Dear Friends and Family,
On Friday, November 27, 2009 at 6:27am, the most beautiful baby girl was delivered by cesarean section to two very proud and ecstatic parents. God chose that same moment to call our little girl home to Him. A pediatric medical team tried for nearly an hour to bring her back to us, but our baby girl was already gone.
We ask that you respect our privacy as we mourn this terrible loss. We are now home, but will not be accepting many visitors, nor fielding many phone calls. We know that we will eventually come out on the other side of this tragedy, but we don’t yet know how. We covet your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. We know our little girl is looking down on us and watching over us from heaven. We have decided to call her Angel.
Love and Blessings to you all, Jim and Tara
sábado, 28 de noviembre de 2009
jueves, 26 de noviembre de 2009
Thankfulness
Today I wanted to relay a few of the things for which I'm thankful. There are many more people and things for which I could give thanks, and do daily, but here I'll just touch on a few of them.
1. Jim. I am so thankful for a husband who loves and supports me, cares for me, doesn't take any crap from me but still holds me when I'm crying, provides for us, encourages open lines of communication, is my exact opposite in so many ways that he balances me out, helps calm me when I'm wound up or upset, understands what I'm trying to say when I just can't find the words, wants to be married to me - doesn't just stay because he has to or because he's been made to think he has to, wanted to procreate with me and thinks I'm beautiful when I'm in day-old makeup or none at all and his sweats.
2. This beautiful baby. We got pregnant really easily, which was a blessing in and of itself, and I know that not every couple is so lucky. I am so thankful for this little girl. I wanted a boy so badly until the ultrasound tech told us it was a girl. Now I just can't wait to meet her, hold her, hug her, kiss her, help her through life, teach her to be independent, encourage her and see her into adulthood, as much as all of that letting go stuff makes me well up with tears. She's going to be the perfect addition to our family, and I am so blessed to be carrying her and so thankful for her.
3. My family. This includes my in-laws and other extended family. I have a father who never ceases to amaze me with his love and strength, a mother whose happiness and craziness is contagious in a very good way, a step-father who makes my mother happier than I've ever seen her in my life, and four incredible siblings who make being 8,000 miles away really difficult because they are so very much a part of me. In addition I have in-laws who love us and are excited to see us succeed, grandparents who give without taking, and so many other family members to love and appreciate that it would take a 25-page blog to list them all, and I'd still probably forget someone.
4. My friends. I have very few close friends, and I like it that way. I have been burned by more friends than I can even remember, and the hurt that I've had in my life because of that is sometimes overwhelming. But I'm so thankful that I have friends here I can count on, people who hug me, people who listen when I need an ear, people who respectfully disagree with me instead of just putting me down for my opinions, people I can count on, people who I know will be here for me, and people who I think will be a part of my life for a very long time. Even those friends who have already left Japan, I know that I could catch back up with in a heartbeat and still have their love and support.
5. My cat. I know this might seem silly to some, and that I'm the first one to say that I am not a cat person, but Sakana is just wonderful. She's so sweet, and so crazy, and I'm so thankful that we found her.
6. A home. God truly blessed us by giving us the ability to have a nice, comfortable home in a place so far away from familiar. Even with the noisy upstairs neighbor, the neighbor who smokes on their patio and the wind blows it right into our living room, the dirty, inconsiderate neighbors that leave trash and other messes in the elevator, the lobby and the stairs to the parking lot, I like our little apartment, and it's been good for us. Love grows best in little houses, right? Well, this one is small and cramped and sometimes it feels like the walls are closing in, but it's home.
7. Material items. I know this might make me seem very of the world, but we have been so blessed to have everything that we need and the grand majority of the things we want. God has blessed us financially, and blessed us with the ability to manage our finances and control and eliminate our debts in a way that allows us certain luxuries. It's not like we have brand new stuff all the time or the best of everything, but we do have what we want and beyond everything that we need. We were able to purchase the things we needed for our baby and were blessed with many gifts from friends and family. We don't want for much, besides extravagant items that we just can't justify (and probably wouldn't want to). I am so thankful that we are in this position.
There are so many other people and things for which I am thankful that I could list, but I'll stop here. Above all, God has blessed us so much and so well that I can only thank Him for everything that we've been given. Life is good for our family, and my hope is that wherever life leads us next, we will be able to continue to find happiness, joy and to recognize the blessings in our lives.
1. Jim. I am so thankful for a husband who loves and supports me, cares for me, doesn't take any crap from me but still holds me when I'm crying, provides for us, encourages open lines of communication, is my exact opposite in so many ways that he balances me out, helps calm me when I'm wound up or upset, understands what I'm trying to say when I just can't find the words, wants to be married to me - doesn't just stay because he has to or because he's been made to think he has to, wanted to procreate with me and thinks I'm beautiful when I'm in day-old makeup or none at all and his sweats.
2. This beautiful baby. We got pregnant really easily, which was a blessing in and of itself, and I know that not every couple is so lucky. I am so thankful for this little girl. I wanted a boy so badly until the ultrasound tech told us it was a girl. Now I just can't wait to meet her, hold her, hug her, kiss her, help her through life, teach her to be independent, encourage her and see her into adulthood, as much as all of that letting go stuff makes me well up with tears. She's going to be the perfect addition to our family, and I am so blessed to be carrying her and so thankful for her.
3. My family. This includes my in-laws and other extended family. I have a father who never ceases to amaze me with his love and strength, a mother whose happiness and craziness is contagious in a very good way, a step-father who makes my mother happier than I've ever seen her in my life, and four incredible siblings who make being 8,000 miles away really difficult because they are so very much a part of me. In addition I have in-laws who love us and are excited to see us succeed, grandparents who give without taking, and so many other family members to love and appreciate that it would take a 25-page blog to list them all, and I'd still probably forget someone.
4. My friends. I have very few close friends, and I like it that way. I have been burned by more friends than I can even remember, and the hurt that I've had in my life because of that is sometimes overwhelming. But I'm so thankful that I have friends here I can count on, people who hug me, people who listen when I need an ear, people who respectfully disagree with me instead of just putting me down for my opinions, people I can count on, people who I know will be here for me, and people who I think will be a part of my life for a very long time. Even those friends who have already left Japan, I know that I could catch back up with in a heartbeat and still have their love and support.
5. My cat. I know this might seem silly to some, and that I'm the first one to say that I am not a cat person, but Sakana is just wonderful. She's so sweet, and so crazy, and I'm so thankful that we found her.
6. A home. God truly blessed us by giving us the ability to have a nice, comfortable home in a place so far away from familiar. Even with the noisy upstairs neighbor, the neighbor who smokes on their patio and the wind blows it right into our living room, the dirty, inconsiderate neighbors that leave trash and other messes in the elevator, the lobby and the stairs to the parking lot, I like our little apartment, and it's been good for us. Love grows best in little houses, right? Well, this one is small and cramped and sometimes it feels like the walls are closing in, but it's home.
7. Material items. I know this might make me seem very of the world, but we have been so blessed to have everything that we need and the grand majority of the things we want. God has blessed us financially, and blessed us with the ability to manage our finances and control and eliminate our debts in a way that allows us certain luxuries. It's not like we have brand new stuff all the time or the best of everything, but we do have what we want and beyond everything that we need. We were able to purchase the things we needed for our baby and were blessed with many gifts from friends and family. We don't want for much, besides extravagant items that we just can't justify (and probably wouldn't want to). I am so thankful that we are in this position.
There are so many other people and things for which I am thankful that I could list, but I'll stop here. Above all, God has blessed us so much and so well that I can only thank Him for everything that we've been given. Life is good for our family, and my hope is that wherever life leads us next, we will be able to continue to find happiness, joy and to recognize the blessings in our lives.
miércoles, 25 de noviembre de 2009
Nursery
The nursery is finally complete (as complete as it can get) and I have uploaded photos to our Picasa album. Click here or on the photo below to go to the album. The pictures are at the very end, complete with extensive captions. :) There aren't very many captions; it's a small room.
sábado, 21 de noviembre de 2009
39 and READY
38 WEEKS PREGNANT - 39TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
Oh my goodness. Do you realize that not only have we been "full term" for a whole week, but we're less than 2 (TWO!) weeks away from our due date? I'm SO READY to meet this little girl, but not until she's done cooking - I want her to be the healthiest possible, and if not for the stabbing pains and the intermittent contractions, I would be waiting it out a LOT more patiently. :)
Little Girl is probably about 7 lbs (about the weight of a mini-watermelon) and stretching about 19-21 inches long these days. She is forming new skin as she sheds her old skin.
This week:
-She's still gaining a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth.
-Her brain development is still continuing to go strong, something we're really excited about and that will continue through the first three years. We know she'll be so impressionable, and we plan to take every opportunity to teach her all kinds of stuff. I don't know if she'll be quite the geek that we have both turned out to be, but we're hoping!
-Her skin is probably less pink and more white in color, which probably won't change much after birth if she's anything like me - pale pale pale! But maybe she'll get her dad's beautiful olive-colored skin - we can only hope.
As for me:
-I have a doctor's appointment on Monday to see if I'm progressing at all. I really hope that all of these pains I've been experiencing mean I am, but I know that 2 weeks is a long time, and she might even be late since she's my first.
-We had our breathing class last Sunday and learned some techniques for relaxation and a little more about how the beds in the labor & delivery ward work and what our options will be for when I'm laboring. We have a follow-up class this Sunday.
-I have still had a lot of nausea this week, but only one really bad incident, and some headaches and nosebleeds, which are old symptoms that have returned to greet me.
-This baby just feels heavy. I don't think she's dropped too much, but maybe she has a bit, because my heartburn, while still going strong, has lightened a bit.
-I've been having intermittent contractions, but nothing too strong or consistent, so I think they are just Braxton Hicks contractions increasing in frequency.
The bags are packed and by the door, there's a list of last-minute additions to pack on the fridge, and we're ready and waiting for our little girl's arrival. I have been very busy this week, despite being extremely exhausted, trying to get ready to come home after she arrives. I have made 9 meals that are now frozen and have about 5 more to go to help us eat without a lot of fuss. I painted the cradle from my childhood that my mom kept and my dad sent to us and we plan to put it together today. I'm trying not to overdo it, but by the end of every day I am exhausted and my poor feet and back are killing me. I have been staying on top of the housecleaning, rather than try to do it all at once. We're having some friends over tonight, so I will be doing a bit more than the usual day to get ready for their visit, but normally I keep it to one or two chores maximum so I spread out the cleaning through the week and I don't wear myself out. All in all, we're just patiently (Jim) and not so patiently (me) waiting to meet our girl!
A lot of you have been asking how Jim's holding up through all of this, and the short answer is: amazingly. The longer answer is that he's incredibly calm and collected, patient, helpful, low-stress, uncomplaining, and not at all nervous or anxious about the delivery or becoming a dad. The only thing that gets to him is when I'm in pain, but he handles it very well, tries to help me through it and tells me to relax when he knows I'm overdoing it, and has just been incredible any way you look at it. I know he will be a great coach and partner through my labor and delivery and recuperation. He's going to be a great dad (and is always a wonderful husband)!
Anyway, that's all for now! I promise to post pictures of the nursery when it's complete, but there are still a couple of little additions and details to finish before I reveal it. :) Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers - keep 'em coming!
Oh my goodness. Do you realize that not only have we been "full term" for a whole week, but we're less than 2 (TWO!) weeks away from our due date? I'm SO READY to meet this little girl, but not until she's done cooking - I want her to be the healthiest possible, and if not for the stabbing pains and the intermittent contractions, I would be waiting it out a LOT more patiently. :)
Little Girl is probably about 7 lbs (about the weight of a mini-watermelon) and stretching about 19-21 inches long these days. She is forming new skin as she sheds her old skin.
This week:
-She's still gaining a layer of fat to help control her body temperature after birth.
-Her brain development is still continuing to go strong, something we're really excited about and that will continue through the first three years. We know she'll be so impressionable, and we plan to take every opportunity to teach her all kinds of stuff. I don't know if she'll be quite the geek that we have both turned out to be, but we're hoping!
-Her skin is probably less pink and more white in color, which probably won't change much after birth if she's anything like me - pale pale pale! But maybe she'll get her dad's beautiful olive-colored skin - we can only hope.
As for me:
-I have a doctor's appointment on Monday to see if I'm progressing at all. I really hope that all of these pains I've been experiencing mean I am, but I know that 2 weeks is a long time, and she might even be late since she's my first.
-We had our breathing class last Sunday and learned some techniques for relaxation and a little more about how the beds in the labor & delivery ward work and what our options will be for when I'm laboring. We have a follow-up class this Sunday.
-I have still had a lot of nausea this week, but only one really bad incident, and some headaches and nosebleeds, which are old symptoms that have returned to greet me.
-This baby just feels heavy. I don't think she's dropped too much, but maybe she has a bit, because my heartburn, while still going strong, has lightened a bit.
-I've been having intermittent contractions, but nothing too strong or consistent, so I think they are just Braxton Hicks contractions increasing in frequency.
The bags are packed and by the door, there's a list of last-minute additions to pack on the fridge, and we're ready and waiting for our little girl's arrival. I have been very busy this week, despite being extremely exhausted, trying to get ready to come home after she arrives. I have made 9 meals that are now frozen and have about 5 more to go to help us eat without a lot of fuss. I painted the cradle from my childhood that my mom kept and my dad sent to us and we plan to put it together today. I'm trying not to overdo it, but by the end of every day I am exhausted and my poor feet and back are killing me. I have been staying on top of the housecleaning, rather than try to do it all at once. We're having some friends over tonight, so I will be doing a bit more than the usual day to get ready for their visit, but normally I keep it to one or two chores maximum so I spread out the cleaning through the week and I don't wear myself out. All in all, we're just patiently (Jim) and not so patiently (me) waiting to meet our girl!
A lot of you have been asking how Jim's holding up through all of this, and the short answer is: amazingly. The longer answer is that he's incredibly calm and collected, patient, helpful, low-stress, uncomplaining, and not at all nervous or anxious about the delivery or becoming a dad. The only thing that gets to him is when I'm in pain, but he handles it very well, tries to help me through it and tells me to relax when he knows I'm overdoing it, and has just been incredible any way you look at it. I know he will be a great coach and partner through my labor and delivery and recuperation. He's going to be a great dad (and is always a wonderful husband)!
Anyway, that's all for now! I promise to post pictures of the nursery when it's complete, but there are still a couple of little additions and details to finish before I reveal it. :) Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers - keep 'em coming!
domingo, 15 de noviembre de 2009
Belly Pictures
Today my fabulous friend, Michelle, took some pictures for us to commemorate the pregnancy. We went down near the river this morning and took some outdoor shots, then Jim and I went to take some indoor shots later in the day. She did an amazing job, and I'm SO pleased with the results. The shots attached to the link as of today (15 Nov 09) are just the sneak preview she e-mailed, but more to come after I get the CD of photos. For more shots by Michelle or her husband, Kevin, visit strikingshot.com. They are truly amazing photographers!
This one's one of my favorites. :)
Click on the photo or here to see the web album. Thanks, Michelle!
This one's one of my favorites. :)
Click on the photo or here to see the web album. Thanks, Michelle!
viernes, 13 de noviembre de 2009
38 - Oh my goodness!
37 WEEKS PREGNANT - 38TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
(By request from my good friend Michelle, I'm wearing the shirt that makes my belly look "awesome." Thanks, Michelle!)
Well, Baby Girl Geekling is now officially full-term and could come at any time. Yikes! We went to the doctor Thursday and everything looks good. I'm not making any progress toward labor yet, but the baby's head is down and she's in the right position for delivery. The doctor estimated that she was about 6-6.5 lbs right now, which should be right on target for my goal of 8 lbs or less on the due date. Hopefully she doesn't get a whole lot bigger, but since my genes are more dominant in that area and I only weighed just over 7 lbs, I'm fairly confident that she won't be too big for me to handle (besides, I'm going to be on drugs that partially numb the part of my body that would care how big she is, so I won't care until afterward anyway). According to the Internet, Baby Girl is right below the average weight-wise (the Internet says most babies are about 6.8-7 lbs this week), and should be about 19.5-20 inches long now, or about the length of a leek.
This week:
-Her organs have matured and are ready to function outside the womb
-She's continuing to shed her vernix and lanugo
-She's also producing surfactant, a substance that will prevent the air sacs in her lungs from sticking to one another when she starts to breathe
-She has a firm grasp now, and we can't wait to test it when we get to hold her hands
-She's been moving around like crazy and kicking harder than ever
-Her little feet seem to like to be up under my ribs. Usually I can handle it because I can recline back a little bit to give her more room, but when I'm sitting up straight, like in the car, it's not fun.
As for me:
-I've continued having a lot of nausea, but not nearly as much "active" nausea this past week (knock on wood)
-This kid seems to be balancing right on my bladder, which seems to have gotten a lot smaller these days
-I've been having contractions, especially after my doctor's appointment yesterday, which is good, but they are frequent or strong enough to start counting. Up until now I've only had mild Braxton Hicks contractions, though, and I can definitely tell the difference as they get to be more like real contractions, so it's good that they are starting out so slowly (although I am well aware that they get very painful and hard to handle).
I've been working hard on the nursery, and it is mostly complete. We have some generous friends and family who have given us so much (check out the thank you page)! We just have to finish sanding and finishing the cradle from my childhood, and we're waiting on a few last touches to come in the mail, and then we'll be ready. But everything is complete enough now for us to bring her home if she decides to come. My bag is packed and in the entryway ready to go (with some last-minute additions required), and tomorrow I'm going to put the car seat in the car, so we'll really be ready. This is my favorite new addition to the nursery:
The picture of it is a little blurry, but you get the gist: the elephant is trying to push the boulder. We bought it from Nerdy Baby and it's a perfect combination of Jim's and my personalities. Above the elephant it says "Force = Mass x Acceleration" then around the boulder it says "Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight forward except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force" and under the elephant, on the ground it says "All forces occur in pairs, and these two forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction." Newton's three laws of motion! I couldn't find a poster frame online for a price I deemed acceptable, and would have had to give my left arm as payment to have one made (expensive!), so I had the poster matted (about $13) and then hot glued the matting to a piece of cardboard, and made a faux frame of ribbon to hang it on the wall. I'm pretty proud of the result. It's hanging just over the crib, and it's the perfect addition to our sweet girl's room. I sure hope she likes elephants!
We went to a childbirth class tonight and in addition to me being more freaked out than ever and Jim being as wonderfully calm as usual, we got to watch a video that showed the stages of labor (including two births), got a briefing from one of the OB nurses who gave us a lot of great, in depth information, and took a tour of the Labor and Delivery ward (or, as they call it here, Family Care Unit). Several people in the class were interested in a two-part breathing class, as well, and since all but two of the seven women in our class are full-term and one is 40 weeks and one is 39 weeks, the nurse scheduled the first part of the breathing class for Sunday, and the second for a week later. So off we venture further into the world of learning about labor. I'm so thankful to have calm, low-stress Jim by my side. It's going to be great to have him there with me to help me calm down and be my coach and cheerleader, even with the epidural.
Hope you're all happy and well. I'll post more after our first breathing class. Soon enough we'll be posting pictures of our sweet little girl on this blog!
(By request from my good friend Michelle, I'm wearing the shirt that makes my belly look "awesome." Thanks, Michelle!)
Well, Baby Girl Geekling is now officially full-term and could come at any time. Yikes! We went to the doctor Thursday and everything looks good. I'm not making any progress toward labor yet, but the baby's head is down and she's in the right position for delivery. The doctor estimated that she was about 6-6.5 lbs right now, which should be right on target for my goal of 8 lbs or less on the due date. Hopefully she doesn't get a whole lot bigger, but since my genes are more dominant in that area and I only weighed just over 7 lbs, I'm fairly confident that she won't be too big for me to handle (besides, I'm going to be on drugs that partially numb the part of my body that would care how big she is, so I won't care until afterward anyway). According to the Internet, Baby Girl is right below the average weight-wise (the Internet says most babies are about 6.8-7 lbs this week), and should be about 19.5-20 inches long now, or about the length of a leek.
This week:
-Her organs have matured and are ready to function outside the womb
-She's continuing to shed her vernix and lanugo
-She's also producing surfactant, a substance that will prevent the air sacs in her lungs from sticking to one another when she starts to breathe
-She has a firm grasp now, and we can't wait to test it when we get to hold her hands
-She's been moving around like crazy and kicking harder than ever
-Her little feet seem to like to be up under my ribs. Usually I can handle it because I can recline back a little bit to give her more room, but when I'm sitting up straight, like in the car, it's not fun.
As for me:
-I've continued having a lot of nausea, but not nearly as much "active" nausea this past week (knock on wood)
-This kid seems to be balancing right on my bladder, which seems to have gotten a lot smaller these days
-I've been having contractions, especially after my doctor's appointment yesterday, which is good, but they are frequent or strong enough to start counting. Up until now I've only had mild Braxton Hicks contractions, though, and I can definitely tell the difference as they get to be more like real contractions, so it's good that they are starting out so slowly (although I am well aware that they get very painful and hard to handle).
I've been working hard on the nursery, and it is mostly complete. We have some generous friends and family who have given us so much (check out the thank you page)! We just have to finish sanding and finishing the cradle from my childhood, and we're waiting on a few last touches to come in the mail, and then we'll be ready. But everything is complete enough now for us to bring her home if she decides to come. My bag is packed and in the entryway ready to go (with some last-minute additions required), and tomorrow I'm going to put the car seat in the car, so we'll really be ready. This is my favorite new addition to the nursery:
The picture of it is a little blurry, but you get the gist: the elephant is trying to push the boulder. We bought it from Nerdy Baby and it's a perfect combination of Jim's and my personalities. Above the elephant it says "Force = Mass x Acceleration" then around the boulder it says "Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight forward except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force" and under the elephant, on the ground it says "All forces occur in pairs, and these two forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction." Newton's three laws of motion! I couldn't find a poster frame online for a price I deemed acceptable, and would have had to give my left arm as payment to have one made (expensive!), so I had the poster matted (about $13) and then hot glued the matting to a piece of cardboard, and made a faux frame of ribbon to hang it on the wall. I'm pretty proud of the result. It's hanging just over the crib, and it's the perfect addition to our sweet girl's room. I sure hope she likes elephants!
We went to a childbirth class tonight and in addition to me being more freaked out than ever and Jim being as wonderfully calm as usual, we got to watch a video that showed the stages of labor (including two births), got a briefing from one of the OB nurses who gave us a lot of great, in depth information, and took a tour of the Labor and Delivery ward (or, as they call it here, Family Care Unit). Several people in the class were interested in a two-part breathing class, as well, and since all but two of the seven women in our class are full-term and one is 40 weeks and one is 39 weeks, the nurse scheduled the first part of the breathing class for Sunday, and the second for a week later. So off we venture further into the world of learning about labor. I'm so thankful to have calm, low-stress Jim by my side. It's going to be great to have him there with me to help me calm down and be my coach and cheerleader, even with the epidural.
Hope you're all happy and well. I'll post more after our first breathing class. Soon enough we'll be posting pictures of our sweet little girl on this blog!
domingo, 8 de noviembre de 2009
Date Night
Last night we traveled to Central Tokyo for a dinner date at the New Sanno Hotel. About 4-5 times a year they have a special dinner called the Escoffier Dinner and we went in September and loved it. Last night was no different. It was our last fancy date night before the baby gets here. Of course between now and her arrival there will be lots of dates to McDonald's and Taco Bell and Chili's, but this was our last fancy night out together for awhile, and the last one where we don't have to worry about paying for a babysitter!
And yes, I do realize wearing that high of a heel was probably not the smartest idea, and my feet definitely paid the price later (although Jim was sweet enough to give me a foot massage). But look at how cute those boots are! :) I just couldn't resist. I haven't worn heels in about 6 months!
And yes, I do realize wearing that high of a heel was probably not the smartest idea, and my feet definitely paid the price later (although Jim was sweet enough to give me a foot massage). But look at how cute those boots are! :) I just couldn't resist. I haven't worn heels in about 6 months!
viernes, 6 de noviembre de 2009
37!!!
36 WEEKS PREGNANT - 37TH WEEK OF DEVELOPMENT
This post is going up a bit early this week, but I don't think anyone will mind. :)
This week the baby will be full term! Yay! That means that anytime she comes now will be safe for her lungs (and the rest of her). She should be approximately 6 1/3-6 1/2 pounds and about 19 inches long, or the length of a Swiss chard.
This week:
-Baby Girl Geekling will continue to pack on about 1/2 a pound a week in preparation for her arrival
-She's still in practice mode, getting ready for life outside the womb: sucking her thumb, blinking, turning from side to side and inhaling and exhaling her amniotic fluid
-I still think she's head down, because of the pressure on my bladder and lower back, and because of the way she kicks me, but I can't know for sure
As for me:
-Of course I'm still experiencing a lot of nausea and heartburn - there's no hope of either of those letting up at this point
-We'll get to see next Thursday (12 Nov) how I'm progressing and if I'm in pre-labor or not
-I've been having a lot of what I hope are Braxton Hicks contractions. The doctor told me not to worry unless I'm having more than 5 per hour, and last night I was having a lot of them, but not so many I needed to worry.
-I've also been having a lot of very sharp, downward pains, which I understand are normal, but are really painful!
-We've been in preparation mode, but I don't want to do any solid preparing until after my appointment next week, since I have no idea where I am at this point. We decided our mode of information distribution and I bought a calling card we can use from the hospital, and I've been gathering stuff to pack for the hospital, but we haven't officially packed "the bag" yet. We'll probably put the carseat in the car next weekend, after the appointment and I'm officially full-term.
We have our last official weekend away before the baby comes this weekend. We're going to the DOD hotel in Central Tokyo for another fancy Escoffier dinner. I'm really excited; I know this will be our last chance to go to Tokyo sans kid for awhile, and that even when we take her, this is our last time to go without the extra baggage and the expense of in-hotel babysitting.
We are so excited to meet our little girl and can hardly believe it's so close!
This post is going up a bit early this week, but I don't think anyone will mind. :)
This week the baby will be full term! Yay! That means that anytime she comes now will be safe for her lungs (and the rest of her). She should be approximately 6 1/3-6 1/2 pounds and about 19 inches long, or the length of a Swiss chard.
This week:
-Baby Girl Geekling will continue to pack on about 1/2 a pound a week in preparation for her arrival
-She's still in practice mode, getting ready for life outside the womb: sucking her thumb, blinking, turning from side to side and inhaling and exhaling her amniotic fluid
-I still think she's head down, because of the pressure on my bladder and lower back, and because of the way she kicks me, but I can't know for sure
As for me:
-Of course I'm still experiencing a lot of nausea and heartburn - there's no hope of either of those letting up at this point
-We'll get to see next Thursday (12 Nov) how I'm progressing and if I'm in pre-labor or not
-I've been having a lot of what I hope are Braxton Hicks contractions. The doctor told me not to worry unless I'm having more than 5 per hour, and last night I was having a lot of them, but not so many I needed to worry.
-I've also been having a lot of very sharp, downward pains, which I understand are normal, but are really painful!
-We've been in preparation mode, but I don't want to do any solid preparing until after my appointment next week, since I have no idea where I am at this point. We decided our mode of information distribution and I bought a calling card we can use from the hospital, and I've been gathering stuff to pack for the hospital, but we haven't officially packed "the bag" yet. We'll probably put the carseat in the car next weekend, after the appointment and I'm officially full-term.
We have our last official weekend away before the baby comes this weekend. We're going to the DOD hotel in Central Tokyo for another fancy Escoffier dinner. I'm really excited; I know this will be our last chance to go to Tokyo sans kid for awhile, and that even when we take her, this is our last time to go without the extra baggage and the expense of in-hotel babysitting.
We are so excited to meet our little girl and can hardly believe it's so close!
lunes, 2 de noviembre de 2009
Baby's First Halloween
Baby Girl and I went to a Halloween party on Saturday night at the home of some great friends, Kevin, Michelle and Brookston.
Kevin was corn, Michelle was candy, and Brookston was candy corn. Get it? :)
I decided to dress as a baseball field, in green and brown, and Baby Girl was a baseball.
We had a great time, and there was lots of yummy, yummy food! Thanks to the B family for hosting a great party!
Kevin was corn, Michelle was candy, and Brookston was candy corn. Get it? :)
I decided to dress as a baseball field, in green and brown, and Baby Girl was a baseball.
We had a great time, and there was lots of yummy, yummy food! Thanks to the B family for hosting a great party!
Suscribirse a:
Entradas (Atom)