Chandler and Parker

Welcome little Parker…

Parker Oliva

13 February 2010

7:28am

6lbs 15oz

19.5″

Very depressed to tell you that there has been no change in my labor progress…

And my to do list is almost done (just in time)…

1. Put up the crib - the same one that I used for Chandler and Taylor - Now waiting to have carpets cleaned
2. Evaluate whether the bedding or mattress needs to be replaced - I bought all the fabrics to create her crib bedding including little blankets and things.  I have been working on sketches now.  Start sewing next week???
3. Move the changing table out of my office and empty it out - it is currently serving as a tv stand and office organizer
4. Purchase a stroller and carseat
5. Pack for the hospital - I just have a list of things for the cooler that needs to be packed when we leave 
6. Buy all those fun, but unmentionable, things that we girls have to buy to care for ourselves after giving birth
7. Do about 20 loads of baby laundry
8. Buy diapers, wipers and all the baby things needed for the baby changing station - just need a countoured changing pad and covers
9. Buy all the bath things 
10. Register at the hospital
11. Finish my Birth Plan
12. Buy a baby swing and bouncy seat - found a seat but the swing is elusive.  I pick one that I like and then read the reviews and find myself at square one again!
13. Pick up my bassinet from my brother and his wife
14. Buy a baby monitor 
15. Convince hubby of Bebe’s name
16. Register for baby things  
17. Find a diaper bag - I think I found one that I like and as a back up, my brother’s wife is also bringing a diaper bag that she is not using
18. Convince Jason that we do not need a guest bedroom, a nursey is more practical 
19. Draw up a design for the closet in the GB/Nursery, build it and install it (ha ha!!)
20. Have carpets steam cleaned
21. Find some fabulous Thank You cards and start filling them out
22. Research “First Announcements”, a baby announcement sight that jazzes up your initial texts/call/emails and sends them out for you

Another exam today and still no change.  Doc wants to see me again on Thursday.

I have gained almost 9 pounds now.  Super bummed that she is not here yet.    

~Blondie

So this past weekend I barely even got out of bed.  I was exhausted, crampy and irritable.  I took advantaage of the fact that Jason was home, the girls had no where to go and laid in bed all weekend (Go Saints!).  Then Monday I had to go to the doctor again and run errands and do the whole “I’m a personal driver” thing for Chandler, schlepping her to a better school in a neighboring city.  And then picking her up…  Thank goodness that I was feeling less tired.  Then this morning I woke up with a crazy jolt of energy!  Seriously, I was thinking about doing a 5k this morning.   So I went to the market, did 4 loads of laundry, cleaned the house and rearranged my office.  Oh and I did some really lame self portraits that I will post a link to after I upload and edit them.   I should be working on my Daring Bakers Challenge that is due tomorrow, but I don’t really feel like it.  I’d rather paint my nails and scrub the floors… in that order (counter-productive, I know).

And my to do list is almost done (just in time)…

1. Put up the crib - the same one that I used for Chandler and Taylor - Now waiting to have carpets cleaned
2. Evaluate whether the bedding or mattress needs to be replaced - I want to make her all new bedding - I found fabric to match the baskets I bought last week… when does that ever happen???
3. Move the changing table out of my office and empty it out - it is currently serving as a tv stand and office organizer
4. Purchase a stroller and carseat
5. Pack for the hospital - I just have a list of things for the cooler that needs to be packed when we leave 
6. Buy all those fun, but unmentionable, things that we girls have to buy to care for ourselves after giving birth
7. Do about 20 loads of baby laundry
8. Buy diapers, wipers and all the baby things needed for the baby changing station, including a countoured changing pad and covers
9. Buy all the bath things  I have purchased the bath accoutrements and a friend offered up her baby bath recliner
10. Register at the hospital
11. Finish my Birth Plan
12. Buy a baby swing and bouncy seat - found a seat but the swing is elusive.  I pick one that I like and then read the reviews and find myself at square one again!
13. Pick up my bassinet from my brother and his wife
14. Buy a baby monitor  a friend offered up her new monitor that they are not using 
15. Pick a name or shall I say “convince hubby of Bebe’s name” *** Closer on this one!!  Yeah!
16. Register for baby things - did this at Babies R Us and Target 
17. Find a diaper bag - I think I found one that I like and as a back up, my brother’s wife is also bringing a diaper bag that she is not using
18. Convince Jason that we do not need a guest bedroom, a nursey is more practical  For the record, I don’t think that a guest bedroom/nursery is practical at all, and I don’t see it lasting more than 6 months or so, but I rearranged the furniture (again) and things are much better in there.
19. Draw up a design for the closet in the GB/Nursery, build it and install it (ha ha!!)
20. Have carpets steam cleaned

So I had another exam yesterday (great fun!!)…  and I have progressed to 80% effaced (you deliver at 100%) but still holding at 3 cm!  Holy smokes!  How does one progress through labor with no contractions?  She is about half way through the birth canal and I am one sneeze away from holding a slippery little newborn.  I mean, it’s funny and all but it is also really concerning me because I have rapid delivery (Taylor was born in a mere 4 minutes).  I kinda need a contraction or two to let me know when to leave for the hospital, which is 35 minutes away, conservatively.

I have gained 7 pounds now and I measured my waist (or what was my waist) and at 38 inches today.  It really helps that I am 5′9″ tall and have a long torso.  

But the funniest thing, the thing I want to leave you with is this…  I will be 37 weeks on Thursday, and the doctor has encouraged me to “hold it” for another 8 days…   

Um, how do you do that?  Really.  If you know, please feel free to leave a comment.

~Blondie

So much to tell you with this new update.  A bit behind, I know, but so much has happened!  I thought for sure I was going to have pics of the new girl up already!

But first the to do list…

1. Put up the crib - the same one that I used for Chandler and Taylor - Now waiting to have carpets cleaned
2. Evaluate whether the bedding or mattress needs to be replaced - I want to make her all new bedding
3. Move the changing table out of my office and empty it out - it is currently serving as a tv stand and office organizer
4. Purchase a stroller and carseat
5. Pack for the hospital - I just have a list of things for the cooler that needs to be packed when we leave 
6. Buy all those fun, but unmentionable, things that we girls have to buy to care for ourselves after giving birth
7. Do about 20 loads of baby laundry
8. Buy diapers, wipers and all the baby things needed for the baby changing station, including a countoured changing pad and covers
9. Buy all the bath things  I have purchased the bath accoutrements and a friend offered up her baby bath recliner
10. Register at the hospital
11. Finish my Birth Plan
12. Buy a baby swing and bouncy seat - found a seat but the swing is elusive.  I pick one that I like and then read the reviews and find myself at square one again!
13. Pick up my bassinet from my brother and his wife
14. Buy a baby monitor  a friend offered up her new monitor that they are not using 
15. Pick a name or shall I say “convince hubby of Bebe’s name” *** Closer on this one!!  Yeah!
16. Register for baby things - did this at Babies R Us and Target 
17. Find a diaper bag - I think I found one that I like and as a back up, my brother’s wife is also bringing a diaper bag that she is not using
18. Convince Jason that we do not need a guest bedroom, a nursey is more practical
19. Draw up a design for the closet in the GB/Nursery, build it and install it (ha ha!!)
20. Have carpets steam cleaned

So the nursery/guest room is coming along very nicely.  I added have carpets cleaned to the list, because it has been a while and I think they really need it.  I had wanted to put off spending more $ on this carpet because I really want to put in wood floors.  By the time I have all the carpets in the house cleaned (3 rooms) I can pay for most of the materials to install the flooring in one room.  Jason and I installed wood in the office/gym last year and it really wasn’t all that difficult, if your up to doing about 1000 squats a day, and you have some basic tools.  So it’s a toss up. 

But I did just recently find a really cute lamp and some baskets with liners for all her little things.  It is really becoming a room that I want to spend alot of time in.  And I know that once the crib goes up it will be impossible to stay out of there.  In a perfect world, I would have made all new bedding in that room, a coverlet and big pillows for the queen bed that is sitting daybed style and coordinated bedding for the crib.  But life is not perfect and well…. and well nothing, it’s just not.

So as for the excitement…  I went for an ultra sound on Monday and they figure she weighs about 5lbs7oz.  It will be interesting to see how big she really is becausee 10 days earlier they thought she was 4lbs3oz.  Now they say that at this point a baby gains about a 1/2 pound a week, but 20 ounces in 10 days is alot of growing (gains?  gainning?).  So I figure conservatively she must weigh at least 5lbs, which makes her potentially the biggest little girl for us (Chandler and Taylor were 5lbs8oz and 5lbs11oz).  I spoke to them about inducing labor and they said the hospitals/insurances would not allow an elective induction, so I will have to wait for labor to progress and hope that I don’t have a home delivery!   Then came time for the exam (you know)… and I am already 50% effaced and at least 3 cm!  Yikes!  I am only 36 weeks!  I am not ready!  Don’t they read this blog?  (Haha)  Then the lovely nurse shared that she has seen 5lb babies delivered when the woman was only dialated to 8 cm (I confirmed this with a former L&D Nurse friend of mine, she actually swears that by 7cm you can deliver a 5lb baby)!  WTF!?!?  I haven’t even felt a contraction yet!!

So then all Wednesday afternoon and Thursday, contraction, contraction, contraction…  But no change.  And now nothing.

So we sit and wait.  Good thing I have that list to finish…  And I could post some pictures… Or cook something…

~Blondie

Okay it’s Baby update #2.  I have done quite a few things in the past week and thought of quite a few things that I still need to do.  Um, can anyone say “Name”?  As in Bebe’s name?  It’s actually not that I haven’t put any thought into it, I have.  But historically, naming our children has been, shall we say, challenging?

Chandler Jasmin - Born 25 November 2002, named 27 November… 

Early in my first pregnancy I had a dream one day that I was calling out “Chandler, Chandler”, when around the corner came this beautiful little girl with two little blonde braids, wearing denim overalls and a big crooked grin.  I was smitten and would not be denied my choice of name.  Although Jason took much convincing, thus she was named 2 days later, at the urging of the hospital.  Jason wanted to name her Jasmin, so we chose this as her middle name.   

We didn’t share with our family the names that we were considering because we didn’t want any outside influences - or negative comments about naming a little girl Chandler (remember, there was a rather popular American TV series at the time with a character named Chandler).  We both had agreed that we wanted an unusual name that was unsexed.  My own name is also this way (no it’s not Blondie, actually it’s Chris).  I find that it is advantagous in many ways.  We also wanted a name that would not be easily shorted but a middle name that would be the opposite, both feminine and easily shortened.  I think we were successful.  When gaming, Chandler often registers her name as Jazz. 

We were only planning on having one child, so it wasn’t really about choosing a collection of names for our brood.  But long story short, Jason decided that pregnancy, birth and raising a toddler was so easy that we would be remiss if we did not do it again.  Still smitten by my sweet Chandler, I happily agreed.

Along comes Taylor Nicole - born 23 March 2005 (on her Daddy’s birthday!)  

I really wanted to name her Peyton or Hayden or McKenzie but Jason denied all of thee above.  The name we did finally agree upon (while driving to the hospital) was Taylor, his pick really and it was his bday afterall.   The middle name I came up with was Nicole.  And while Taylor is disappointed that her sister is named after a princess (Princess Jasmine from Alladin, no I did not see that one coming), she often refers to herself as Nicki.

Needless to say, establishing this pattern of unisex first names with feminine middle names, compounded by the fact that both names end in the sound “ler”, has presented us with some additional challenges.  So now what?  Do we continue this?  Do we ignor this?  What would you do?  I actually have the perfect name in mind (I think) but again, it is a struggle with Jason.  I wonder how old she will be before she has a proper name.

So at the moment I still need to…

1. Put up the crib - the same one that I used for Chandler and Taylor
2. Evaluate whether the bedding or mattress needs to be replaced - I want to make her all new bedding
3. Move the changing table out of my office and empty it out - it is currently serving as a tv stand and office organizer
4. Purchase a stroller and carseat
5. Pack for the hospital 
6. Buy all those fun, but unmentionable, things that we girls have to buy to care for ourselves after giving birth
7. Do about 20 loads of baby laundry
8. Buy diapers, wipers and all the baby things needed for the baby changing station, including a countoured changing pad and covers
9. Buy all the bath things  I have purchased the bath accoutrements and a friend offered up her baby bath recliner
10. Register at the hospital
11. Finish my Birth Plan
12. Buy a baby swing and bouncy seat - found a seat but the swing is elusive.  I pick one that I like and then read the reviews and find myself at square one again!
13. Pick up my bassinet from my brother and his wife (this weekend they are coming to So Cal - actually to the OC and we will go meet them and pick this up)
14. Buy a baby monitor  a friend offered up her new monitor that they are not using 
15. Pick a name or shall I say “convince hubby of Bebe’s name” 
16. Register for baby things - did this at Babies R Us, but I think a trip to Target is also in order
17. Find a diaper bag - I think I found one that I like and as a back up, my brother’s wife is also bringing a diaper bag that she is not using
18. Convince Jason that we do not need a guest bedroom, a nursey is more practical
19. Draw up a design for the closet in the GB/Nursery, build it and install it (ha ha!!)

Regarding #18 - when Taylor was born we had my brother, his wife and my nephew living in what is now the office/gym and we had my MIL living in what is now the guest bedroom, so when Taylor came home we had the crib and changing table set up in the master bedroom.  We had her clothing and toys in Chandler’s room with Chandler’s things.  That worked really good because we all co-slept, Daddy and I with Chandler and Taylor (we were in a different house when Chandler was born).  Now the girls still share that room and it is packed.  In their rather large room is a dresser, two twin beds, a nightstand, two desks, two desk chairs and all their toys and playthings, they really need a playroom (I always thought we would blow a hole through the wall the separates the GB and the girls room so that it was a suite).  Anyway, there is very little room for what they have, much less stuff for a new baby, too.  So I think Bebe should have a nursery, because we have the space.  We only have guests a couple times a year (usually Jason’s mom).  And well frankly, in my experience, an empty room invites people to move in.  Which is fine if there are no other options, I am a firm believer that you take care of your family.  But I think it’s silly that a family of 5 should be confined to 2 bedrooms, when there are 4 bedrooms available.  So I contemplated putting the crib and changing table in the master (again) and just using the GB as a playroom and of course taking over the closet.  I also considered moving all the baby stuff into the office/gym, making it an office/gym/nursery.  But currently I have moved the bed in the GB under the window into a “daybed” configuration and set up the crib and changing table in there.  Let me tell you there is not alot of room.  The Queen size bed dominates the room.  I am not sure this is going to be the final location (for the bed???  for the baby things???).  I suppose a twin bed would be the obvious choice, but I am using what I have right now. 

What else?  On Wednesday (last week) I went for an ultra-sound.  They thought Bebe was about 4 lbs and she looks fantastic.  She is so active that they had a hard time getting measurements.  Her heartbeat is strong and she seems very healthy.  I have another ultra-sound scheduled for Monday the 18th and then a Doc appointment on Wednesday the 20th.  Today I had many contractions that forced me to lay down and relax so that they would go away.

My weight is still plus 6 and holding.  I had about 2 weeks were I did not throw up in my mouth every day, but now I am back to feeling ill again.

~Blondie

Okay, so a couple weeks ago I mentioned that we are expecting a new little one and I thought that for the next several weeks I would post a little update about how things are progressing… 

So Baby Update #1

Did I mention how far along I was?  I think I was a little vague, so let me just clarify that the updates will be over the next several weeks because, well… that’s all the time I have left.  Ummm, before birth that is.

I am 33+ weeks along.  Today I went in for a typical appointment and surprise!  They decided that Bebe’s heart beat was a little funky and sent me to the hospital to be monitored for a couple of hours and scheduled another ultra-sound for Wednesday morning.  The concern being that the baby may be entangled in the umbilical cord, because when she moves her heart rate slows.

At the hospital they decided that things seemed normal but I have an “irritable uterus”, their words, not mine. 

ummm…  WTF is an irritable uterus?  Well apparently it is an indicator of early labor.  Like as in within 2 weeks.  But they didn’t seem to be all that concerned about that either.  With instructions to drink more (water unfortunately) and lay on my side and rest more often, I was sent away after 2 1/2 hours.

Well let’s just say that I went straight into panic mode!  And then to the store to make some decisions about what the heck I need to purchase to be prepared for the little sweetie.

So at the moment I still need to…

1. Put up the crib - the same one that I used for Chandler and Taylor
2. Evaluate whether the bedding or mattress needs to be replaced
3. Move the changing table out of my office and empty it out - it is currently serving as a tv stand and office organizer
4. Purchase a stroller and carseat
5. Pack for the hospital
6. Buy all those fun, but unmentionable, things that we girls have to buy to care for ourselves after giving birth
7. Do about 20 loads of baby laundry
8. Buy diapers, wipers and all the baby things needed for the baby changing station, including one of those pads
9. Buy all the bath things
10. Register at the hospital
11. Finish my Birth Plan
12. Buy a baby swing or bouncy seat
13. Pick up my bassinet from my brother and his wife
14. Buy a baby monitor

I know there is a whole lot more to do but that is all I can think of right now.  I figure this week I will go to Babies R Us and look at all the stuff that I should have already purchased and then I will know how far behind I really am!  But really, I know that if I have a car seat and some diapers and things then I am ready.  All the rest is just conveniences.

Okay so the math is that I am 6 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight.  Ironic in that I think I am bigger with this baby than with the other girls.  But I am still not in maternity clothes yet.  I think I was just getting into maternity clothes with the other pregnancies about this time.  I think the way that they design clothing now makes it easier for me to continue wearing street clothes.  If it were the year of  ”high waist” pant styles I would be out of luck!

What else?  I am pushing for an induced labor, ideally the first week of February.  That would be 5 weeks from now.   *Yikes!*  Why inducing?  Well I have a history of really rapid labor and really small babies.  Like 5 pound babies that are out with one push.  Seriously.  The doctor came into my room when I was in labor with Taylor and broke my water and I warned him that I have rapid labor and he kinda laughed about it.  4 minutes later I was nursing her.  He wasn’t laughing anymore.  Chandler came so quickly (not quite 4 minutes) that the doctor barely had time to get into position and catch her.  So needless to say, I am not looking forward to the possibility of going into labor when I am not at the hospital.  And I don’t think any of my family is very excited about those prospects either.

I think that’s about all for now… 

~Blondie