Yesterday our new family went on a walk through the upcountry pine forests in Olinda.
It was Luciya's first time at the "Fairy Woods" on the outside of my belly.
I think she liked it.
It was a little much for me. I am still quite sore and I get tired easily. But, as much as I am loving staying in with my little girl and just trying to relax, it felt really nice to breathe the clean air of the trees. And watch Mila finally get some much-deserved attention and playtime.
And please, look at how cute the new Papa is.
Dear Luciya,
You are a Wonder Baby.
This morning I asked you if you knew how many weeks old you are today, and you told me!
I can't believe that as of tonight you will be a week old. After so many weeks of awaiting your arrival from within my belly, your first week on Earth has flown by, and every day has been an absolute joy.
You are miraculous. I cannot get enough of you. All I want to do is devour your irresitible little cheeks all day long. I want to absolutely engulf you with kisses.
Your skin is sweeter than syrup.
You are a sweet, sweet baby. Even though you were up for TWO STRAIGHT HOURS last night, the sighs that escape your perfect mouth are music to my sleep-deprived ears.
And I don't care what the books say, you are happy and you show it. They say that if baby appears to be smiling at this stage, it is probably just gas. But look at this face. All I see is complete contentment. However...
Your farts are comparable to any adult's. Even your dad's. Your first day in the hospital, a nurse came in to check you out. She leaned over and was just about to undo your tiny diaper when you let rip such a loud poopfart that she literally jumped back from the bassinet.
That's my girl.
Look at your perfect little hands. Since you were such a late baby, your soft, soft skin is a little flaky. I cut your fingernails for the first time the other day. Nerve-wracking!! But you didn't mind a bit, and believe it or not, the whole incident was injury-free. Even Mama walked away unharmed! (We never know about Mama.)
And you are quite self-sufficient with those little hands. If mommy's breast isn't handy, you can happily satiate yourself with your right index finger. You just jam the entire thing in your mouth and go to town.
Luciya, you are truly the light of my life.
Luciya has been greeted by her two older sisters.
This is Mila.
Mila will be 2 years old in June. She is energetic, joyful, and a lot of fun.
Mila is very curious about this new little creature in the house.
She gently sniffs the bassinets and cocks her head when she hears the strange little coos and whimpers coming from this unusual being.
I think they will grow to become great friends.
This is Eryn.
Eryn will be 16 at the end of this month. She is passionate, fiery, and an artist.
Eryn lives in the Los Angeles area. She came here to Maui for her Spring Break in the hopes of getting to meet and greet her new little sister. But, as we all know, Luciya took her sweet time and came 3 days after Eryn flew back home.
The night before her return flight, Eryn and Luciya had a chance to bond. Luciya's big sister shared some special thoughts with the baby and we had a beautiful ritual in which she adorned my belly with thoughts of love.
Eryn, we are so excited for Luciya to have you as her older sister. I know she will learn a lot from you and will serve as a way to bring us all closer together.
We love you!!
Dear Luciya,
You had your first outing today.
We celebrated your arrival and said Aloha to Tutu Lainey by going out for lunch at Mama's Fish House.
You rode in the car and got to see the ocean for the first time.
Welcome to the world, baby girl!!
Thank you for all the ways you have already made me smile.
Love,
Mama
I need to add some good things about home birth: Emily is comfortable in her own home. There is less chance of infection. We can all comfort her. John is with her all the time. No bright lights, loud noises, strangers looking at her private parts, etc. The Doula and the midwife are very loving, gentle women who do this all the time. In fact, the only distraction is Tutu.
Tutu
Over 24 hours and still waiting. Emily is tough as nails and wants to chew on a few of them. I'm trying to be supportive, but it's most difficult. I know they want to do this naturally, and I support that decision. The Doula has Emily and John walking outside. I'm looking for cookies. And wine. Hell, I'll take any drugs she doesn't want.
Tutu
Emily started the first heavy contractions almost 19 hours ago. Serious, painful contractions consistently for almost 14 hours. Midwife says she's only dialated to a 3 and is just getting into real labor. (Go figure.) It will be hours more. Tutu thinks hospital might be considered. Tutu must keep quiet. Hard for Tutu to do.
Emily and John are fabulous.
It's 6:30 a.m. Cassaundra, the doula, slept beside Emily in the guest room, softly talking her through contractions. I slept there, too, hoping not to snore like a grizzly bear. John got some sleep in his bed. Midwife Tina slept on the couch. The four of us in and out of sleep as Baby progressed on mysterious, awesome journey.
I have lots of emails. Sorry the phones are turned off. We will email, call and holler when Baby peeks into the world. Emily is awesome. I am humbled.
Over 12 hours and counting. Hey Baby, come on down!
Tutu
Doula arrived around 10:30....strong contractions, close together, creative language, passionate bonding and support, music, Emily walking, sitting, lying down, standing and swaying. Now it's 12:40 and she's in shower on exercise ball....hey, you can't do that in a hospital!
Midwife on the way.
Brave, strong, beautiful Emily....no pain killers, no cuts, just tough, strong woman. Yeah Emily. John has been incredibly loving, supportive, and attentive. Doula is amazing. Me, Tutu, just kind of stands around and fetches water. Now Emily is belching like a sailor. Baby is laughing.
Strong contractions for several hours, a bit of vomit to make Mela and Tutu Lainey go nuts....John is cradeling Emily and we are all so blessed to experience this miracle. Don't ask Emily right now how blessed she is.....she may invoke the name of the Diety.
Tutu Lainey
Well, it's official, we are in LABOR! Contractions are 20-30 seconds long and about 5 minutes apart. By-the-way, our doctors appoitnent went horrible and our doctors was a dip dong so at the last minute we decided to have the baby in the comforts of our own home. John, if everything goes good, will be able to deliver the baby. Wish us luck and keep us in your prayers.
To the tune of "O Christmas Tree." Kind of.
Ton Ton: "Oh Sleepy Eye, Oh Sleepy Eye
Why do you have a sleepy eye?
Oh Sleepy Eye, Oh Sleepy Eye
My chin is gray
Oh Sleepy Eye, Oh Sleepy Eye
I like to stick my paws out straight
Oh Sleepy Eye, Oh Sleepy Eye
My tail wags."
[In conclusion:]
"The cool thing about Old Sleepy Eye is that she lived forever. They've been singing about Old Sleepy Eye for years."
I have been having slight contractions since 1:30 am.
But I think they're gone now.
*Sigh*
Throughout the pregnancy I have been getting weekly email updates from babycenter.com: "Week 34!" "Week 38!" "Week 40!"
Sunday, the subject was "Your baby's first week."
Ha!
Due dates are cruel.
I have been going absolutely nutball crazy. Last night I had a sob fest for about a half hour. I had taken my third dose of castor oil in 5 days to no avail. I felt so down; I have been talking with this baby for the past 9 months and felt we had a connection. Now I have been wondering, gently asking, begging, pleading and downright demanding this child show herself, and I feel like (s)he is light years away.
I can't describe the frustration. I know (s)he is fine and happy and healthy and all the rest, but as of 4 days from now the doctors won't see it that way and I will face artificial induction.
That, and the possibility of birthing the Incredible 85 Pound Monster Baby terrify me.
I thought going on a walk today might help out these twinges I've been feeling for the last 16 hours (8 minutes apart! Kinda painful!), but, alas, once I came back from the walk I've only felt one or two.
Help me.
A few things I learned this morning from an article in Mothering Magazine:
- "First-time mothers can almost be counted on to deliver ten days or more after their due date."
- "The length of gestation seems to peak for babies of mothers who are around 29 years of age."
- "Caffeine consumption makes pregnancies shorter."
Each night as I put on my pajamas I wonder
Will this be what I'm wearing when my water breaks?
when I feel my first contraction?
In the shower each day I think about
Shaving my legs
Because soon they should be in front of
a room filled with doctors and nurses.
When I read my novel before bed I wonder
Is this the last chapter I'll read before baby's here next to me?
Is this the last book I'll have time to enjoy
for a while?
I eat a cookie and think
This is going straight to her cheeks
And all I want to do is kiss those cheeks
Even though they may hang down to her shoulders
and we'll have to part them like the Red Sea
to find her eyes and nose.
Castor oil, tea, Mexican food, sex
I walk until the pumping of my heart should push her out.
Ton Ton asks in the night Do you feel anything?
Nothing
Except frustration.
And anticipation.
A little worry.
A lot of impatience.
A week late and counting...
No, still nothing. But it's got to be getting closer, it's just GOT to be.
We went swimming at the community pool this morning and as I was doing some funny little underwater jogging I swear I felt a lowbaby shift.
Is this what they mean by "dropping"?
Look at that thing! It's like an overfilled water balloon! Is the baby just going to burst out my belly button after the next big meal?
It's time to get out now, Baby. People are calling, waiting, checking in, and worrying, not the least of whom is your Mommy.
You're offically a week late, and Mommy is officially not sleeping well because NOTHING is happening in your cozy little neck of the woods.
Come greet the world, child!!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
For some reason, I'm inspired by the Disney movie Alice in Wonderland...
Maybe we'll name her Alice"The problem with letting nature take its course is that nature can take its time. But if you're tired of playing the waiting game (and who isn't by the week 41?), there are plenty of natural methods you can use to try to bring on labor. Will any of them do the trick? That's hard to say and even harder to prove. While some women swear by them, none of the methods has been documented as consistently effective. (That's because when they do appear to work, it's difficult to establish whether they actually worked — or whether labor, coincidentally, started on its own at the same time.) Still, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try these at home (keeping in mind that none of these will work if your body and your baby just aren't ready yet):
Walking. Whether it's the force of gravity or the swaying (or waddling) of your hips that does it, it has been suggested that walking can help ease the baby into the pelvis. And pressure in the pelvis and cervix can, in turn, get labor going. If it turns out that your stroll doesn't jump-start labor, you'll be no worse for the wear. In fact, you might be in better shape for labor — whenever it actually does begin.
Sex. Gotta love this one! Semen contains prostaglandins, which can stimulate contractions — so hopping (make that very carefully climbing) into bed with your partner and doing the deed may be an effective way to mix business with pleasure. That said, it may not be all that pleasurable when you're a week overdue and the size of a small hippo, but at least you'll have a good laugh. Plus, it may be the last time in a long time that you'll actually be able to have sex — especially if it ends up working.
Even if these methods fail, remind yourself that you will go into labor — either on your own, or with a little help from your practitioner in a week or two. (Until you do, just be thankful you're not an elephant. Then you'd only be halfway through your pregnancy!)"
Sung to the tune of "She'll be Comin' 'Round the Mountain":
She'll be comin' down the birth canal when she comes
She'll be comin' down the birth canal when she comes
She'll be comin' down the birth canal, she'll be comin' down the birth canal
She'll be comin' down the birth canal when she comes.....
But when will that be? We'll surely all go out to meet her when she comes... that is, if we're all still around when she comes. My mother, mother-in-law, and step daughter are all here this week for the momentous event that was to have happened about 4 days ago. Though we've kind of agreed to only talk about "it" if "something" happens, the nobaby is hovering over everyone's head. It's so thick you can almost feel it when you walk in. Where is this child?? Luciya, or the lack thereof, has become the elephant in the room.
Though I know our baby will choose the day and the time of her birth, and that she knows better than anyone when and where and how it will all happen, I have been diligently observing some of the following suggestions for natural induction. I just really don't want to have to birth a 19 pound baby. These have been passed on from friends and family, found on the internet, and even backed up by my doctor and doula.
raspberry leaf tea..................CHECK. I literally drank an entire pot last night.
spicy food.................................CHECK.
long walks ...............................CHECK. Almost daily. I've been favoring the Olinda forest, where I've gone to talk with baby since I was about 2 months pregnant.
bumpy car rides....................CHECK. Easy to do in our neighborhood.
nipple stimulation..............CHECK. Yes, per doctor's recommendation, and my doula's, I spent one hour total yesterday with my nipples in my breast pump. More today. Yippee!
sex...............................................CHECK. Wasn't sure I'd include this one, but c'mon, we all know how I got in this situation in the first place.
castor oil.......................................NOT YET. Not sure how I feel about this one. This was one of the doctor's recommendations. My doula backs is up, but warns that the cervix has to be ripe for it to take effect properly. Otherwise you may just get a bad case of the runs. But how do I know if my cervix is ripe? Ton Ton suggested that we all play a round of "How Ripe is Shemmy's Cervix" at dinner last night. It got too late. I just went to bed.
The exciting results so far?
Nada.
At my doctor's appointment yesterday I had a "nonstress test" done to make sure nobaby was doing okay in there. Turns out she's not just okay, she's perfectly fine - strong heartbeat, good movements, etc., etc. It was pretty cool to see the little readouts from the external monitor. Did you know baby's heartbeat skyrockets every time she moves? I didn't know that either. What else don't I know about you, baby? Oh yeah, when I'll get to meet you.
I would love any comments and/or suggestions you may have regarding induction, other ways to occupy my mind, and probably a good dose of Just-Relax-And-Stop-Worrying-Soon-You'll-Have-This-Baby-In-Your-Arms- And-Wonder-What-All-The-Fuss-Was-About.
Until then (when?),
Shemmy
Easter Sunday has come and gone
Without so much as a contraction
I told my baby to come on down
… Didn’t get the desired reaction.
April 8th has been looming for months
Nine, to be exact
Thought our daughter would be here today
But my cervix is still intact.
I know it’s too early to complain
I must have a comfy womb
She seems quite content to stay on a while
Though she’s darn near out of room
So I sit here, patient as can be
(Not really; I said I’m ready!)
“Due date, schmue date” said Baby today
"Soon you’ll see my little heady."
So, Luciya, have fun in there
But know we can’t wait to meet you
I just hope you won’t be a teenager
When we finally get to greet you.
Love,
Mama
No Easter baby for us!
