would be a better indicator of real labor. I was cautiously optimistic that "this was it!" Unfortunately, once we got home and I started trying to get a few last minute things in order, they stopped. What's the deal? I'll just keep trying all the "natural" induction things to see if something will work....

Its also been a scorcher here the last couple of days. Today, even though the AC didn't turn off, the house just wouldn't get cool! I finally called my Mom to make sure their pool was clean so I could go for a dip. Their pool is the best pool ever for hot summer days because it is entirely shaded by several large trees. Even though it is hard to keep out debris and leaves, the water stays very cool on the hottest days. It was the greatest dip ever! Not only did it cool me off when nothing else seemed to work, but whales are good in water for a reason ;-). I'm going to spend part of every day in the pool every day from now until the baby comes! It is so very relaxing and cool! With all of the rain we were getting this summer, the heat was really bearable up until now; thank goodness this pregnancy is almost over. I am not sure I could endure this for much longer.

(sorry, no energy for the pic today, will add one tomorrow...)

Another Day at the Doctor

So yesterday was another day at the Doctor’s office for me (39 Weeks!). It’s funny how all you have to do for everyone to know your name is show up every single week! I’m sure some women end up there more often than that, so I’m counting my blessings.

Baby and I had another ultrasound this week, but a different tech took care of us, so we didn’t get any of the usual great shots. After getting to see my baby’s cute face so many times, it was really disappointing to only see a fuzzy, head-shaped, blob on the screen and printed out for me. Now, I KNOW that is what many of you already think of the face pictures I’ve posted, but trust me, those are awesome compared to what I got yesterday! But of course, seeing my sweetie’s face wasn’t the primary goal of the visit. The baby still measures on the low end of average, but my doctor says that if she were having a baby, it is exactly the size baby she would want to have (so it’s okay by me that her head is only measuring around 37 weeks instead of 39…).

Not much progress from last week, but the doctor asked if I’d like her to “stir things up a little,” and I said, “why not?” So about 15 minutes later, getting into my car, I kind of wondered about my “why not” since I definitely felt “stirred up!” It was enough to make me hopeful that the contractions would continue to get stronger, but, unfortunately, the effects did not escalate, so here I am, still waiting.

I also found out that my doctor is going to be out of town the week after my due date, which has me a little concerned. If I don’t want to be induced before my doctor leaves and end up delivering while she’s gone, then the new doctor at the practice (who starts Monday and I will meet next Wednesday if I’m still pregnant) would deliver the baby. I’m not so crazy about that idea, so am tempted to go with the induction if it comes to that. Hopefully this little booger will just come before the 18th and I won’t have to worry about it. So keep THAT in your prayers!

Joining Forces for an Adventure

“….We helped make each other — for better or worse. Getting married wasn't about settling down or having stability; it was about joining forces for an adventure neither of us could have alone. It was like standing at the edge of a cliff with rushing water beneath us. We were happy, terrified — and against all expectations, we jumped. But we were holding hands, and even if we were falling fast, we were together. Are together.” - By Elissa Schappell

I look at most of college-educated society and see that most of them have children while in their thirties. Whether it be circumstance since people marry later in life or personal preference since people want to be more financially prepared or want to get more comfortable being married, people wait. Elizabeth and I could have waited and filled our coffers, waited and bought a big house, waited and developed Elizabeth’s career, but we didn’t.

Both of us have our various reasons for starting our family, but having children just made sense. Elizabeth and I were already comfortable that we could make this marriage work and work well. We could further indulge in our married lives without children, but it would have been mutually selfish of us. At this time in our lives, our marriage is just peachy. To me, life isn’t about trying to find an easy life. It’s about pushing your self to the limit and finding a way to have a blast at the same time.

Nesting

38 Weeks, 5 Days
WOW! I cannot believe that we are almost there! Pregnancy has been quite a journey, but I know the real adventure is about to begin. We are about to burst with anticipation! I was in bed this morning enjoying the gentle feelings of my baby's movements and thinking about how much I already love this little booger. When I first saw the "+" on the stick, I was excited, but apprehensive, and honestly did not know what to feel. Were we ready for this? Who ever can be? We simply knew that there is no "Edit - Undo" (or Ctrl+z!) for the journey of blessings we'd started. Almost 9 months later, our hearts are filled with love and eagerness to meet our little one for the first time. God Bless everyone who has shared in our excitement.

As we come to the end, I can't believe how big my belly is getting! My whole belly now changes shape every time Baby Sanchez shifts positions. It is quite crazy to see. Also as we near the end, I've started NESTING like a crazy woman. I almost wish I "nested" all the time, because I would live in a much cleaner world. I've cooked casseroles to freeze, scrubbed the toilets, scrubbed the shower, scrubbed the sinks, windexed all the mirrors (though not yet all the windows), swept the whole house, vacuumed everywhere, vacuumed Maddie hair from under the furniture, (hoping to scrub the floors in the kitchen and bathrooms tomorrow), dusted EVERYTHING I could think of, cleaned the blinds in the nursery blind by blind, washed clothes for us and baby, washed sheets, boxed miscellaneous items to move to the attic, hung the curtains in the baby's room (thanks handyman Fred!), organized my shoes, hung a mirror on the bathroom door, wrapped my sister's graduation gift, weed whacked, and trimmed the rose bush. Even with doing all of that, I still managed to cook waffles for breakfast, cook dinner, watch a movie with Fred, go to church, have lunch out, go grocery shopping and to Bed Bath and Beyond, and write this post! The only thing I should have done but did NOT get to was finishing my Thank You notes. I'm sorry if that includes me not yet getting you yours, but I promise it is coming soon!

Okay so I said that was the only thing, but there are really about 20+ things running through my head that I want to finish before the baby arrives. I think I am driven by the knowledge that after the baby gets here, none of these things will be so easy to do, and we'll probably have plenty of visitors and I want a clean house! Poor Fred has kept up with me pretty well, all things considering, although I'm certain he secretly thinks I am crazy.


The Nursery is also as complete as it will be before Baby Sanchez arrives. I still haven't decided how to decorate the walls, but will probably buy some letters after I know which name to put up there. I am also still searching for the perfect shelves to adorn with photos and baby nick-knacks. There is no bumper for the crib yet; I picked one out to match that has since been discontinued. Now I'm tempted to wait until Baby Sanchez arrives so I can pick a bumper that lends more to a boy or to a girl. Also, check out the baby blanket Susan made us; it is hanging on the back of the crib. More nursery pictures posted below :-).

Queen-size bed availablefor crashing :-)
No teddy bears in the crib!

Demonstrating to Fred how the dresser/changing table works.

Baby changing station, dresser, hamper, and Diaper Genie, ready to go!

Doctor's Update

Had another fun fun fun visit to the Doctor's office this week. Everything looks good, though she seems to think that I'll probably see her again at my 39 week visit and not in the delivery room. She gave the usual suggestions to bring on labor, but I think that this baby is going to come whenever he is good and ready! Maybe, for Aunt Michele's sake, he'll come before she leaves for LSU Sunday, but I'm not holding my breath...

She scheduled me for another ultra sound next week because I again measured the same as last week. No real concerns, as it seems the baby is just moving down, down, down! I also asked her to check and make sure the baby is in the right position, since I know he moved last week, and again more evidence that the baby is dropping. He must have rolled over and dropped down which is why he seems to be crooked to me; his feet are now just to the left my belly button instead of poking out under my ribs on the right!

I can't believe we are getting so close to this little munchkin's arrival!