Good Bye

My blogging days are now over! I'm out and discovering new things daily. If you still care, check out my mom's blog...http://afro-mama.blogspot.com/ for up to date info on me!

My First Photo Shoot

Mommy set me up with Karen to take newborn photos. I wasn't very cooperative. I would have been if someone had asked me when I wanted to be photographed. But no, I was not consulted and thus the time fell during the 15 hours or so of the day when I want to be nursed. Still Karen managed to get a few pics of me. Here's one!

My Birthday! May 22nd!

I was born on May 22nd, my due date.

My mom had planned on going to yoga that morning and working on her long "pre-baby" to do list. My dad had planned on sleeping in for the first time in weeks. But I had other plans.

So at 6:30 am my aqua environment sprang a leak and I started on my path to delivery. When mom realized that her water was breaking, she became really upset. This was not how she envisioned labor starting. In fact, this was what all the websites and books said was the worst (and least likely) thing to happen. When one's water breaks before contractions begin, then you could have a situation where the baby ends up in distress and labor has to start artificially. Mom called the hospital and was told to go to the nearest OTHER hospital because mom's hospital was full. But that's also not what mom planned. This made her more anxious. She knew many of the doctors at her hospital and she had gone over the birth plan with them. They had labor, deliver, and recuperation in the same room. They had 24 visitation policy and a bed for Dad. At a military hospital she was already set in the system for her insurance and the pediatrcian was already on call.

Anyways, after a quick deliberation, mom and adad went to Inova Fairfax. When she arrived at labor and delivery she was told to go back to the front desk and check in. Ugh! Then back up to labor and delivery (leaking, I might add) and eventually she was put in a triage room. Later a doctor confirmed that mom's water had broke and that there was not much left (I could have told them that). They monitored my heart rate for a while. The doctor checked and mom was 0 centimeters dilated and only 50% effaced at 10 am. Not good. Mom said, " You're going to give me Pitocin and then that's going to make my contractions horrible and then I'll get an epidural and then I'll have ineffective pushing and then the baby's rate rate will drop and then I'll have an emergency C-section!" Doctor told mom to calm down and that they wouldn't give her pitocin yet. But they did plan on giving mom Cervidil (cream that helps "ripein the Cervix). Mom checked in to her room with her birth plan, birth ball, rice socks, labor music, all of these items to help her get through the contractions but she had none. After hours of no pain and only an occasional contraction, the doctor returned to the room (around 2pm or so) and they checked mom again. This time she was only 1 centimeter dilated.

Doctor's said, "Mom wasn't going to have me until the next day." So mom watched "Baby Mama" (one of the movies she brought to watch at the hospital to distract her), kept walking up and down the steps (which she later learned was against hospital rules), taking showers, and did some yoga (mostly squats). Eventually contractions started to kick in and went from 12 to 9 to 3 minutes apart. When they were 3 minutes apart, Mom was in pain but hoping by the time the doctor's came back at 8:30 pm she would be dilated to 5 or 6 centimeters, helping reduce the chance of a non-natural birth. Suddenly the pain went from 3 minutes apart to one minute to 30 seconds. Mom says it was the worst pain she has ever experienced in life. She was screaming uncontrollably. Half kneeling and half laying on the floor in the bathroom. She tried getting back in the shower with dad (he bought his swimsuit) but the pain was so unbearable Mom said she couldn't stand. The worst part was she couldn't believe she was going to feel this kind of pain all night long. Doctor's said she would not have the baby until the next morning. So that would mean almost 8 hours of this kind of pain. How is that possible? Mom tried searching her memory of all the books she read and the doula she met with. Wasn't 30 seconds apart the last stage? Mom told Dad to tell the nurses the baby is coming. I would like to add here that this was no walk in the park for me. I was quite comfortable and then all of a sudden there were all these waves pushing me around forcing me through tight spaces.

She felt down below and felt what she thought was the head. One nurse came in and was on the phone with someone and we could hear the sarcasm in her voice when she said, "Yes, she thinks she feels the head." A resident came by and took a look and said, "She's Crowning!!!" Then there was a flurry of people about ...trying to get Mom to lay down and push. Mom said, "I can't push yet, I'm not dilated." LOL! Then she realized, "no wait this is really happening, Right now."

I was born 15 mins before the doctor arrived to check to see if mom was dilated and probably to let her know that they would have to introduce some medical interventions.

Nursery Update!

So the countdown to my arrival is on. I'm technically fully developed and could pop on the scene any day now. Mommy and Daddy have just about finished the nursery. The crib is made, the mural is done, the other walls are decorated and Mommy managed (mostly) to still keep part of the room for craft work. Mommy still wants to make or buy curtains and put up a mirror near the makeshift changing table, so I can watch myself while she changes my diaper.

Naked in the Woods

Mommy hired a photographer to take pictures of her while pregnant AND the same person will take pictures of me after birth and again when I'm six months. Here's a link to Mommy's picture lady: http://www.karenleonardphotography.com/.

So the first day of shooting Mommy and Karen were outside in the hood. Thanks for Auntie Jackie Mommy decided to use her wedding dress in the shoot. But instead of pulling it up she pulled it down to expose my big belly hideout spot. I think the pictures will turn out nice. Luckily the shoot is over, because Mommy was entertaining the whole neighboorhood being half naked in the side of the road in the SE marsh hideout.

Labor Day Play List

Since mommy and daddy are doing natural labor, they decided to put together a playlist of songs to help motivate them. First mommy searched the web for music other women used. But unfortunately, it seems like many women would prefer to hear Celine Dion in labor instead of Salt and Pepper "Push It." So mommy made her own list. Check it out and let us know if you have other ideas.... http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=369604612

My Party

Mommy's friends threw me a party. I heard that it was really nice and meshed well with my parent's personalities...organic/green restaurant with Latin inspired food (both), tons of activities pumped in to a couple of hours (Daddy), henna (Daddy, you know he loves getting painted with earth dyes), jewelry making competition (Mommy), onsie making competition (Mommy...though the winning onsie had pictures of an owl and the phrase "Woos your daddy?"), slide show of pictures of mommy and daddy from when they were kids, to dating, marriage, pregnancy and there were even some ultrasound pics of me, lastly my favorite part was the roast.

While Dziadek (Polish for "grandfather" pronounced JAH-jah, yes that's correct) saved Ojciec (polish for father, pronounced) from embarrassment.

Grand-ma-ma (still not sure what to call her) gave a 15 min soliloquy about mom. Oh, the stories I learned. First apparently, mom did cartwheels in stores. And she talked back to a preacher, and yelled "Time to go" when the service was too long. Funny story to all but mom who was a bit embarrassed and said, "Baby RadJo won't do that. Quiet time." Then there were other stories that implied that mom was SO bossy that they called her "Mama Jay" at the nursery. Having Dad hear this was great. As I can already tell he won't be the enforcer. He's talking about letting me cross the street when it's clear (but says "don't walk") and not wearing shoes. Mommy has rules for everything. Daddy can't wait to take me in the ocean and let me learn from my mistakes. Mommy wants to put up gates and outlet protectors now.

I'm sure her creative spirit and desire to breast feed as often as I want will lull me into her arms, but I'm happy that Daddy has some leverage on her now. I mean, Grand ma-ma did a good job raising Mommy. She turned out ok, by most standards. So a little back talk and gymnastics in public places never hurt anyone.