A Week In The Life...

I'm not so sure I like this swing.... ...but it sure puts me to sleep :) 2nd Sunday football with dad...Chase has officially taken Krod's place

Just chillin'

I took this picture as a reminder of just how small he was - barely fills up the car seat!

You lookin at me?

Cuddle time with dad

I cannot believe...and I mean cannot believe how fast this past week has flown by. Chase will be two weeks old tomorrow and it feels like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant. For all of my complaining of sleepless nights (gas is not a fun thing in a little baby) I know that I will soon look back on this time and wish I could experience every moment again. I am truly trying to savor every sleep deprived (as in texting my friend Angie and not remembering it) moment that there is.

This week we have really just been hanging out at home since Chase is still too little to be out and about in public. We have still had a lot of visitors coming by to meet the little guy and we have gotten out for a few walks in the open air but primarily it has just been us getting to all know eachother.

We did, however, take Chase in for "The Operation" - yes, he is officially circumcised. I thought it might be a painful experience for us but on the doctor's recommendation (and it was great advise), we did not watch. Instead, we waited patiently in the office expecting to hear him wailing as Dr. Carrie perfected his peepee but he just slept through the whole thing! Yup, not even a wimper. Such a trooper he is...just a little bit of Tylenol that night and he was good to go!

While the circumcision didn't seem to phase him, gas sure has...Chase spends the better part of most evenings trying to get it out - sometimes he tries so hard I am afraid he is going to forget to breathe! While it is very difficult for Chase, and not much fun for mom and dad, I cannot complain about a little bit of gas in the evenings - I know it could be much worse!

It is baby mania with our friends - amazing what can change in a year. We just found out our friends Marcus and Colleen are pregnant (congrats!) and Matt and Sunnie are having a boy (yeah - Chase will not have to play with girls all the time!) and all of our other friend's children are just getting so big - so much fun to be a part of it all!

XOXO

Chase's life - Week 1

First appointment with Dr. Carrie...I think Mike had fun! I hate my gloves! Auntie Sal & Uncle Bruce You looking at me?

My first sponge bath!

Not loving it...

At all!

All cleaned up, but still not happy!

Tommorow morning Chase will be a whole week old - and I thought time flew before...Already he has changed so much. He is much more aware of his surroundings and definitely is adept at telling us when he is hungry, when he is tired, or when he is gassy (and he is gassy, A LOT!). He also had his first bath...not much fun for Chase, but provided us with quite a good laugh. While neither Mike nor I have yet to have the golden shower bestowed upon us, Chase managed to go ALL OVER HIMSELF - good thing it was bath time, and we caught the whole act on video - good to have for future embarrasment potential :)...

He Made It! All 18.5 inches, 6.4 lbs of Him!

Ready to go...post epidural!Welcome to the world!

All cleaned up...

And ready for dad!

Grandpa Tom & Grandma Iris

Headphones so early? Nope, just his hearing test!

Cuddle time!

Home at last!

We truly could not have imagined the love, joy and excitement that we would feel when Chase arrived. While we thought we were prepared for the emotions that we would feel, we were so wrong...having Chase here is the most undescribable feeling in the world. Not only are we now responsible for another little creature, but he is our little creature and he has already consumed our hearts. Every move and noise he makes totally enchants us and just like every parent has told us we would do, we simply cannot stop staring at him. He is an amazing little guy and we are overwhelmed with pride.

OK...Long Version of Birth (minus the gory details) Below....

Bringing Chase into the world a little early was an experience that I hope to remember forever. Monday's weekly doctor's appointment was pretty uneventful. Doctor Spoon let us know that Chase was at the point where inducement would be a safe option. Our excitement to meet him led us to at first schedule an inducement, but then later decide to cancel as there was not a real reason to induce. We figured it would be better to meet Chase on his own time. Well, little did we know, his own time would be coming sooner than we thought! That evening at around 7:30 I started to have feelings that I hadn't had before. I texted my friend Angie (a life saver for the night!) and described what I was going through. I sort of thought they could be labor pains, but was hesitant to really think that they were. Well, Angie confirmed that they were indeed labor pains and that I should get ready to meet Chase! After a quick walk around the block to confirm that the pains didn't go away (as they will with false labor), I called Dr. Spoon. He honestly sounded like he didn't believe me (I swear I haven't cried wolf before!) and told me to go to the hospital whent he contractions were five minutes apart. Well, seeings how I wasn't even sure how to tell if the contractions were real, I was having a hard time with the timing aspect! I went downstairs to watch tv and take my mind off of what was coming and strangely the contractions STOPPED! At about 12:30am I figured I should go to bed and get some rest and that my labor was indeed false.

Once upstairs I got to sleep pretty quickly but then at 1:30am, my "false labor" was back...with a vengeance. Now, I could not only tell that the contractions were indeed very, very real, but I could time them as well. The magic number of five had hit - time to go to the hospital!!!!! I hopped in the shower, brushed my teeth and was ready to hit the road. Mike was ready too, and was really suprisingly calm and collected. He didn't even speed! In the car, the contractions really started to hit hard...and fast. By the time we got to the hospital, I was having them every 3-4 minutes and they HURT! While they didn't feel at all like I thought they would, they were definitely the most uncomfortable pain I have ever felt. In admitting, I started to feel like I was about to go postal on someone so I decided the best way to handle the situation was to stop talking. Let Mike figure out how to tell everyone that I was in labor and needed my epidural...fast...and I will just lay down in pain. However, the nurses had decided that they had a few questions for me (do you have allergies, when did you eat....come on lady, I am in LABOR, WHO CARES WHEN I ATE!). After what felt like a very loonnnggg time, they confirmed that I was indeed in labor (no kidding) and that I was dilated to a six - wholly molly, a six???? I thought I was supposed to have the epidural at four...get that thing in me! Next up was getting me into the delivery room and setting up my IV so I could finally get the epidural. It seriously felt like an eternity!!!!! However, let me be the first to say, that epidurals are a girls best friend. I finally got it when I was dilated to a 7-8 and I was in heaven.

It was at about 4:30am that the family started to show up and we had an hour and a half of baby free conversation before the nurse pushed everyone out to check dilation. After checking, she looked up and cooly said, "OK, time to push." What, wait, time to push??? NOW?? OH MY GOD!!!!

I had wanted Mike to stay up top and not have to see the details below, but our nurse Emma had a different approach. She waited for a contraction, looked at Mike, and shouted "grab a leg!" They really don't tell you what to expect in labor at those silly classes and I think Mike was as shocked as I was when he learned that he had a new role in labor...official leg holder!

Much to my surprise, pushing was not that hard (I know, I know, I shouldn't say that), but really, it was not a bad experience. Now, without the epidural, I am sure my story would be a whole different one! I only had to push for about an hour and 15 minutes when they called in Dr. Spoon and told me to relax for a bit before delivery. Dr. Spoon got in just in the nick of time however, and was impressed that the nurses didn't fool him - he really was just there for the catch! The rest of the story is a little much for a blog, but just know that it was a beautiful experience and a fun one too!

Chase came in at 18.6 inches and 6.4 lbs... a little low on the weight but very alert and active from the start. The nurses were all impressed with how fast he breathed on his own (didn't need stimulation) and congratulated us on our beautiful, healthy boy....WOW.

After a whirlwind stay at the hospital (with many supportive friends and family coming by to meet him), we brought Chase home to meet Rigley and see his new home. He has already been to meet the pediatrician, who was a little concerned with how much weight he lost after birth (they usually lose 7%, he had lost 10%) and put him on a little supplemental formula to get us through to when my milk came in (which it did last night). He has now put on about 5 ounces in weight and is looking plump and healthy. Speaking of which, he is hungry now so I have a job to do!

XOXO to all!

No New News!

Birthday Brunch with Monica, Nicole & Sam

And Birthday Lunch with aunties-to-be Shane, Lauren & SallyHey Mom, when is Chase gonna be here?!

All of our excitement from last week's visit with Dr. Spoon came to a very anti-climatic end yesterday when he gave us no reason to believe that Chase would be here this week. I am still dilated, but as I am not having contractions yet, we are probably not going to meet Chase this week as I had hoped. However, it is truly all for the better as we do want Chase to grow as much as possible inside before making his introduction to the world. Mommy and Daddy are just a little impatient!!!

I am, however, enjoying a fabulous 30th birthday weekend. It has been very low key (just the way I wanted it), but very relaxing as well. From mani-pedi and a great dinner with Mike to a spa day with the girls on Saturday and then a fun day at work (I even got a bottle of Glenlivet...hmmm....:)) and lunch with equally as anxious aunt's to be, I have had a wonderful over the hill celebration (30 is over the hill, right?!)....

Stay tuned as I will update you the minute I get any new news!

Update!

Yesterday I had the first of my weekly appointments with Dr. Spoon and it was quite informative! While not the most comfortable of visits (I think I have to get used to this), Dr. Spoon was able to let me know (through his poking and prodding) that I am 2-3cm dilated and that Chase will be making his debut earlier than expected! I'll know more at next weeks visit but Dr. Spoon figures he will be here within the next two weeks, making him almost two weeks early - YIPPEEEE!!!!