Michael James has arrived

Well my little guy decided to make an appearance FIVE WEEKS EARLY. I woke up Thursday morning around 2am - my water had BROKEN. I was rolling to the other side when I felt it- and thought - NO WAY - So I waited a few minutes - rolled to the other side and yes - indeed - my water had broken. I am SO NOT PREPARED. I did not have a bag packed, I didn't have my maternity leave set up yet - I have no basinette - no car seat - and to top it all off my Work was holding my baby shower that afternoon. HOLY COW. I woke hubby up - threw some things into a bag, and off we went to make sure my water had broken. We arrived at L&D and the admitted me to the triage to have a look - well by the time they had me in a gown we were positive as my water was running down my legs....lovely. lol Doctor admitted me right away to start the pitocin as my body was not actually in labor and we wanted to avoid infection to the baby. Started pitocin around 5 am - had my epidural around 11 am - FINALLY started dialating around 4:15 - I was at about 5 cm when she checked me. HUbby and I tried to get some rest for a bit - and then the nurse came back in and asked me if I was feeling any pressure (I was indeed) so she checked me again and I was at 9 1/2 - 45 minutes later - WOW - that was FAST - She called the doctor and told me we were getting ready to start pushing. NOW I WAS NERVOUS....I had been calm the whole time, but started to have a little freak out. I wasn' too worried about the pain since my epidural was so good I could not even feel a thing. A slight tingle in my toes but that was it - WEIRD. It wasn't that good with my first born. Doctor arrived and we pushed for maybe TEN MINUTES and my giant preemie was born.

Michael James7/23/09 - 5:18 pm
6lbs. 14 oz. - 21 inches

Yes almost SEVEN POUNDS - can you imagine if I had carried him to term - holy moly. My little sweetie was placed into my arms for about five minutes before they took hom back to check him out a little better. My poor little guy is having some trouble breathing. His lungs are not quite developed, and they have placed him in the NICU to help him along until his lungs can mature. He is still in there - and we have been going back and forth to visit every day, several times a day. It is so hard to leave the hospital without your baby. I am very emotional. I wnat to hold him so badly. They have every arm and leg hooked up to IV, etc. He has a tube in his throat to give him oxygen, and a feeding tube as well, he has a tube in his belly button that they can draw blood from, he has not had any breastmilk or formula - he is on a liquid IV. My poor little guy. Now he has jaundice and has a mask over his eyes and bright lights over his bed. It is so hard to see him like this. I know how fortunate we are that he is a good size and I know he is in great hands but for it is just HARD. My four year old has not even seen his Brother and he just doesn't understand. But we don't want him to see the baby that way - I think it would really scare him.

Please keep us in your prayers - I will keep you all posted.

Family & Friends Baby Shower

My baby shower was this past weekend with my Friends & Family. My Mother-in Law, and Mother hosted it at Mimi's in Monrovia. It was REALLY nice. The flowers, tables, decorations, cake, diaper cake, everything was BEAUTIFUL. We had a lovely time other than it being SO HOT in the room....the restaurant didn't turn on the air until we got there. Ugghhhh - I wanted to pass out.

I really enjoyed spending time with my friends and Family and I made out like a bandit. I hate being the center of attention and especially when all the gifts are for me, I felt so guilty. Everyone was SO GENEROUS. Baby no-name is truly blessed to have so many people that already love him.

Here are some pictures of the big party. I am the GIANT COW in the black and white dress...lmbo

THANK YOU EVERYONE!
WE LOVE YOU

34 Weeks - Only 6 more to gooooooo...yipes

WOW - this pregnancy is going by SO FAST - yet SO SLOW at the same time. I can't believe I am 34 weeks....Only 4 more to go - I am so over it - I can't WAIT to have this baby. We still have not decided on a name though - I wsh we could find the perfect name - poor baby no-name. I am looking forward to my Showers this coming weekend and next week - that will be FUN! I will be sure to post pictures.
Have a great week.

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing:

By this week, fatigue has probably set in again, though maybe not with the same coma-like intensity of your first trimester. Your tiredness is perfectly understandable, given the physical strain you're under and the restless nights of frequent pee breaks and tossing and turning, while trying to get comfortable. Now's the time to slow down and save up your energy for labor day (and beyond). If you've been sitting or lying down for a long time, don't jump up too quickly. Blood can pool in your feet and legs, causing a temporary drop in your blood pressure when you get up that can make you feel dizzy.


If you notice itchy red bumps or welts on your belly and possibly your thighs and buttocks as well, you may have a condition called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP for short). Up to one percent of pregnant women develop PUPPP, which is harmless but can be quite uncomfortable. See your practitioner so she can make sure it's not a more serious problem, provide treatment to make you more comfortable, and refer you to a dermatologist if necessary. Also be sure to call her if you feel intense itchiness all over your body, even if you don't have a rash. It could signal a liver problem.