Monday, December 28, 2009
The long-awaited videos, part 1
We shot a good bit of footage of Eve when she was brand new, and it's taken us this long to process it and upload it. Here are the first two. They're not exactly action-packed, but they are pretty cute.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Of bottles and blow-outs
Eve is one month old this past week! Steve and I were marveling at how much we've learned (about parenting, but mostly about Eve) in that time. We were presented with a human about whom we knew almost nothing, and can now distinguish cries and predict with pretty good accuracy how she will react to something. Spending 24/7 with someone so dependent on you will do that! It's been an absolute pleasure.
The parade of guests (very very welcome) continues. This week, among others, we spent time with
Ledell Zellers and Simon Anderson (picture of Ledell with Eve below), Leslie and Maple (who showed us how to fold the bigger size diapers to avoid blow-outs, oh boy, was that appreciated!), Sarah and Frances, and Emily and Ike. People have been very generous about bringing us food these past few weeks, yum!
The elf became a reindeer this week (outfit courtesy Great Aunt Pam). Like a real reindeer pelt, it's warm and exactly what we needed to go visit my work in near zero temps! We had a very pleasant visit. Bonus: Eve slept for an hour or so in my office, giving me time to go through mail and e-mail, and making the prospect of taking her in with me to work one day a week not such a crazy idea. Here's Sprout in her reindeer outfit. She likes it fine, but was giving us her opinion of the Copenhagen climate change summit accord.
A surprise was waiting for us in my office - someone who had attended the estate planning class I teach through UW-Extension had sent this stroller. I called the shop that sent it, but the person had paid cash and they didn't get her name and could only tell me that it was a class participant. I have no idea who it is. It's a nice stroller (umbrella style, folds easily, turns on a dime, has sun/rain shield, all that jazz) and we didn't have one already.
We learned a lot this week. Eve generally sleeps well at night, but occasionally has spells of fussiness. I started keeping a food journal to try to figure out if it's anything I am eating. So far, it appears garlic is not a problem (whew). I'm thinking cabbage might be. We all got colds this week. Poor Eve doesn't seem to be bothered by it too much, but listening to her congested breathing at night was rough on Steve and me! It took some gumption, but we figured out how to use that nose bulb syringe thingy. On a more fun note, we also learned how to wear the baby in our sling! Studies show that babies who are worn regularly cry 50% less.
Most significantly, Eve and Steve learned how to bottle feed. Eve took it immediately (and it doesn't seem to have affected her nursing prowess), and Steve was thrilled to be able to feed her. For me, it's a sigh of relief, because even though I have to pump (so I'm not actually getting out of any work), it does enable me to get away for more than two hours at a time. We'll continue to mainly breast feed, and keep bottles for when I'm absent.
What a week! Merry Christmas to everyone (if that's your thing). We're off to Bemidji for a week to spend time with my parents and siblings. Wish us luck on what is usually an 8 hour drive!
The parade of guests (very very welcome) continues. This week, among others, we spent time with
Ledell Zellers and Simon Anderson (picture of Ledell with Eve below), Leslie and Maple (who showed us how to fold the bigger size diapers to avoid blow-outs, oh boy, was that appreciated!), Sarah and Frances, and Emily and Ike. People have been very generous about bringing us food these past few weeks, yum!
The elf became a reindeer this week (outfit courtesy Great Aunt Pam). Like a real reindeer pelt, it's warm and exactly what we needed to go visit my work in near zero temps! We had a very pleasant visit. Bonus: Eve slept for an hour or so in my office, giving me time to go through mail and e-mail, and making the prospect of taking her in with me to work one day a week not such a crazy idea. Here's Sprout in her reindeer outfit. She likes it fine, but was giving us her opinion of the Copenhagen climate change summit accord.
A surprise was waiting for us in my office - someone who had attended the estate planning class I teach through UW-Extension had sent this stroller. I called the shop that sent it, but the person had paid cash and they didn't get her name and could only tell me that it was a class participant. I have no idea who it is. It's a nice stroller (umbrella style, folds easily, turns on a dime, has sun/rain shield, all that jazz) and we didn't have one already.
We learned a lot this week. Eve generally sleeps well at night, but occasionally has spells of fussiness. I started keeping a food journal to try to figure out if it's anything I am eating. So far, it appears garlic is not a problem (whew). I'm thinking cabbage might be. We all got colds this week. Poor Eve doesn't seem to be bothered by it too much, but listening to her congested breathing at night was rough on Steve and me! It took some gumption, but we figured out how to use that nose bulb syringe thingy. On a more fun note, we also learned how to wear the baby in our sling! Studies show that babies who are worn regularly cry 50% less.
What a week! Merry Christmas to everyone (if that's your thing). We're off to Bemidji for a week to spend time with my parents and siblings. Wish us luck on what is usually an 8 hour drive!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Sprout is one month old!
How time flies when you're having fun (and mastering the fine arts of diapering, nursing, baby wearing, etc)!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Deep into December
It was another good week, full of firsts and memorable events. Steve went back to his other job at WCCN (in addition to two night shifts weekly at the hospital as interpreter), so I will be flying solo more from here out during those days and nights. I have another month until I go back three days a week.
Steve gets lots of time in with Eve alone, too, letting me run errands and go to the YMCA with Amy. It feels good to work out again (I'm still taking it easy, but do fit into my own pants - woot!). In preparation for going back to work, I will start pumping and we'll try bottle feeding as of next week . . . any advice from those who have gone before? Cross your fingers for us.
Enough about the parents, what about Eve? I hear you say. She has changed so much, it's constantly amazing to us. She's definitely gaining weight (we haven't been into the clinic in two weeks, so I can't tell you how much, but look at our earliest pictures), and seems to be storing it in her chin and belly.
Eve doesn't mug for the camera too much, in fact, she's very nonchalant about it. Flashes, noise, lots of people don't bother her, or wake her. She has discovered her thumbs, which will likely come in handy (ha!) later when she has to get herself to sleep. She doesn't have good control of her head yet, but is steadily improving in strength (the picture below doesn't demo that well, but is a pre-action shot). She has much longer periods of alertness, and loves to observe us at close range. She vocalizes constantly with chirps and hums, much to our amusement. Oh, and her biggest accomplishment of late - promotion to the next bigger size of diapers and wraps. The newbie ones were getting soaked through much too quickly. Fluid in, fluid out pretty much sums up our way of life now.
We got out and about as much as we could this week, despite getting 16" of snow on Tuesday night and having temps plunge below zero on Wednesday. That shut down Madison for two days and kept us indoors. The three of us did manage to go Christmas shopping on Saturday, and got a lot of attention. Why would a stranger shake a sleeping baby's feet to express admiration? She was the only idiot. Everyone else was properly adoring. Of course, dressed like this, who could resist? (Outfit courtesy of my mother):
We also made our first real social outing to Sarah and Heather's annual Chat and Chew holiday party. They had indicated in the invitation that kiddos would rule the house from 4-7, and for the first time in my life, that was very appealing. They have a nine month old daughter, Frances, and live just a few blocks away (they have also been a fabulous source of maternity clothes, baby clothes, a recipe for homemade wipes and baby gear advice). There were a ton of little ones to watch, parents and friends with whom to compare notes, and good strong eggnog.
Steve gets lots of time in with Eve alone, too, letting me run errands and go to the YMCA with Amy. It feels good to work out again (I'm still taking it easy, but do fit into my own pants - woot!). In preparation for going back to work, I will start pumping and we'll try bottle feeding as of next week . . . any advice from those who have gone before? Cross your fingers for us.
Enough about the parents, what about Eve? I hear you say. She has changed so much, it's constantly amazing to us. She's definitely gaining weight (we haven't been into the clinic in two weeks, so I can't tell you how much, but look at our earliest pictures), and seems to be storing it in her chin and belly.
As we mentioned before, she is very comfortable on her back now, and it doesn't phase her to have her arms loose. When we brought her home, she didn't like either. Boy, does that make sleeping easier (for everyone)!
Eve doesn't mug for the camera too much, in fact, she's very nonchalant about it. Flashes, noise, lots of people don't bother her, or wake her. She has discovered her thumbs, which will likely come in handy (ha!) later when she has to get herself to sleep. She doesn't have good control of her head yet, but is steadily improving in strength (the picture below doesn't demo that well, but is a pre-action shot). She has much longer periods of alertness, and loves to observe us at close range. She vocalizes constantly with chirps and hums, much to our amusement. Oh, and her biggest accomplishment of late - promotion to the next bigger size of diapers and wraps. The newbie ones were getting soaked through much too quickly. Fluid in, fluid out pretty much sums up our way of life now.
We got out and about as much as we could this week, despite getting 16" of snow on Tuesday night and having temps plunge below zero on Wednesday. That shut down Madison for two days and kept us indoors. The three of us did manage to go Christmas shopping on Saturday, and got a lot of attention. Why would a stranger shake a sleeping baby's feet to express admiration? She was the only idiot. Everyone else was properly adoring. Of course, dressed like this, who could resist? (Outfit courtesy of my mother):
We also made our first real social outing to Sarah and Heather's annual Chat and Chew holiday party. They had indicated in the invitation that kiddos would rule the house from 4-7, and for the first time in my life, that was very appealing. They have a nine month old daughter, Frances, and live just a few blocks away (they have also been a fabulous source of maternity clothes, baby clothes, a recipe for homemade wipes and baby gear advice). There were a ton of little ones to watch, parents and friends with whom to compare notes, and good strong eggnog.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
How to photograph a Christmas elf
We woke up this morning, rather suddenly, to some projectile spit up (which didn't seem to phase Eve one bit). This led to an emergency bath, and Steve and I thought, well shucks, since she's clean, let's take the Christmas card picture! This outfit was used for me for my first Christmas . . . and my parents have pictures to prove it.
Here is a link to the complete series of our attempt. Page through quickly for the full effect of a squirming infant.
How To Photograph A Christmas Elf series is here
We did manage to get a decent shot that we'll include in our holiday letter (next week's project):
As I write, baby's first snowstorm is revving up and Eve is sleeping on my chest. We're hunkering down for an expected 8" over the next 24 hours. Steve and I couldn't ask for a cozier home or a sweeter baby.
Here is a link to the complete series of our attempt. Page through quickly for the full effect of a squirming infant.
How To Photograph A Christmas Elf series is here
We did manage to get a decent shot that we'll include in our holiday letter (next week's project):
As I write, baby's first snowstorm is revving up and Eve is sleeping on my chest. We're hunkering down for an expected 8" over the next 24 hours. Steve and I couldn't ask for a cozier home or a sweeter baby.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Lots of firsts
Our baby is growing up so fast! It's been an eventful yet peaceful week. Eve is changing by the day - my mom, who had been with us since before her birth, left for Michigan for a few days to visit her mother, then stopped back in and was amazed at the changes. We can see them, too, mainly from photos, but also in her behavior. Eve is gaining new rolls at a rapid rate, and is now comfortable lying on her back (hallelujah). She stays alert for longer periods of time, and seems to be actually looking at us now. She's fascinated by light and music.
We stayed pretty close to home this week, but did take Eve to her first public event - the fair trade holiday fair put on annually at the local convention center. There were lots of adoring fans, and I'm told, merchandise for purchase, although I never got that far.
We received lots more guests this week; among them were:
Olivia.
Max (born Nov 6, happy one month!) and his parents, Eva and Mike.
We stayed pretty close to home this week, but did take Eve to her first public event - the fair trade holiday fair put on annually at the local convention center. There were lots of adoring fans, and I'm told, merchandise for purchase, although I never got that far.
We received lots more guests this week; among them were:
Olivia.
Max (born Nov 6, happy one month!) and his parents, Eva and Mike.
Max is a big boy! 10 lbs!
Eve got her first real bath, too, administered by the baby whisperer, Marme (my mom).
She won't fit in the bathroom sink much longer! Eve is very close to outgrowing her first little outfit, and, we suspect, newborn size diapers. Yesterday was a five outfit day . . . .
Lazy morning. Like mamma, like baby.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Eve Xochitl's birth story (the long version)
At last, it can be told!
I wanted to do a full write-up about Eve's birth the day she was born, but it didn't happen. There was a steady parade of nurses through our room, there were technology problems, there was the fact that we hadn't slept the night before and only eaten one meal all day, and then there was Eve herself, who was quite a distraction from doing much other than holding her or looking at her.
So, here's how it all happened, for posterity.
Juscha had been having mild contractions for days before her due date (Friday, Nov 13), but that came and went with no baby in sight. On Tuesday at 10 pm, we were lying in bed, watching the Colbert Report on the web, when she heard an audible "pop" and felt a twinge. That turned out to be her water breaking, although fluid didn't come out until she moved around. We first started timing contractions at 10:18, when they began to get stronger. We dozed in between them, waking up to note the time between. That didn't turn out to be a very effective way to keep track of things, but we did manage to tell they were 7-10 minutes apart. We called Hannah, the doula, who said to call back when Juscha had to walk through the contractions. We also called Juscha's OB, and Laurel, her acupuncturist, to give them the heads up that we might need them that night. Then we managed to sleep off and on until about 2 AM, with Juscha jumping up every 10 minutes or so to walk through contractions. We called Laurel again to let her know we'd need her soon. Then Juscha went downstairs to rest on the couch, still walking between contractions. I gathered up last-minute things to take to the hospital. Juscha's mom, Sandra, was awake, but didn't come out of her room until I told her what was happening. Then she came out to help, particularly when Juscha was throwing up. Laurel showed up around 4:00, and gave Juscha some ear points for nausea. By 5:00, contractions were close enough and taking enough work, we decided to head to the hospital, and to call Hannah and have her meet us there. Just as we were leaving the house, Hannah pulled up. She came in long enough to meet everyone, and then we all piled into cars and went to the hospital. Laurel went a little ahead, and picked up some things at her office. By the time we got to the hospital, she was there, waiting for us. As we walked in, Juscha threw up again, but she still refused the offer of a wheelchair to go the rest of the way to her room -- which was surprisingly far from the entrance to the hospital.
We were directed to our own triage room. The nurse had a lot of trouble with the computer, though, and it eventually crashed, shutting down completely. She gave up on it, and focused on Juscha. A resident came in to check on her, as well. He had talked with Dr. Vohmann, and seemed to be all caught up on Juscha's background information. That was the point where we gave them the birth plan. They put a monitor on Juscha to measure the baby's heartbeat and the contractions, both of which were good and strong. The resident offered to check Juscha, who looked to Hannah for advice. Hannah said she didn't have to hear the results. So, Juscha said she wanted to hear the results if she was dilated beyond four. When the resident gave us a roundabout answer, we knew we had a ways to go. Still, I knew from my work interpreting at births that things can change quickly.
After a reasonably short time, we were taken to our birth room. It was the same room we'd seen on the tour, a couple of months earlier. It was pleasant enough, as hospital rooms go, with a couch and other amenities. By that time, it was after six, and Juscha's contractions were getting stronger all the time. It was increasingly difficult for her to get comfortable in any position. She was on hands and knees on the bed for quite a while, alternating with standing and squatting. We tried walking at one point, but that didn't last long. She was also unable to answer questions beyond "yes" and "no," and at times, couldn't even say that much. She was hearing us, though, because she would move to different positions if we told her to.
We had several very nice nurses (including a student nurse there to observe), and Dr. Bull, who is the other OB we worked with, showed up in plenty of time. She reported that she had seen a rainbow on her way in, for the first time in four years, so it was a good day to have a baby. Also in the room was Juscha's mom, Laurel, Hannah, and me. That's a lot of people. More than once, I overheard the nurses commenting how well Juscha was handling the pain.
Laurel had placed points on Juscha's sacrum to intensify the contractions and help with dilation. As things progressed, Juscha's contractions continued to get stronger and stronger. Dr. Bull checked her, and couldn't tell whether she was fully dilated, or if her cervix was simply very high and not dilated at all. After a while, she determined that, in fact, she was entirely dilated, or very nearly so and was ready to push. Hannah suggested she lie on her side, because she'd been on her hands and knees so long her legs were falling asleep. She went through several strong contractions that way, and then we had her switch sides. As she described it later, at that point, she was really only responding to what I said, so I was repeating everything she needed to know. She was clearly having a lot of pain, but was still able to move, with help. She did the entire labor with no medications of any kind, which meant that there was actually a good amount of time between the really strong contractions -- considerably more time than between the moderately strong contractions. That allowed her to rest, and even sleep for a few minutes at a time. As a result, she was able to do a better job pushing, but it also left her spacey and disoriented.
As we got to the end, everyone (except Juscha) could see the baby's head beginning to crown. With each push, it would emerge a bit more, and then recede back in. Juscha was actually able to touch the baby's head at one point, and she was visibly startled by the experience. I told her on the next contraction that she could do it again, but she wanted to focus on pushing. There were several times we thought we were on the last contraction, and it didn't turn out to be. At one point, everyone gathered around was audibly excited about the baby arriving, and Juscha managed to say, "I'm glad you're all enjoying this" and got a good laugh from us. The second-to-last time, Eve's head came halfway out, stayed for several seconds, and then went back in. Finally, there was one last really strong contraction, and Juscha pushed super hard, and the baby came out at 9:54 a.m. She made her first little noises before she was all the way out. Dr. Bull laid her on the bed to do a quick visual check of her, and then put her on Juscha's chest. At several seconds old, Eve was able to start looking for Juscha's nipple, and even lift her head briefly to move in the right direction. The nurses were amazed. One commented she had heard about this instinct, but never actually witnessed it. Eve worked hard to get to the nipple, and eventually made it, but wasn't entirely sure what to do next. At that point, Juscha helped her out a bit. Meanwhile, she was also having more contractions, and the placenta came out. Dr. Bull made sure it was intact and that any bleeding was under control.
Juscha and I consulted about the name we had discussed. The baby was fussing slightly, so Juscha called to her by name and she quieted. We concluded that we would name her Eve Xochitl. We told Sandra soon after, and then called my parents back to tell them. We also called our respective siblings soon after, and I found my parents had already called my sister, Kate. Granddad (John) was in the clinic with a patient, but called back immediately to hear the news.
We let Eve stay skin to skin on Juscha's chest for quite a while -- probably close to 45 minutes. Nurses weighed and footprinted her, but left other tests and such for later, at our request. I held her for a long time, and people got several pictures of us. Then I let Sandra hold her. Not too much longer, since we had to move to our recovery room. Juscha sat in a wheelchair (on top of the Boppy pillow, because she had several stitches), and I pushed her. Everyone else carried all our stuff. Once we got to the room, we settled in, and the parade of nurses began. One came in to give Eve her bath. Another came in to do the heel prick, which checks for non-obvious conditions. Several more came in to orient us to the room, give us paperwork to fill out, explain the menu system, help Juscha to the bathroom, and so on.
Juscha's sister, Jean, saw one of the first pictures of Eve, and decided on the spot to drive the four hours to Madison. In the meantime, we passed her back and forth, and took lots of pictures. We ordered food for Juscha, and Sandra and I got subs from Subway, which is right in the hospital. Our friend Amy Mondloch was the first friend to show up to see Eve in person. Laurel came by the next morning, as did Leslie and Maple Schroeder. Both momma and baby were doing so well, we were all discharged the very next day and got home by 1 p.m.
I wanted to do a full write-up about Eve's birth the day she was born, but it didn't happen. There was a steady parade of nurses through our room, there were technology problems, there was the fact that we hadn't slept the night before and only eaten one meal all day, and then there was Eve herself, who was quite a distraction from doing much other than holding her or looking at her.
So, here's how it all happened, for posterity.
Juscha had been having mild contractions for days before her due date (Friday, Nov 13), but that came and went with no baby in sight. On Tuesday at 10 pm, we were lying in bed, watching the Colbert Report on the web, when she heard an audible "pop" and felt a twinge. That turned out to be her water breaking, although fluid didn't come out until she moved around. We first started timing contractions at 10:18, when they began to get stronger. We dozed in between them, waking up to note the time between. That didn't turn out to be a very effective way to keep track of things, but we did manage to tell they were 7-10 minutes apart. We called Hannah, the doula, who said to call back when Juscha had to walk through the contractions. We also called Juscha's OB, and Laurel, her acupuncturist, to give them the heads up that we might need them that night. Then we managed to sleep off and on until about 2 AM, with Juscha jumping up every 10 minutes or so to walk through contractions. We called Laurel again to let her know we'd need her soon. Then Juscha went downstairs to rest on the couch, still walking between contractions. I gathered up last-minute things to take to the hospital. Juscha's mom, Sandra, was awake, but didn't come out of her room until I told her what was happening. Then she came out to help, particularly when Juscha was throwing up. Laurel showed up around 4:00, and gave Juscha some ear points for nausea. By 5:00, contractions were close enough and taking enough work, we decided to head to the hospital, and to call Hannah and have her meet us there. Just as we were leaving the house, Hannah pulled up. She came in long enough to meet everyone, and then we all piled into cars and went to the hospital. Laurel went a little ahead, and picked up some things at her office. By the time we got to the hospital, she was there, waiting for us. As we walked in, Juscha threw up again, but she still refused the offer of a wheelchair to go the rest of the way to her room -- which was surprisingly far from the entrance to the hospital.
We were directed to our own triage room. The nurse had a lot of trouble with the computer, though, and it eventually crashed, shutting down completely. She gave up on it, and focused on Juscha. A resident came in to check on her, as well. He had talked with Dr. Vohmann, and seemed to be all caught up on Juscha's background information. That was the point where we gave them the birth plan. They put a monitor on Juscha to measure the baby's heartbeat and the contractions, both of which were good and strong. The resident offered to check Juscha, who looked to Hannah for advice. Hannah said she didn't have to hear the results. So, Juscha said she wanted to hear the results if she was dilated beyond four. When the resident gave us a roundabout answer, we knew we had a ways to go. Still, I knew from my work interpreting at births that things can change quickly.
After a reasonably short time, we were taken to our birth room. It was the same room we'd seen on the tour, a couple of months earlier. It was pleasant enough, as hospital rooms go, with a couch and other amenities. By that time, it was after six, and Juscha's contractions were getting stronger all the time. It was increasingly difficult for her to get comfortable in any position. She was on hands and knees on the bed for quite a while, alternating with standing and squatting. We tried walking at one point, but that didn't last long. She was also unable to answer questions beyond "yes" and "no," and at times, couldn't even say that much. She was hearing us, though, because she would move to different positions if we told her to.
We had several very nice nurses (including a student nurse there to observe), and Dr. Bull, who is the other OB we worked with, showed up in plenty of time. She reported that she had seen a rainbow on her way in, for the first time in four years, so it was a good day to have a baby. Also in the room was Juscha's mom, Laurel, Hannah, and me. That's a lot of people. More than once, I overheard the nurses commenting how well Juscha was handling the pain.
Laurel had placed points on Juscha's sacrum to intensify the contractions and help with dilation. As things progressed, Juscha's contractions continued to get stronger and stronger. Dr. Bull checked her, and couldn't tell whether she was fully dilated, or if her cervix was simply very high and not dilated at all. After a while, she determined that, in fact, she was entirely dilated, or very nearly so and was ready to push. Hannah suggested she lie on her side, because she'd been on her hands and knees so long her legs were falling asleep. She went through several strong contractions that way, and then we had her switch sides. As she described it later, at that point, she was really only responding to what I said, so I was repeating everything she needed to know. She was clearly having a lot of pain, but was still able to move, with help. She did the entire labor with no medications of any kind, which meant that there was actually a good amount of time between the really strong contractions -- considerably more time than between the moderately strong contractions. That allowed her to rest, and even sleep for a few minutes at a time. As a result, she was able to do a better job pushing, but it also left her spacey and disoriented.
As we got to the end, everyone (except Juscha) could see the baby's head beginning to crown. With each push, it would emerge a bit more, and then recede back in. Juscha was actually able to touch the baby's head at one point, and she was visibly startled by the experience. I told her on the next contraction that she could do it again, but she wanted to focus on pushing. There were several times we thought we were on the last contraction, and it didn't turn out to be. At one point, everyone gathered around was audibly excited about the baby arriving, and Juscha managed to say, "I'm glad you're all enjoying this" and got a good laugh from us. The second-to-last time, Eve's head came halfway out, stayed for several seconds, and then went back in. Finally, there was one last really strong contraction, and Juscha pushed super hard, and the baby came out at 9:54 a.m. She made her first little noises before she was all the way out. Dr. Bull laid her on the bed to do a quick visual check of her, and then put her on Juscha's chest. At several seconds old, Eve was able to start looking for Juscha's nipple, and even lift her head briefly to move in the right direction. The nurses were amazed. One commented she had heard about this instinct, but never actually witnessed it. Eve worked hard to get to the nipple, and eventually made it, but wasn't entirely sure what to do next. At that point, Juscha helped her out a bit. Meanwhile, she was also having more contractions, and the placenta came out. Dr. Bull made sure it was intact and that any bleeding was under control.
Juscha and I consulted about the name we had discussed. The baby was fussing slightly, so Juscha called to her by name and she quieted. We concluded that we would name her Eve Xochitl. We told Sandra soon after, and then called my parents back to tell them. We also called our respective siblings soon after, and I found my parents had already called my sister, Kate. Granddad (John) was in the clinic with a patient, but called back immediately to hear the news.
We let Eve stay skin to skin on Juscha's chest for quite a while -- probably close to 45 minutes. Nurses weighed and footprinted her, but left other tests and such for later, at our request. I held her for a long time, and people got several pictures of us. Then I let Sandra hold her. Not too much longer, since we had to move to our recovery room. Juscha sat in a wheelchair (on top of the Boppy pillow, because she had several stitches), and I pushed her. Everyone else carried all our stuff. Once we got to the room, we settled in, and the parade of nurses began. One came in to give Eve her bath. Another came in to do the heel prick, which checks for non-obvious conditions. Several more came in to orient us to the room, give us paperwork to fill out, explain the menu system, help Juscha to the bathroom, and so on.
Juscha's sister, Jean, saw one of the first pictures of Eve, and decided on the spot to drive the four hours to Madison. In the meantime, we passed her back and forth, and took lots of pictures. We ordered food for Juscha, and Sandra and I got subs from Subway, which is right in the hospital. Our friend Amy Mondloch was the first friend to show up to see Eve in person. Laurel came by the next morning, as did Leslie and Maple Schroeder. Both momma and baby were doing so well, we were all discharged the very next day and got home by 1 p.m.
Thanksgiving
Whew! Time flies when you have a newbie! There's a lot to share from Eve's little world. She met her Grandma and Grandpa Herrick, plus Aunt Kate and Uncle Adam for the first time. She also entertained a number of other friends. We had both Steve and my parents plus our three siblings in town for Thanksgiving, which was wonderful. Eve was passed around constantly for days, and rarely lost her cool. Eve lost her umbilical cord stump on the 25th, and has gained new rolls (kissing spots) at a rate of at least one a day. We figured she had gained some weight, but were surprised when she was weighed at the clinic today to find out that she is up to 7 lbs 14.6 oz! That's up 14.6 oz from 10 days ago!
We've been having fun going for walks in the neighborhood and otherwise settling in to our new lives. Steve started back at interpreting this week, but has another week of paid paternity leave from his part time job at WCCN.
Rather than post lots of pictures directly on the blog, follow this link to an online photo album - we think it'll be easier to digest.
http://picasaweb.google.com/juscha.robinson/EveSFirstThanksgiving?authkey=Gv1sRgCNLx84rTy4fElgE&feat=directlink
Happy December!
We've been having fun going for walks in the neighborhood and otherwise settling in to our new lives. Steve started back at interpreting this week, but has another week of paid paternity leave from his part time job at WCCN.
Rather than post lots of pictures directly on the blog, follow this link to an online photo album - we think it'll be easier to digest.
http://picasaweb.google.com/juscha.robinson/EveSFirstThanksgiving?authkey=Gv1sRgCNLx84rTy4fElgE&feat=directlink
Happy December!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
On the name "Xochitl"
First, a pronunciation guide. The "X" is just an "S" sound. The hard part is is the "tl" combination. It rhymes with "beetle," except that the "T" remains a true "T," and isn't softened to a "D" sound. However, if you still find this tricky to say, don't get too hung up on it. The emphasis goes on the first syllable, which means that even if you can say the ending properly, it's barely audible. In fact, every time I've heard this name in Latin America, the "tl" at the end has been dropped altogether. So, the conventional pronunciation is "SO-chee."
Second, a bit of explanation of why we chose this name. I first heard the name "Xochitl" in Nicaragua (where I lived for five years), and liked it immediately, both for its sound and for its historical connection. It comes from the indigenous Nahuatl language.
Actually, it's more accurate to say that Nahuatl is really a family of multiple languages, with scores of dialects, and yet the community that was actually called the Nahuatl people were minor players on the Mesoamerican scene. Their more famous cousins to the north, the Aztecs, never ruled them, but certainly influenced them culturally.
"Xochitl" means "flower." The verb form is "xotla," and means "to bloom," and also "to catch fire." Interestingly, it was also the name of one of their days, and as such, appears on the famous Aztec calendar as a highly stylized flower.
Today, Xochitl is known (though still not common) as a girl's name, but centuries ago, it was more common as a boy's name.
Second, a bit of explanation of why we chose this name. I first heard the name "Xochitl" in Nicaragua (where I lived for five years), and liked it immediately, both for its sound and for its historical connection. It comes from the indigenous Nahuatl language.
Actually, it's more accurate to say that Nahuatl is really a family of multiple languages, with scores of dialects, and yet the community that was actually called the Nahuatl people were minor players on the Mesoamerican scene. Their more famous cousins to the north, the Aztecs, never ruled them, but certainly influenced them culturally.
"Xochitl" means "flower." The verb form is "xotla," and means "to bloom," and also "to catch fire." Interestingly, it was also the name of one of their days, and as such, appears on the famous Aztec calendar as a highly stylized flower.
Today, Xochitl is known (though still not common) as a girl's name, but centuries ago, it was more common as a boy's name.
Days three and four
Day three: more friends come to visit -- Dan and Shawna Guinn. They're 32 weeks pregnant themselves!
Day four: Caretakers come to visit. First is our doula, Hannah. She says Eve is doing very well. She's begun to gain weight again, and continues to be highly responsive. Also, Sandra and I have both noticed that her hair is starting to fill in.
Next to visit is Julie, Juscha's chiropractor. She says that Eve is "wise," but also "has a stubborn streak." Neither came as a surprise to us, but it was interesting to have someone else say similar things about her to what we've been anticipating.Bonus: our friends Frank and Amy had their second child early this morning. She, and Mike and Eva's son (born on the 6th), Yogesh and Jodi's daughter (born about two weeks ago), and Dan and Shawna's daughter (to be born in January), will make up a whole new generation of Madisonians.
Reaction from Nicaragua
Here's what our friend Edward, from Managua, had to say...
Felicidades, felicidades, felicidades.
Xochitl, hija de la lluvia,hija de la creación.
Bienvenida al mundo de los hombres y las mujeres
del planeta tierra. Te recibimos con abrazos, un beso
y una flor. Salud, Salud, Salud.
Translation:
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations.
Xochitl, daughter of rain, daughter of creation.
Welcome to the world of men and women of planet Earth.
We receive you with hugs, a kiss, and a flower.
Cheers, cheers, cheers.
Felicidades, felicidades, felicidades.
Xochitl, hija de la lluvia,hija de la creación.
Bienvenida al mundo de los hombres y las mujeres
del planeta tierra. Te recibimos con abrazos, un beso
y una flor. Salud, Salud, Salud.
Translation:
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations.
Xochitl, daughter of rain, daughter of creation.
Welcome to the world of men and women of planet Earth.
We receive you with hugs, a kiss, and a flower.
Cheers, cheers, cheers.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Flashback to the old days (a week ago)
Here's a short(ened) video I took of Juscha's belly before Sprout was born. The upload dilutes the effect, but you can still get the idea, particularly at the end. (There's no sound.)
Day two, continued
Grandad and Marme gaze at Eve.
Olivia Parry, another good friend and Eve's "dharmama," meets her for the first time.
The happy family.
The happy extended family. Steve's parents are coming for Thanksgiving, so look for more extended family pictures after that.
A close-up. Notice how long her fingernails are!
A classic pose. We're trying to expose her to sunlight, as she has a mild case of jaundice. Turns out that's more common in newborns than we thought. Breastfeeding and sunlight are the best treatment.
Eve's opinion of having a spongebath.
Our favorite picture so far.
Hannah, our doula, makes a house call to check Sprout's progress. She's actually lost seven ounces since birth, but it's nothing to worry about, as some of that is poop, and she has "good reserves" to tide her over until she starts gaining weight again. Hannah says Sprout is doing very well, and is quite responsive for two days old. She also approves of the set-up of Sprout's room (and ours, where she actually spends most of her time).
Friday, November 20, 2009
Days one and two
Here she is, at roughly an hour old. We asked the nurses not to bathe her right away, so she still has vernix all over her. Vernix is a lotion-y material that protects babies' skin in utero. It also does a good job protecting them for the first hour or two of life, and can be rubbed in instead of wiped off.
She worked her fingers right from the get-go. She also has surprisingly big yawns. Here she is, doing both.
Our friend Amy Mondloch holds Eve for the first time.
Daddy and baby, sleeping on her first morning.
Marme (Juscha's mother, Sandra) holds Eve. She knitted the hat Eve is wearing.
Juscha puts Eve in her car seat for the first time. Steve got to close the latches.
Eve Xochitl, bundled up to go home for the first time.
Mommy and daughter sit on the futon.
Eve snoozes in her chair as everyone else eats lunch.
Day two: Grandad (Juscha's dad, John) shows up, and meets his granddaughter for the first time.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Drumroll please
Steve and I are proud and absolutely tickled to announce the birth of our daughter, Eve Xochitl Robinson Herrick. She was born November 18, at 9:54 a.m. after exactly 12 hours of labor. She weighs 7 lb 7 oz, measures 19.5", and is nursing well. We are all doing well, and very much in love.
Here are two pictures to tide you over until we get home to a better internet connection.
We are very grateful for all your love and support throughout this process. Eve's birth was beautiful, in large part because of that. We are thrilled to bring her into such a loving community, near and far, family and friends.
Here are two pictures to tide you over until we get home to a better internet connection.
We are very grateful for all your love and support throughout this process. Eve's birth was beautiful, in large part because of that. We are thrilled to bring her into such a loving community, near and far, family and friends.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
November 17 update
Well, the bottom line is there is still no baby on the outside. But I'm doing well and Sprout's doing well where she is. We keep explaining to her how nice it is out here, and that she really should come check it out for herself.
I had a trifecta of appointments today - chiropractic with Julie, acupuncture with Laurel, and routine OB visit with Dr Vohmann. Everything looks good. And we're hopeful that the birth is near, at least within a few days. I woke up Monday morning and just felt different. Sprout dropped even further, the mild contractions I'd been having on and off became more serious, and I've started rocking (standing or sitting) without thinking about it. As of right now, I'm still having contractions and weird twinges. I'm very glad I stopped working when I did, this would be pretty miserable and distracting sitting in an office chair all day.
Mom has worked her way organizing and cleaning through most of our kitchen cabinets (she's sorting and labeling my spice jars just now), and taken care of the baby's room. Steve has cut back on his hours, so has been around home more and been able to come to my appointments, which has been great. Brother Adam and his lady, Kristie, drove through Madison on their way from Florida to Minneapolis, and stayed with us for a night. We hadn't seen them since Christmas, and had a great time.
Otherwise, we're taking long walks every day and doing a bang up job of distracting ourselves in productive ways. I feel rested and relaxed, and definitely ready to get this show on the road. Thanks for all your love and thoughtful messages over the last few days. It's been very encouraging and a constant reminder of our community.
I had a trifecta of appointments today - chiropractic with Julie, acupuncture with Laurel, and routine OB visit with Dr Vohmann. Everything looks good. And we're hopeful that the birth is near, at least within a few days. I woke up Monday morning and just felt different. Sprout dropped even further, the mild contractions I'd been having on and off became more serious, and I've started rocking (standing or sitting) without thinking about it. As of right now, I'm still having contractions and weird twinges. I'm very glad I stopped working when I did, this would be pretty miserable and distracting sitting in an office chair all day.
Mom has worked her way organizing and cleaning through most of our kitchen cabinets (she's sorting and labeling my spice jars just now), and taken care of the baby's room. Steve has cut back on his hours, so has been around home more and been able to come to my appointments, which has been great. Brother Adam and his lady, Kristie, drove through Madison on their way from Florida to Minneapolis, and stayed with us for a night. We hadn't seen them since Christmas, and had a great time.
Otherwise, we're taking long walks every day and doing a bang up job of distracting ourselves in productive ways. I feel rested and relaxed, and definitely ready to get this show on the road. Thanks for all your love and thoughtful messages over the last few days. It's been very encouraging and a constant reminder of our community.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
40.5 week belly pix . . .
We hope these are the last in this series! If you compare to last week's, you will note how much further down she is.
Still pregnant
There's not really any more news, but for those of you for whom this is your only source of update, I should probably update!
Mom arrived on Thursday night. We've had a pleasant few days. She tackled the baby's room yesterday and made it less overwhelming. (A lot of the stuff moved into our room, so that's the next project!) The baby's room is in great shape, everything is washed and ready for an occupant (hint hint, sprout).
We've been taking long walks every day, and enjoying some beautiful fall weather (50s and sunny). I went in to acupuncture three days in a row, and while each time I got cramps and it felt like early labor, it petered out. I'm thinking of it as conditioning. Someone suggested a castor oil compress, which I did last night, and that had almost instant effects, but again petered out. All of which suggests that Sprout is just not quite ready. I trust that my body knows how to birth this child, just like it knew how to grow it. I haven't a clue and am just the host. Actually very relieved that I'm not directing any of this, come to think about it.
Sprout is not ready, perhaps, but she is more of an entertainer than ever. She has gotten so big and is still so active, that her movements are visible across the room. To the point where Steve actually set up the camcorder the other night and we got some good footage of her rocking out. This is test driving the camera, actually. He's in the process of learning how to download and edit it, so when he's successfully finished, we'll upload it here for your amusement.
Mom arrived on Thursday night. We've had a pleasant few days. She tackled the baby's room yesterday and made it less overwhelming. (A lot of the stuff moved into our room, so that's the next project!) The baby's room is in great shape, everything is washed and ready for an occupant (hint hint, sprout).
We've been taking long walks every day, and enjoying some beautiful fall weather (50s and sunny). I went in to acupuncture three days in a row, and while each time I got cramps and it felt like early labor, it petered out. I'm thinking of it as conditioning. Someone suggested a castor oil compress, which I did last night, and that had almost instant effects, but again petered out. All of which suggests that Sprout is just not quite ready. I trust that my body knows how to birth this child, just like it knew how to grow it. I haven't a clue and am just the host. Actually very relieved that I'm not directing any of this, come to think about it.
Sprout is not ready, perhaps, but she is more of an entertainer than ever. She has gotten so big and is still so active, that her movements are visible across the room. To the point where Steve actually set up the camcorder the other night and we got some good footage of her rocking out. This is test driving the camera, actually. He's in the process of learning how to download and edit it, so when he's successfully finished, we'll upload it here for your amusement.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
D Day minus 1
We're officially due tomorrow, November 13. Mom arrived this evening, prepared to hunker down with us for the duration, probably two weeks or so when the rest of both families show up for Thanksgiving. We celebrated with what is becoming the traditional first night in town Glass Nickel pizza.
Hopefully we'll have a baby *well* before Thanksgiving! I've been having contractions on and off since last weekend, including a six hour stretch on Sunday. I called the doula, Hannah, after 5 hours, to ask if this was it. She said if I could talk through them (yes) then it wasn't, and recommended I get a good night's sleep. Wise woman. Five days later, I'm still pregnant. Although things are definitely shifting and I think I'm close. I went in to my acupuncturist, Laurel at Red Sage Health, tonight, and she did some points to help things along. We'll see if that does the trick. Had a completely uneventful, even pleasant OB visit this morning, too. Dr. Vohmann declared that I have a "happy camper in there".
Finally, today was my last day at work until January. I have some very important nesting to do. I am profoundly grateful to my partners and the staff, who are handling my clients and files in my absence and making it possible for me to take 8 weeks off!!
Hopefully we'll have a baby *well* before Thanksgiving! I've been having contractions on and off since last weekend, including a six hour stretch on Sunday. I called the doula, Hannah, after 5 hours, to ask if this was it. She said if I could talk through them (yes) then it wasn't, and recommended I get a good night's sleep. Wise woman. Five days later, I'm still pregnant. Although things are definitely shifting and I think I'm close. I went in to my acupuncturist, Laurel at Red Sage Health, tonight, and she did some points to help things along. We'll see if that does the trick. Had a completely uneventful, even pleasant OB visit this morning, too. Dr. Vohmann declared that I have a "happy camper in there".
Finally, today was my last day at work until January. I have some very important nesting to do. I am profoundly grateful to my partners and the staff, who are handling my clients and files in my absence and making it possible for me to take 8 weeks off!!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Your turn: guess the date, weight and length
Aunt Pam suggested we take bets on Sprout's timing and dimensions . . . if you're game, please add your guess as a comment to this post. We'll come up with some good prize for the winners.
Pam's guess: 7lbs.8oz. 20in. 11-19-09
Pam's guess: 7lbs.8oz. 20in. 11-19-09
Links to full progression of belly pictures
For those of you tuning in now, Steve has been taking belly pictures of me from front and side every Sunday night since we first starting noticing a bump. It's funny now to look back and remember how significant it felt. Little did we realize how big the belly would become!
Anyhoo, here are the links to the full series:
Front progression belly pix
Side progression belly pix
And after this, I promise, you won't be seeing pictures of my bare belly for awhile!
Anyhoo, here are the links to the full series:
Front progression belly pix
Side progression belly pix
And after this, I promise, you won't be seeing pictures of my bare belly for awhile!
39.5 week belly pix
Here are the latest and greatest installments to our series of belly pictures . . .
. . . and the question is, are these the last? Stay tuned!
. . . and the question is, are these the last? Stay tuned!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Juscha has started having irregular contractions. However, all the literature says that kind of thing can go on for days, or even weeks. The countdown has been begun, but we don't know quite where it stands.
Meanwhile, our friends and neighbors Mike and Eva had their baby night before last, and we're looking forward to meeting little Max Emiliano.
Meanwhile, our friends and neighbors Mike and Eva had their baby night before last, and we're looking forward to meeting little Max Emiliano.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
39 week OB appointment and office shower
I met with Dr. Rebecca Bull today; she's the other half to my OB team (Dr. Monica Vohmann is the other, and our main care provider and Sprout's to-be pediatrician. They're both family practitioners). They job share, it seems like, so depending on what day of the week I go into labor, one or the other is on call. Anyhow, Steve and I are very pleased with both of them and I will not be trying for any particular day of the week.
Dr Bull confirmed that I'm carrying Sprout very low, but that everything else (i.e. cervix) is still very high, so I've got a ways to go yet. I have been having contractions in front and low, and some discomfort from ligaments stretching, but nothing too exciting. It all just shows that, as Dr. Bull put it, I will have a baby out of this at some point. Surprise! I'm pregnant.
Dr Bull confirmed that I'm carrying Sprout very low, but that everything else (i.e. cervix) is still very high, so I've got a ways to go yet. I have been having contractions in front and low, and some discomfort from ligaments stretching, but nothing too exciting. It all just shows that, as Dr. Bull put it, I will have a baby out of this at some point. Surprise! I'm pregnant.
In other news, my firm threw me a very sweet baby shower last night after work. The staff, the people from the title company that shares our office, and all the partners were there, plus Steve. They fed us spicy chili and carrot cake (trying to get things moving, no doubt), and plied us with very thoughtful gifts. Special thanks to Jade, Thuy and Eric. It was a good reminder of how lucky I am to work with you all and what a special community we have in our little office family.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
38.5 week belly pix
Well, Sprout dropped Tuesday night to Wednesday. I can now feel the lower ribs (lost them weeks and weeks ago) and generally have more room to breath. Fortunately, my bladder hasn't taken the brunt of the shift like I had anticipated. She's still moving lots, and making me look even more lopsided than usual.
Steve and I spent a pleasant weekend cleaning up outside for winter and putting together minor projects on the Sprout list. Almost done!
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