OB Visit #1,273

I'm skipping over a month's worth of Braxton-Hicks contractions, a wonderful baby shower, a visit to Nashville where I had a fantastic time with some of Wesley's family, and mundane details about late pregnancy and how adorable my nursery is. Oh, and insomnia. Most of you have been able to read about these things on Facebook.

I am here to update you after my latest OB visit. Last week they put me on twice weekly visits to check fetal activity and heart rate (non-stress tests, for those interested), and fetal growth. Baby DB is measuring small so we are under a careful watch to make sure s/he is still growing and doing well. Baby DB IS doing well and all signs so far point to good health, just a tiny baby. As one of my doctor's put it, "I wouldn't wish a big baby on you." Yeah, me either!

We go for another growth ultrasound on Monday where they may or may not decide to induce me. As long as Baby DB is growing, they'll let us keep baking. I have been put on modified bedrest- bedrest where I am not confined to the bed 24/7- and ordered to drink three Boost shakes (like Ensure, but tastier) a day. I don't expect to be told they will induce next week based on the information I have gotten from the two visits so far this week.

Today's visit was positive. Baby has plenty of fluid to swim in and the non-stress test was reactive, meaning normal. I am 2cm dilated and 75% effaced with Baby DB at station 0 (think of it as the starting line of a race). My OB today said that she thinks I will go 39-40 weeks then have a quick labor based on what my body is doing. I was encouraged to hear that labor wouldn't likely be a drawn-out affair. Now if we can just get to that day!

Here is a picture of fetal stations. It's easier to show you where Baby DB is than try to describe it.

Baby Food

Wesley's mom sent my this photo of an article she wrote for the Natchez Garden Club cookbook in 1980 (Wesley's first year). I posted a link to it so you can zoom in and read the article. It would have been too small if I had placed it directly in the blog.

Thanks for sharing, Lucy. What a great piece of family history- and good article too!

Mish Mash

Wesley and I received a gift from his cousin Jessica and her husband Brandt this week. Baby DB is now the proud owner of a hand-crafted tie-dyed onesie, a staple in every kid's wardrobe, I think. Kid also got a very fuzzy teddy bear and some stacking cups. Mom got a book on introducing purees and solids to baby's diet.

The book is written very simply with small words and big pictures. I am guessing they took the sleep deprivation into account when they designed the pages. It makes it seem so easy to puree and freeze your own baby food. The book tells you when to introduce what and how to prepare it in easy steps and large batches. I didn't think I was interested in making my own baby food but now I am curious. It seems easy enough and would definitely be cheaper than buying jars of baby food.

So Moms, did you make your own baby food? How did it go? What were the benefits and drawbacks and would you do it again? Any expert tips on the matter? I think it would be fun to get together with at least one other mom of an infant and prepare batches of freezable baby food together once every two weeks. Everything is easier when it's social, right? Plus, it would provide me with some accountability if I had a mish-mash partner. Thoughts?

Up to Speed

Ups and downs
Highs and lows
That's just the way
Pregnancy goes

Things have been hopping around here lately. My mom came for a visit just over two weeks ago. It was fantastic to have family around. Especially the day she helped me deep clean the house! I can't tell you how much Wesley and I appreciated that. Mom and I did a little "touristing" as well. Her favorite part of the trip, I believe, was going to Jonas Gerard's studio, where we got to meet him and attend a live painting. He was quite a trip. Neat guy. Pretty darn good at what he does too. Wesley and I took Mom up to Mt Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi, where it was a cool 62 degrees. I think she would have stayed up there all summer if she could have! Truthfully, I would have too. It felt good to get out of the heat. Even if Asheville is cooler than Mississippi (by a long shot), it has still been too hot this summer. I'm ready for fall- for more reasons than one!

Not long after my mom left, Wesley's mom Lucy and brother William came up for a short visit. Lucy insisted we stop by her "summer home" and make sure things were running smoothly in her absence. I commiserated that it is so hard to find good help these days... We had a very nice visit and again, it was great to see family.

I am proud to report that both moms approve and, dare I say, like the nursery. Hooray! I have commissioned my favorite artist to do a painting with a peacock theme for the nursery but I hear she is quite busy lately with other (better paying- I offer hugs and gratitude) commissions and an Artist's Reception at Southern Breeze, the premier art gallery in Jackson. Go Mom!

On the other side of the coin, Wesley and I had a little adventure last Friday. In the wee hours of the morning I woke up having contractions. I'm pretty sure they had been going on for a few hours and I never quite woke up enough to realize what was happening until I groggily stacked all my pillows and crouched in a way that we learned about in birthing class. It was that realization that finally woke me up. I woke Wesley up and we timed the contractions. I laid on my side and drank water like they say to do. Then we called the doctor. He told us a couple of more things to try and said to head to the hospital to be checked out if things did not get better. We did end up going to the hospital, but not before Wesley ran around the house packing our bags for what we were concerned could be "the big stay" at the hospital. I must say, he did a darn good job. He even remembered my exercise ball (for sitting on) and a onesie for the critter.
We got to the hospital and had a fantastic nurse. She was just awesome. I ended up getting a bag of IV fluids and a drug called terbuteline. Let me tell you. Terbutaline is not fun. They gave it to me to relax the uterine muscle and stop the contractions. It did what it was supposed to do, which was great. It also sped up my heart and made it feel like it was going to pound out of my chest. I felt like crap for a couple of hours. Then it passed, the contractions had stopped and we got word that baby was doing great and not going anywhere for a while.

Since all that has happened something has changed and I have been able to eat a lot more food than I had been able to before. In fact, I ate a family sized bag of fruit loops by myself in about 24 hours earlier this week. I have also eaten healthier and more balanced meals than that but my own need to devour all that cereal and milk amazed me. I haven't eaten like that since way, way early in the first trimester before I started getting sick. Yeah food!

On Sunday Wesley and I went to Looking Glass Falls and sat on the rocks like lounging lizards. There was quite a crowd and I enjoyed people watching. We left there and went up the Parkway to Graveyard Fields in hopes of picking some blueberries and blackberries. They weren't quite ready yet but you could see the fruit beginning to bud. We sat by the stream there too. The water was refreshingly cool. We heard thunder overhead after a while and headed back to the car to wait out the storm. They often don't last long in the mountains. We had a phenomenal view of the storm rolling East over the mountains. It was simply stunning. Once we headed home we saw 3 or 4 rainbows in the valleys surrounding the Parkway. Wesley got some great photos that he has shared on Facebook. You should really check them out.

Today's agenda started with a coffee break with Jody Burnett, an old friend of ours from Hattiesburg who is now a priest outside of DC. It was great to see Jody and meet his friendly dog Charlie. They make a fine pair. Jody blessed the Bump, the first priest to do that. I think it's pretty special that baby's first blessing comes from such a good friend of Mom and Dad.

My next stop is the pool with Kelly and her kids. I am looking forward to floating in the cool water and taking a nap- if it's not too loud, which it may be. I've never been to a public pool before. I'm not sure what to expect but I imagine I'll get splashed. Bombs away!

Dear Nausea

Dear Nausea,
We have been together for over seven months now, long enough to get to know each other pretty well. After six months of being in my face all of the time, keeping me from my friends, and dominating my life, you finally got the hint and gave me a little space. But now, when we do hang out you make me twice as miserable.
I missed a fantastic meal prepared especially for me last night because of you. Your jealousy is making me sick. I just can't do this anymore. I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Delete my number. I'm unfriending you. Really, it was just a fling that got dragged out too long. All those times you embarrassed me in public- remember the parking lot screaming matches? That time at the restaurant? I'm over it. I'm a stronger woman than that and I won't tolerate it anymore. Don't beg. Just go. It's over.
Sincerely,
Eryn

Childbirth Classes

Wesley and I have attended two of six in a series of childbirth classes. We go on Tuesday nights. Our classmates are an interesting hodgepodge of people and our teacher is stellar. She is a mother of four and an obviously very experienced labor and delivery nurse. Her knowledge is extensive and she discusses things in a way that are easy for everyone to understand but not patronizing.

Our first class was basic anatomy and physiology. Wesley and I didn't get much new information out of that one but we did get a good review of when to call the MD and when to go to the hospital. It was the second class that I really enjoyed and felt like we both learned something. We discussed the stages of labor and the different aspects and needs for each. We talked about different comfort measures and what emotions and reactions we can both expect to have during the delivery.

Chalayne, our instructor, also showed us a video with real births. The video was very edited to only show these women breathing calmly and looking peaceful as they endured contractions and birth. I call BS, but whatever. I am proud (though not surprised) to say that Wesley didn't bat an eye. The guy next to him, however, turned three shades of green and slipped down in his seat a little. In fact, he got woozy at a line drawing of the vagina that Chalayne drew on the marker board. That man has a looong day ahead of him in the not-so-distant future!

Chalayne sent us home with a few worksheets to spark discussion about how each of us deals with stress and discomfort and what Wesley can do to help me through the birth. We went to our local Greek restaurant Apollo Flame and had dinner while going through the worksheets after class. It was a great discussion that I think not only helped us prepare for the birth but helped us learn more about each other. I really enjoyed our conversation and I think it helped us both feel a little more at ease in a time when we are both feeling exhausted from the challenges and stressors of this pregnancy.

I am looking forward to class tomorrow night and what we may learn from it not just about the delivery but about ourselves and our marriage. I hope that every pregnant couple out there gets the chance to attend such a useful childbirth class.

Sneak Peak

Wesley and I have spent most of today cleaning, organizing, and taking care of "honey-dos" around the house. With our progress I am finally ready to show you what the nursery is shaping up to look like. There still isn't any art on the walls and that crib skirt is a nice stack of cut fabric waiting to be sewn together, but there is still something to show for our work so far. I'm stoked with how the room is coming together.

Also, my good friend Kelly came over last week and helped me organize the plethora of baby items that I now have thanks to the folks in Mississippi. Seeing all those baby items nested in their proper places in Baby DB's nursery makes it all just a little more real.

Without further adieu, here are pictures from the nursery.



For those reading this through email, if you cannot see the slideshow, go to www.babyduffeebraun.org to view the photos on the website.

Road Trip

Wesley and I went home to Mississippi this weekend. We left Thursday evening and got back last night (Monday). Our trip began with a stop in Atlanta and dinner with a few friends who live there. It was great to see Julie and Charles, Jamie B. and Slim (his adorably fat tabby cat). We stayed the night at Jamie's house and hit the road early Friday morning, destination: Gulfport.

Friday evening we hung out with Wesley's mom and his youngest brother, Christopher, who leaves for England tomorrow. We had a great time playing Wii, eating a tasty dinner, and enjoying each others company. I never get tired of letting people feel the baby kick around and seeing their reactions. It amazes me how surprised people are when they meet Ninja-Baby. I also find it amusing when people get a little weirded out by the "alien." Christopher's reaction was equal parts astonishment, gross-out, and "That's so cool!"

Saturday morning Wesley and I drove over to New Orleans. We haven't been back since before we got married and both missed the city, it's life, music, and food. Cafe du Monde was packed so we headed up to Magazine Street and got coffee and a muffin at CC's coffee house. We then walked around a few blocks of the garden district, admiring the homes. We found a great baby boutique on Magazine and had a lot of fun checking out the toys, clothes and nursery goodies. They had a wrought iron four poster crib that was as gorgeous as it was pretentious and a robot building kit that made Wesley light up with glee.

We went back to the Quarter and walked the block around Jackson Square, admiring the art and hearing the sounds. A local Jr. High band was playing in front of St. Louis' Cathedral. It made my day to hear that Big-Brass New Orleans sound. Afterward we walked along the riverwalk back to our car. We saw the Natchez steamboat on the Mississippi River, had a sno-ball, and passed by the aquarium. We talked about how great it will be to come back to the aquarium and zoo with Baby DB one day. We also discussed- again- how if we ever move back to the South, we will live in New Orleans.

Back in Gulport by 1 o' clock for my book shower that was hosted by Wesley's mom Lucy and her friend Lori. Lucy's friends were incredibly kind and Baby DB has a great collection of books now. Fairy tale books, board books, Dr Seuss, Corduroy (one of my favorites), and sweet books for us to read together at bedtime. Not only were there great books and a bouncy seat from Grandmother Lulu, but there were cucumber sandwiches and the best cupcakes this side of the Mississippi river. Chocolate cupcake with strawberry filling, chocolate icing, and a chocolate covered strawberry on top. Oh my goodness!

After the shower we continued our trek up to Jackson where we had dinner at Keifer's with my dad and his good (best?) friend James and his wife Mary. Keifer's is a staple in Jackson and they have the best gyro I have ever eaten. Ever. As happens when dad and James are together, there was much talk about cars, motorcycles, and a little bravado. We had a great time, I just wish I could have spent more time with Dad this trip.

Sunday morning Mom and I spent time in the pool while Wesley and Mark, my step-dad, went for a bike ride at a new trail in Madison. The pool was a great relief from all the Mississippi heat and the weightlessness felt wonderful. After their bike ride the men joined us in the pool then we had burgers for lunch. Mark has become a master grill-man and the burgers were mmm good!

My aunt Michele hosted a shower for me Sunday afternoon. I was so excited to see family and old friends and really wish I could have spent more time chit-chatting with everyone. Two friends from nursing school were there and my oldest friend, Wren, came too. There were so many people dear to me there that it made me feel a little homesick for Jackson. I do miss being close to everyone but Asheville is home now.

Mom and Mark cooked us a good ol' southern meal Sunday night- something you can't get in Asheville no matter what they say. We had grilled chicken on the Green Egg that would make you slap yo' momma, crowder peas, Mom's awesome cornbread, my favorite marinated cucumbers, and creamed corn. It was a feast!

We got back home last night. The house looks like a tornado ran through it and the animals are all happy to see us. Time for life to return to normal for a little while.

*sidenote* As I read this entry for proofing, I realized I mentioned food in every paragraph. Think the kid is trying to tell me something? Off to the pantry I go...

Final Stretch

My third trimester started yesterday. Right on cue, I have started thinking about things like the birth plan, what to pack for the hospital, and "holy moly, my body is going to do What?". I'm getting really excited about meeting the little critter. I feel like I know Baby DB so well already but I still don't have a clue. It's like internet dating for nine months. I mean, I guess it is... I never did internet dating. Wesley has been stuck with me for a long time now. Anyways, back on track.

I've been having Braxton-Hicks contractions here and there. I started getting them at the beginning of the second trimester but now I have them at least once every couple of days it seems. My body is gearing up. I know I'm petite but I really have a feeling that I am going to be able to do this without induction or c-section. In spite of ME feeling crummy, my body has done a great job taking care of this kiddo so far. The baby has grown right on schedule, has all signs of good health and is very active. The hormones that make me pukey and my nose stuffy and runny 24/7 (which is maddening) are protecting Critter from possible dangers. I used to think my body was horrible at being pregnant but now I think maybe it's really, really good at it- albeit at the expense of my own comfort, but so what?

I've also started working out on a regular basis. Nothing too strenuous, mind you. I ride a stationary bike at the lowest setting for 15-30 minutes, do some time on the elliptical to build up my stamina and try to do 50 squats a day to strengthen and tone important muscles for the upcoming task. All of the cardio equipment has heart rate monitors so I can keep an eye on the ticker and make sure I don't overdo it. It feels good to exercise and I can already see the benefits in energy and mood.

Ladies, did you have a birth plan? What was most important to you? Was it honored to the best of the staff's ability? Any suggestions? And what random item should I make sure to pack in the hospital bag?

Baby Stuff

I've had several people ask me where I am registered. You can find a list of goodies for Baby DB at Babies-R-Us. You can peruse the list online via the link or go into the store if that's easier. Man, some things are just hard to say, aren't they?