The Birth...

Here's a little recap of the moments leading up to the arrival of Ethan...

Thursday, October 20th (my official due date)

3 PM: Had my 40th week appointment. We discussed induction options and decided that if he didn't come on his own, we would induce the following Tuesday.

6 PM: Mike and I decided to go walk around at the mall. I had felt a few contractions at this point but was unsure they were contractions. From what everyone's said so far, I'm supposed to know when I was having contractions. Since I didn't know, I decided that they couldn't really be contractions. In any case, I mentioned it to Mike and he decided that we should time the contractions.

8 PM: By this point we were finishing up our meal at Cheesecake Factory and my contractions were coming between 45-60 minutes apart. At this point, I was pretty certain that they were probably contractions. I was told by the doctor that you could not do anything during a contraction because the pain would be too much. I was still able to walk and talk, which was why I wasn't 100% convinced.

10 PM: The contractions were getting stronger, lasting longer, but still coming at about 45-60 minutes apart. I decided that I needed to get some rest since that's what I've been reading in the books. Mike was already asleep at this point.

12 AM: Not sure how long I slept for (felt like 10 minutes), but I was woken up by my contractions. They were now coming every 10 minutes and were mildly painful. I decided I wouldn't be able to sleep since they were coming every 10 minutes and tried to find something to watch on TV while flipping through the pages of What to Expect When Expecting. I felt like I still needed to read up on the labor process.

3 AM: Contractions are coming much stronger now. I tried taking a warm bath to distract from the pain (something I read in What to Expect and seen in documentaries). I can't say that it helped. The contractions were coming between 7-8 minutes now.

6 AM: I woke Mike up so that he could drop off our dog to out favorite dog sitter (thank you to the Espiritu family). Contractions were teetering between 5-8 minutes. I finished packing my bags, made myself something to eat, and watched TV to try to distract myself from the contractions. Watching TV did not help. The contractions were pretty painful at this point, and I had to concentrate to get through each one.

8 AM: Mike came home...but he had to get on a quick call for work. It wasn't as quick as I had imagined. While he was on the phone I packed the car and we were finally headed for the hospital around 9.

9:15 AM: Checked into the hospital. I was really glad that we did the hospital tour at this point.

9:30 AM: The nurse and the doctor came in to examine me. I was 3 cm dilated at this point.

11 AM: Another examination...still 3 cm dilated. The doctor decided to break my water to help speed up the process. I was also told that I wouldn't be able to get an epidural between 12-1 since the doctor had a scheduled c-section at that time. I decided that I could wait it out until after 1 PM.

12:01 PM: Must be something psychological but it was at this time that I decided that I really needed an epidural. The pain seemed to get a lot worse once noon hit.

2 PM: Apparently the surgery ran a little long and I ended up having to wait until 2 to get my epidural. I've seen videos of the epidural and seen how painful the process looks. But at this point, I figured that the pain from the epidural couldn't be much worse than my labor pains. The epidural went slower than I thought (I think it took about 30 minutes, or maybe it just seemed that way). The plus side is that it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. I was at 4 cm now.

3 PM: Ahhh...yes, the drug finally kicked in. Nap time!

5 PM: Woke up from the nap and found that I was really cold. I was so cold that I was shivering pretty badly. I later found out that I wasn't just cold, that having shakes was normal with an epidural. Another exam...labor wasn't progressing as the doctor had hoped so I got a dose of pitocin to speed up my labor.

6:30 PM: Pitocin worked...I was 6 cm dilated now. Feeling a bit nervous and in disbelief that I would be holding a baby before the night was over.

8 PM: Mike's dad arrived at the hospital but he didn't know where to go. Mike went downstairs to go meet him. While Mike was gone, I had another exam and the doctor said that I would need to start pushing in 15 minutes.

8:15 PM: The nurses and doctors came in and told me that were were ready to start pushing. We pushed through 1 contraction but the baby's heart rate was dropping quite a bit so the doctor wanted to give him a break to see if his heart rate would go back up. The doctor said if the heart rate doesn't go back up that we would need to do an emergency c-section. I was feeling pretty nervous at this point. Mike wasn't back yet and I was learning that we might need to have a c-section to get the baby out. I felt like I wasn't ready to push the baby out, but I didn't want to have a c-section either.

8:30 PM: It felt like an eternity but Mike finally came back. I was afraid that I would be giving birth by myself!

8:45 PM: I had pushed through 2-3 contractions at this point but with every push the baby's heart rate would drop to an alarming 70-80 bpm. The doctor gave us the option of getting a c-section or a vacuum assisted delivery with the next push. If the next push didn't go as planned, we would need to get a c-section. We opted for the vacuum assisted delivery.

8:59 PM: I pushed and pushed with all that I had and the doctor helped pulled out our little baby. They plopped him on my belly and told me to open my eyes (I had my eyes closed the entire time). Mike cut the umbilical cord when he was laying on top of me. They then took him away for a few minutes for a cleaning and checkup.

9:45 PM: First breastfeeding...yes, it is as painful as everyone says it is.

11 PM: Left the delivery room and got to the recovery room. I was very exhausted by this point and I couldn't wait to sleep. But Ethan was crying so the nurse asked if I wanted him to be at the nursery. They didn't have an opening at the nursery (which I thought was odd) so they put me on a waiting list. I don't even know when they took him away because I was so tired that I passed out.

The waiting game....

It has been a week now since I stopped working. And yes, it's as wonderful as I had imagined it would be. I've been doing little things here and there. Still cleaning up all of the presents we got from the baby shower, and organizing everything for the baby. Trying to put up Halloween decorations around the house. Also, I still need to order the rocking chair, but I've been intentionally holding out since it is quite a big purchase. Same with the stroller.

I have to say that I feel pretty lucky for not feeling so lousy. When people find out that I have less than a month to go in my pregnancy, I get a sympathetic "how are you feeling?" look and questions. But aside from some carpel tunnel pains in my hands when I wake in the morning, it hasn't been that bad at all. Ever since I stopped working, I haven't gotten any swelling in my legs or feet, and my back hasn't been hurting too bad. It's amazing what a little R&R can do for you!

I went for my 37th week appointment today and it doesn't look like the baby will come anytime soon. Which is fine by me, for now. It'll give me some more time to get ready and yes...more time to pick out a name for the baby.

My belly welly

A list of things I miss...

I decided to make a list of things I miss most about being not pregnant so I can remind myself for when I'm no longer pregnant...

1) Sushi...raw sushi. Somehow eating just California rolls or caterpillar rolls just isn't cutting it anymore.
2) Being able to drink...I have to admit that I don't miss drinking that much. I just miss being able to go out and have a drink with co-workers, or having a glass of wine with dinner or while reading. I also miss drinking because of the summer feel, like having a nice Mimosa with brunch, or a Margarita while dining al fresco.
3) Deli meat? While I don't really miss deli meat...I miss not being restricted. I never really cared too much about what I should or shouldn't eat, so I guess I miss not having to think about food.
4) Runny egg yolk. I actually really miss this because it reminds me of my childhood. Every morning before I go to school I used to eat egg, mixing the yolk in with the rice with Maggi soy sauce. It's so yummy.
5) Shopping...but kinda not really. Since I've gotten pregnant, I've developed an aversion to shopping. Weird, I know. But I hate walking around the malls, I think its because there's typically one maternity store in each mall. So I end up shopping at the same maternity store over and over, which gets a bit boring. I'm also easily annoyed by other shoppers. I don't miss shopping that much because I think of how much money I've actually saved. :)

I guess there's really not that many things that I miss. Either that or I can't seem to think of it. I'll have to update this post as I think of more things.

It's finally kicking in

A few days after we found out our baby would be a boy I went shopping for baby clothes. As I pick out cute little outfits, I saw an outfit that I thought would be perfect to bring the baby home in. It came complete with a matching blanket. Some how, picking out the baby's coming home clothes finally made it real...that I'm having a baby. That in 4-5 months, I'll be a mom, and I'll have a son. Its such a weird thought, and it got me a bit emotional.

An old co-worker of mine once said that it takes exactly nine months for you to be emotionally ready to be a mom. I'm starting to think she might be right.

The opposite of anorexia...

I started buying maternity clothes relatively early because 1) I figured I'd need them sooner or later so I might as well get them now, and 2) my pants were already starting to get tight at 8 weeks, mainly because I never stopped being hungry. I first started with the belly band, which lasted for about 2-3 weeks. By week 12 I was wearing only maternity pants. After a few trips to Pea in a Pod and Motherhood, I figured out that I was a size XS (gone are the days of numbered sizes).

Today, after another expensive trip to Pea in a Pod, I thought that I'd try my old non-maternity work pants on. It wouldn't fit over my thighs. GASP! I quickly pulled it down because I didn't want to dwell over it too long. I then figured out that shopping in maternity stores made me think I only gained belly weight, but in reality, I've gained weight everywhere else as well.

Everything started to make sense now. When I would shop at regular clothing stores for tops, I would still grab my usual extra small or small, only to find that it wouldn't fit. Instead of thinking that I've grown out of my usual size, I thought "oh, it must run small." Now I know better.

And the baby is a...

(I love this card, by the way).

Amazing how most people who voted on Tummy Flutters got it right by more than 50%. Mike and I will be welcoming a baby boy to our home this October. Mike had originally thought it would be a boy since I didn't go through any morning sickness. From his experience, he's found this to be pretty accurate. I'm a bit curious to see how accurate it really is...so please share with me, fellow moms to be or current moms, did you have any morning sickness and did you end up with a boy or a girl?

Growing belly

Watching a growing belly is a bit faster than watching grass grow, but even then, its still hard to notice when you see your belly everyday. Even though it seems odd, I actually like it when someone comments on how big I'm getting. As long as they're referring to my belly and not my butt. Since I've done a pretty bad job at taking pictures of my bump, I've discovered there are other ways to notice my growing belly.

Bathroom stalls: The bathroom stalls at work are pretty snug. And lately, I've been hitting my belly with the stall door every time I'm trying to come out of the bathroom.

Bathroom sinks: I find that I have to reach just a tad further for the faucet nowadays. Not a problem when I wash my hands...but I need a little reminder when brushing my teeth.

This post makes me realize just how much time I'm spending in bathrooms these days...

Belly status...18 weeks

This has been a pretty exciting week for me, pregnancy-wise. On the drive back to San Diego from Disneyland, I felt the baby kick for the first time. It was distinct enough for me to know it was a kick, and it helped that I was sitting pretty still when it happened. Since then, I've been feeling little flutters in my belly, gentle little flutters. I must admit, it feels much better emotionally than it does physically. I've heard early baby kicks being described similar to a gurgling stomach, and I would say that's pretty accurate.

Another exciting thing that's happened this week is that strangers are starting to notice my belly. I've spent the last 2 months just feeling fat without the cute belly so I'm really excited that my belly is noticeable enough to those that don't know that I'm pregnant. At a time where you feel fat and nothing looks good on you, there's a comfort in knowing that people now realize that you look fat for a reason.

We (hopefully) will find out the sex of the baby a week from today. Last call for gender polls!

Pregnancy annoyance #2

I once read in a pregnancy book that frat boys have nothing on pregnant women when it comes to gas. I thought it was a pretty funny statement and as it turns out, it may be true.

I don't want to alarm those who see me on a daily basis to avoid me within nose distance. Don't worry, I'm not letting it loose in the office. My biggest problem with gas is that it tends to stays put, making me feel stuffy and uncomfortable.

The first phone call I had with the doctor's office was when I made my initial appointment after I found out I was pregnant. The nurse asked me how I was feeling and I told her that I felt a lot of pressure in my lower abdomen. I was a bit concerned because it wasn't painful like cramps, just constant pressure. The nurse replied with, "Oh, not to worry. Just take some Tums." Ever since then, the bottle of wine that's resided on my bedside table has now been replaced with a bottle of Tums. Oh, the joys of pregnancy.

I'll look so sexy in this...

Whenever the weather starts to get nice, all the stores bring out cute swimwear. As if to remind us, "Hey, you still have a couple of weeks to get in shape before summer really starts." But for me, I keep thinking how in a few weeks I'll be bigger and bigger...so maybe I should think about buying a size up.

As if shopping for swimwear for women isn't hard enough as it is, try throwing a belly into the mix. Most women have a certain body part that they prefer to show than others. For some, its the top half, maybe the bottom half, or even the mid-section. You are sure to find a magazine with an article on "Finding the right swimsuit for your body type." Right now, my most flatter body part are my fingers. And pretty soon, those will be swollen too.

I wanted to swing by Target real quick after work to pick up a card for a wedding. But, I should know that there's no such thing as a quick trip to Target, especially if I go there alone. I got sucked into the swimwear section, and was excited to find that they had maternity swimwear, and for a decent price. I picked so many swimsuits that were cute on the hanger, but it turned out to be hideous on me. After a few failed attempts, I realized that the only swimwear I'd look good in right now, is the one shown above.

I'll have a virgin...

I never understood why people get virgin drinks. I mean, the whole point of drinking is for the alcohol. The concept of a virgin drink to me is much like getting a veggie burger. Although on that note, I must give props to decaf coffee since it has done a pretty decent job at keeping the coffee flavor without having all of the coffee ingredients. Other than that, nothing's going to be as good as it should be because you're trying to make it be something its clearly not.

I ordered a virgin margarita today and I think I'm more disappointed than if I hadn't gotten the drink at all. We were having lunch al fresco at Casa de Guadalajara, with mariachi band and Mexican dancers. The weather was great and I couldn't help but think of how great a margarita would be right now because of the great atmosphere. So Mike, being the supportive husband that he is, suggested I order one...virgin, of course.

The drink came and I took a big eager sip, only to be disappointed. I can only describe as being pretty good...except it was missing something - like tequila. So until virgin drinks catch up to decaf, I'll order drinks that are made just as they were intended to be made.

Belly status...15 weeks (aka almost 4 months)!

I remember waaaay back when I used to not be pregnant, I always got annoyed by pregnant people referring to their pregnancy in weeks. And equally annoyed by moms who refer to their baby's age in months (when they're over a year old). I think to myself, you just made me do extra work by having me divide by 4 or 12. Now, I find myself talking in weeks, and even half weeks sometimes. I think its because I'm so excited with each passing day, and each week is like a milestone. So, I apologize in advance...

I am now 15 weeks and things are feeling normal again. Either that or maybe I'm getting used to this whole being pregnant thing. My eating habits are a bit better...I'm not eating as much or getting as hungry. My belly is starting to get bigger and bigger, looking more like a baby belly than a burrito belly.

I know it shouldn't be a shocker...but having a baby is EXPENSIVE. Apparently, having a PPO insurance (what we perceived to be "the best"), is hurting our pocketbook. We received a letter saying that the insurance will cover up to 85% of the charges, and that the delivery fee alone will be about $2,000 out of pocket. After talking to other parents, it seems like HMO was the way to go since some forked out as little as $150 for the delivery. On top of that, I wish we had put more than just $500 towards our flexible spending account.

For those of you fortunate enough to find out that you're pregnant during open enrollment, do your research and choose wisely since luck is on your side.

Did I say that?

All through life, we learn about things we shouldn't say or things we shouldn't bring up. Men learn not to say yes when a woman asks him if she looks fat. And men also learn not to ask a woman her weight or her age. But it seems like many women have skipped this lesson that men have learned all too well.

I think most women like to think that they are not the typical "woman" that the men make them out to be. So over the years, the women in our lives have told us things we needed to hear. Like, the guy you've been dating is a jerk, or, that dress doesn't flatter your hips. And through the years, we've taken the candor from our female friends and family with pride. Almost as evidence of how good of a friend that person really is. And of how so not "woman" you really are when you can take it as it was intended - constructive criticism.

This entry is meant to educate the female population. If your friend (or in my case, your daughter) is pregnant, abstain from making harsh (albeit truthful) comments. At the very least, just do it for 9 months. Yes, the scale has shown me that I have gained 10 pounds. I don't really need you to verify that it looks that way as well.

I saw my mom over the weekend and she kept on saying that I've gained a lot of weight. How the doctor's going to tell me to lose weight because I've gained so much weight. So I, as any normal pregnant woman would, burst into tears. She proceeded to apologize, then turned to Mike and said "Oh, she's a little emotional?" Thanks mom. Try to remember that you were pregnant once too.

In her defense, she called a couple of days later just to make sure I was feeling better. She had felt bad that she hurt my feelings. Then she ended the phone call with, "OK, don't be so moody. It's not good for the baby."

Jane or John?

The second I found out that I was pregnant, I wondered if the baby will be a boy or a girl. I knew that I wouldn't find out for a few months. In a way, I think not finding out right away is a good thing. It keeps me from running out and buying everything that I see the second I find out I'm pregnant.

Now that I'm reaching 14 weeks, Mike and I are both itching to find out the sex of the baby. We've done some research and it looks like you can find out the sex of the baby with a 4D sonogram at 14 weeks. Mike decided that we should try to schedule an appointment for next week, I think mainly because he's getting annoyed at the fact that I shout out random boy and girl names whenever they pop into my head. He must think that if we know the sex, the name suggestion will be cut in half. He would, of course, be wrong.

Baby or burrito?

A while ago, I heard a funny segment on a morning show. It was about potential celebrity baby bumps, and who was actually pregnant...or if they just happened to eat a lot that day. Hence, baby or burrito. Well, I've reached a time in my pregnancy now where I look at my belly and can't help but think that it looks like a burrito in my tummy.

Trying to find something to wear hasn't exactly been a fun experience either, since I'm too small for most maternity clothes and I've grown to large for regular clothes. I wore the belly band over my pants for a few weeks and it has worked well. But since my first trimester weight gain has already reached 10 lbs (more or less, I can't accurately say since I'm not in the habit of weighing myself), I've had to wear the zipper lower and lower. That was when I decided to walk into a maternity store for some pants without zippers.

I never thought I'd say this, but I wish my tummy would get bigger soon. Otherwise, my only solution right now is to wear stretchy knit tops and proudly display my burrito bump.

Baby's first picture

My first doctor appointment was on March 25th. Usually, the appointment is scheduled for the 8th week, but since the doctor I wanted to see wasn't available until the following week, and the date that I gave the receptionist on the initial call was about a week off, I was already on my 10th week at the first ultrasound. I know everyone says how amazing seeing the baby for the first time is, but all I can think of is acting like Rachel from Friends when she got her first ultrasound.

To my surprise, as soon as the ultrasound technician put the little wand over my belly, I was able to make out the head, the little arms, and the little legs. It was pretty amazing. All the time I spent questioning whether or not I was really pregnant went out the window. The days before the doctor's appointment I was half getting myself ready for the doctor telling me that the pregnancy was just all in my head, that I wasn't really pregnant. You know, kinda like Mr. Schuester's wife on Glee.

One thing that I learned during the first sonogram was that the sonogram isn't only done from the outside. Apparently, since the baby is so small at this point, they have a wand that goes up your lady parts to get a closer look at the baby. So don't be surprised when they ask you to strip down at your first appointment!

Am I really pregnant?

When I called to make my first doctor's appointment the receptionist did nothing to try to confirm my pregnancy. All she did was ask me if I took a home pregnancy test. She just took my word for it and asked me when the first day of my last menstrual cycle was. I proceeded to tell her some random day (which turns out to be a week later than what it actually was), and she said I should come in on March 25th.

The time between finding out that I was pregnant and going to my first doctor's appointment was about three weeks. During that time, I kept questioning, "am I really pregnant?" I think it must be because you don't feel all that different...aside from all those pregnancy symptoms, most of which can be accounted for by really bad PMS.

I remember going to a sushi restaurant a few days after my pregnancy test. I was trying to convince Mike that I could eat sushi because I'm not that pregnant. But he made me order a california roll.***

***Side note, here's an interesting conversation that happened while writing this blog:

• me: do you think california roll should be capitalized?


• me: like California roll


• friend: huh


• friend: capitalized


• me: because we capitalize California because its a persom place or thing


• me: but california roll is just food


• me: like we don't capitalize Hamburger


• friend: capitalize California


• me: even though its from Hamburg


• friend: i dont understand


• friend: you ok over there


• me: yea


• me: oh, like caeser salad you don't capitalize Caesar even though he's a person


• friend: what


• me: you're funny


• friend: who is this


• me: itsa me, mario!


• friend: you may have a hormone imbalance or something because of the baby


• friend: you are not making sense


• me: ooh! maybe you thought i meant capitalize like capitalize or expense


• me: i meant capitalize like upper case or lower case!


• me: mystery solved!


• friend: ...

Pregnancy annoyance #1

One of the most irritating things so far about being pregnant is waking up in the middle of the night to go pee. It started for me at about week 8, gradually starting with once per night and maxing out at three times a night. The worse part is that many times, I can't go back to sleep. I think it must be nature's way of preparing mothers to wake up in the middle of the night to care for their baby, and be able to go back to sleep soon after. For me, I would wake up at 3 am and not be able to fall asleep until 5 or 6, then feeling miserable when I had to wake up to go to work. I'd turn on the TV in hopes that it would help, but I find that it just keeps me up.

I've gotten better at falling back asleep since I get to practice at least once each night. My little trick is to make sure I don't open my eyes fully. Which means I can pretty much walk from my bed to the toilet blindfolded now. And, I concentrate on not thinking about anything...otherwise my mind runs wild and I'm awake for another 2 hours.

The urge to go in the middle of the night has tapered off towards the end of week 11. Where, if I remember to go pee right before I go to bed (typically around 11:30-12), it won't be until 6:30-7:30 before I get woken up by my bladder. I'm not sure if my body has gotten used to it, or if pregnancy is giving me a bit of a break. But I hear it gets worse as the little one grows.

An introduction

I found out I was pregnant before the pregnancy test. I had noticed that my breasts were extremely sore, I experienced moderate cramping (which is very unusual for me), I was super tired all the time, and cranky. I was feeling so bad that I couldn't wait for my period to come. A couple of weeks went by and I was still experiencing the symptoms and Mike mentioned, "Hey, maybe you're pregnant."

Of course my initial reaction was, I can't possibly be pregnant...can I? I started counting back the weeks of my last period and I was already a week and a half late. I had decided to go get a pregnancy test that night, but deep inside I had already known I was pregnant.

Mike and I went to CVS and I grabbed a two pack of the pregnancy test. I took one as soon as I got home, but it came out blank. I took the second pregnancy test, and all of the lines (even the control line) was very faint, but I can vaguely see the pregnant line. I was already convinced that I was pregnant, but Mike insisted we get another test just to be sure. Tired, I said I would grab another one tomorrow.

Two days later, we got another two pack, this time a digital pregnancy test. Although I had already expected it, there's a weird feeling you get from looking at a pregnancy test that says "Pregnant."