How it all went down!

Ok, I'm taking the blog back over from Jason :) I'll still let him do his photo thing, since he's so good at it- I love the daily slideshows he put up :) Logan is going to be so used to Hollywood Paprazzi, with all of the pics that have been taken of him! haha :) But what can you do, when you are THAT cute, people just WANT to take a photo of you :) hehe

So we're back home now, we were discharged from the hospital on Monday afternoon. Both Jason and I were really looking forward to going HOME- we really enjoyed our stay at St. John's- the nurses were AMAZING there, but you know how it is...you just want to be in your own bed, and be on your own schedule (While the nurses were great, I'm not going to miss them waking me up every few hours to take my blood pressure! haha). Being home has been great. The transition hasn't been that hard- other than the fact that I know I need to sleep more. I just haven't felt OVERLY tired yet, but I think i just need to give in and nap when the baby does, as everyone says- especially while Jason is home this week. That's my goal for the next couple of days...stop doing so much! In the hospital I didn't take any additional pain medicine aside from what was given for the actual surgery and then an anti-inflammatory pill each day- I felt great the whole time...but now that we're home, sans that little pill each day, I'm feeling it- especially yesterday and this morning. So we're going to pick up some Motrin and I'll start taking that so I can start to feel better. Its hard to slow down when you just feel good, but again- goals for this week are to take it easy and take advantage of the Hubby help I currently have.

I know some people like hearing birth stories, others don't- I wont get graphic or go into much detail, so read if you want, skip if you don't want to know how everything went down :)

Jas and I got to the hospital on Thursday at 5:30am and I got set up in my awesome gown and had some initial tests done. Right around 7am they took me in to the OR to get prepped. I was getting a spinal block to numb me from the high torso down to my toes. I was really nervous about getting this shot, just because it sounded painful and anything puncturing my spinal fluid just doesn't sound like a good idea! haha. It was a good thing my nurses and the anesthesiologist were amazing at this point. The spinal block really didn't hurt at all. They give you a shot of a local anesthetic first to numb the area and then they give you the spinal block shot- pretty simple. It was an EXTREMELY weird sensation not being able to move my legs- but I didn't freak out at all, which I was worried I would...must have been that morphine! haha.

As all of this was going on, Jason was waiting in the labor prep room that we began the day in. Poor guy. The nurses told him it wouldn't take more than 10 minutes to get me settled in the OR, at which point they would come get him...well it took a LOT longer than 10 minutes...and he was freaking out. At one point he thought he missed the surgery!! But they finally let him in the OR to sit by my side which made everything a bit better. Prior to the surgery I warned the nurses and the anesthesiologist that when I lay on my back, I tend to pass out (Only during pregnancy)- they thanked me for telling them this and said they would just put a few IV bags under one of my sides to prop me over to the side. I figured this would NOT work, but I let them do their thing since they ARE professionals! Sure enough, within about 5 minutes of being on my back, I started to feel faint. The anesthesiologist could see my BP numbers dropping rapidly and turned the entire operating table on it's side. Had she not been paying attention and let me go about 1 minute longer, I'm sure I would have completely passed out. I felt SO uncomfortable, broke out into a cold sweat and just wanted to "Quit" at one point just to gain some control back. But once they turned the table to an angle, I felt great. The Anesthesiologist had to do this one more time during surgery because my numbers dropped again, but as soon as Logan came out, I was good again :)

Being IN surgery and being awake was weird. I don't think Jason liked it at all...however, he did say he would prefer THAT over seeing me battle labor pains for hours on end. The whole procedure just felt like the Dr. was pushing on my belly. I asked Jas at one point if they had even started yet and he looked at me like "oh yes...yes you are definitely OPEN right now" haha. As Dr. Morris made her way to where Logan was she laughed out loud and said "Ok, we definitely made the right decision on doing a C-Section! This head is HUGE!" haha. And since Logan hadn't fully descended, Dr. Morris had to actually suction him out a bit with a vacuum- I didn't know they did that in C-Sections, but I'm proof that they do! They got him out and attempted to show him to me over the curtain, but the drape was put up at a weird angle and I couldn't see him. Which, in hindsight is probably a good thing because Jas said he was a bit purple. While Logan was swimming in the womb, he took in a LOT of amniotic fluid...I apparently had a LOT in there- that's the main reason why my belly was SO large (And the fact that there was a 9lb 1oz baby in there!). The RN that was prepping me squeezed my belly at one point and said "oh jeez...you are ALL fluid!" then proceeded to WARN each Doctor, nurse, assistant etc that I was going to GUSH and they should get out the gutters! Awesome. Just awesome. Haha. And apparently she was right, I guess there was over a liter of fluid that splashed out during the operation and they were all drenched...sorry! Anyway, because of that fluid, Logan sucked in a lot while in the womb and needed to get it OUT before they could deem him totally healthy. So after he was out of me, they cleaned him up a bit, let me kiss him on the cheek and then he and Jason headed to the nursery.

Again, poor Jason at this point. I swear the husbands have a harder time on the birth day than the mother's do- he was a stressed out wreck. As they put me in recovery, Jason was in the nursery checking on Logan. Apparently none of the nurses or doctors were worried about him, but the fact that he wasn't 100% doing awesome, Jason was dying. I guess when a baby swallows too much fluid, there isn't a whole lot they can do, as long as he's relatively healthy- they just need the baby to cough the fluid out...well have you ever asked a baby to cough on cue? Ya, doesn't really work. So basically they just make the baby uncomfortable to get him to cry so he does it on his own (Logan did cry when he first came out, so he could breathe fine, just had a bunch of fluid in his system). So they gave him a bath, did all of his tests etc and eventually he coughed enough to come see me...this was seriously like 2 hours LATER! Thank goodness for morphine and prayer. I was in the recovery area with the RN just waiting...normally, I would be in a full panic attack at this point, but I just couldn't let myself go there. I asked the nurse at one point if everything was Ok and she assured me it was all fine, just a long process. So I just did a little prayer/chant/mantra asking that Logan be Ok...and it worked!

Soon enough, I heard Jason's sweet voice and saw him wheeling Logan towards me in his bassinet! FINALLY! I still couldn't TOUCH the bambino because I was just too out of it with the morphine, but just being able to see him and see that he was perfect was enough. I couldn't believe how much he looked like Jason- the ears, eyes and chin are TOTALLY Jason! The head shape is mine all the way, so it will be really fun to see how he grows and morphs into his own little person.

After recovery, we were wheeled to our room. There had been a LOT of babies that week so we were actually put up in the GYN ward, which was just down the hall from the Labor and Delivery area- same room types, just different location which was fine. We did our 2 hour bonding time where I got to nurse Logan for the first time. Very cool. I won't go in to detail, but it was just a very cool experience to know that my body could be responsible for keeping this little life healthy. He latched on pretty well right away which was another big relief.

The rest of the day was spent seeing the family, and loving up on Logan. The nurses kept coming in and asking if I had any pain...I didn't...ever. It was very weird. At first, we chalked it up to the morphine still being in my system, but 24 hours after labor and still no pain...weird. But a good weird, because I'd prefer that over excruciating pain!

I think I managed to walk to the bathroom (With assistance) on the first night which was pretty cool. And Jason and I went on a walk around the ward on Friday.

The rest of our stay was great. We had a few visitors and our parents with us each day which was an awesome thing. On Saturday my Dad came over to hang out while the Grandma's were off shopping for food for Jas and I and making us delicious food to freeze for meals. Saturday was also the day of Logan's circumcision...poor guy- again, I think Jason and the Dad's were more traumatized by this surgery than Logan was. The only crappy thing about the surgery was that the nurses warned us 50% of babies fuss and cry ALL day afterwards, while the other 50% just sleep through the trauma. Well, Logan decided to sleep through the trauma....and what sucked is that we were told by several nurses and our pediatrician to let him sleep...to not wake him and feed him. Jas and I thought that was weird, but figured they knew what they were talking about...well not feeding him ended up setting us back a LOT. Logan lost way too much weight that day and because of it, the Dr. wanted us to supplement each feeding session with formula. We happily obliged to this new plan, but we weren't thrilled with it. I really wanted to do 100% breast feeding and i wasn't sure what supplementing with a bottle and formula would do to his feeding preferences at these early stages. But, the bottom line is that it worked. By the next night, Logan had gained an ounce which made everyone happy. They wanted us to continue the formula use for awhile until he was back to his birth weight. Groan.

On Monday, just before we were getting ready to be discharged, we called the lactation consultants to our room to see if they could give us some last minute tips on techniques. While they were helping, we mentioned to them what we had been told about not feeding Logan and that now we were giving him formula...the head consultant was FURIOUS. She practically demanded the names of the nurses would had given us this advice. She couldn't believe that the staff had actually told us to NOT feed our baby. Once she calmed down, she gave us some great tips. She said that as soon as we get home, I should start pumping. My milk had come in (Boy had it ever! That's a funny story for another time...and another audience), so there wasn't going to be an issue there. She said that we should nurse him as needed (every 2 or 3 hours) and then pump and instead of giving him some formula after each feeding, give him some breast milk in a bottle. It'll be easier for him to consume, and we'll know the exact quantity that he's getting. This made Jason and I feel SO much better. So that's just what we did, and just what we've been doing and it's worked like a charm. At Logan's weight check appointment yesterday, he had gained 2 oz since Monday and the doctor said he was well on his way of getting back to 9lbs 1oz by July 13th, which is when our 2-week appointment is.

After being discharged from the hospital, Jason and i started our new life as parents at home! Everything has gone really well so far. The biggest challenge has been trying to figure out when to pump and when to feed so that we have a good back up supply. We're getting there, but the little guy has started increasing his appetite so quickly I can barely keep up!

The lack of sleep hasn't been too big of an issue, I think mainly because it's not like I'm up at 3am just waiting for something to happen...I have a duty if I'm going to be up- I have to nurse Logan. And I think because of that, and maybe some wacky hormone that women get, I've been adjusting quite well. Jason was amazing last night and let me sleep through the night while he did the 6am feeding- 7 hours of sleep felt more like 24 and I woke up very refreshed!

As far as my recovery goes, that too has been going very well. As I noted before, I never needed any additional pain medication after the surgery. I did pick up some Motrin at the store yesterday to relieve a bit of muscle soreness, but nothing too extreme. Before the surgery, Jason and i figured I would maybe be able to walk down the hall on our first day home, MAYBE if I was feeling up to it we could make it all the way to the elevator...well, we did all that and a LOT more. We walked probably a good mile with Logan in the stroller on our 2nd night home. Today we did a little less and walked to the local market for lunch. I don't walk quite as fast as I usually do, and I have to take a sitting break in the middle of it all, but I'm doing it. The biggest pain I feel is in my back. I think I am favoring my mid section and not letting it get too jostled, therefore I'm arching my back in a funny way. Also, being in the "look down" position while adoring my Son and nursing has put a strain on that area as well. But aside from that, I think I'm doing really well.

All in all, I love being a Mom. I feel so blessed to have this child in my life. I feel so grateful that Jason and I were able to conceive, have a great pregnancy, great delivery and great recovery. Logan is just perfect in our eyes and I can only hope to have a dozen more just like him...Ooh, I hope Jason doesn't read this and see that number! Haha :)

I promise other posts won't be this long :) I just wanted to get the full story out!

Love,

Ash

June 28th (Day 5) Pics

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June 27th (Day 4) Pics

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June 26th (Day 3) Pics

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June 25th (Day 2) Pics

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Logan Jason Laub has Arrived!

Logan Jason Laub was born at 8:35am this morning, June 24, 2010.
He weighed in at 9lbs, 1oz & 20.5in.
Mom & Baby are doing well & Logan is having his first meal right now.

We love you Logan!!!



Full size pictures can be viewed at Picasa - Click Here

Baby Time

It's 4:45 on Thursday June 24, 2010...life is about to change forever in about 3 hours. By 8am Jason and I should have delivered our son via c-section!! We can hardly believe it and we are SO excited for this day! Ever since Jason and I started dating we made it clear that we both wanted kids some day...well ready or not, someday is here!

Our parents have all arrived and they are ready to head to the hospital in a couple of hours. The love that surrounds this child already is amazing :)

I'm a bit anxious about the surgery, just because I don't know what to expect, but I'm sure everything will go fine. Sleeping has not come easily over the last few nights due to anxious nerves...I guess it's about time in this pregnancy I have a hard time sleeping right?

Hopefully Jason can keep posting stuff on here while I'm recovering in the hospital- but I can't make any promises :) hehe.

Thanks again for all of the prayers, thoughts, and well wishes we've received over the past 24 hours- it means so much to us to know that so many people that WE love will be thinking of our family on such a big day.

Happy Birthday Logan! I'm off to become a Mommy :)

xo

Why We Made the Decision We Did

As many of you are aware, Jason and I made the decision to have a scheduled C-Section on Thursday 6/24/2010 in order to delivery Logan safely. Many of you may be wondering why we would have CHOSEN to have this procedure done. I figured I've been open enough about everything ELSE while writing this blog, why stop now? So I'll explain everything as best I can so that everyone is "In the know".

We've known for awhile that Logan was going to be a large baby. Between Jason's family and my family, we have some big genes! We never really knew what that would mean until our 34 week appointment.

At that appointment, the doctor did some initial measurements which helped her to gage how big Logan could potentially be. We heard a lot of "Oh Wow!"'s and "That's big!" while in that appointment as Dr. Morris was measuring Logan's leg and head! At that point, she hinted that we may have to induce labor around week 39 or 40 (Legally, a doctor is not allowed to induce a labor any sooner than 39 weeks unless there is something wrong with the baby, or the Mom). She told us that we wouldn't need to make any decisions until 38 weeks which is when we would do another ultrasound and get a plan together.

Cut to week 38 (Last week), and we did do another ultrasound. Dr. Morris confirmed at that appointment that Logan had a really large head! She wouldn't tell us HOW big it was, because, really- who needs to know that? I know that I've got 10cm to work with, and the look on her face made it clear that Logan's noggin was WAY bigger than that! Once all of the measurements were completed, she decided to discuss our options with us. She broke it down that we could either induce labor and attempt to push Logan out, or we could opt to do a C-Section and avoid labor entirely.

Dr. Morris further explained the complications that could occur should we choose to induce. Aside from the obvious issue of Logan's head not fitting through the canal, she also explained other issues that we could face:

• Assuming the head DOES fit, they don't know if the shoulders will fit. If that were the case, the baby may be able to manipulate his own bones to squeeze his shoulders through on his own, but that's not always the case. If Logan wasn't able to do it himself, the Dr. would have to break his collarbone- which would heal, but still- she'd have to BREAK HIS COLLARBONE (Doesn't that just break your heart thinking of a little baby having a broken bone on his first day in the world?). Another thing that could happen is that while twisting himself to make it out, he could temporarily or permanently damage his arm. We asked what type of "Permanent" damage would occur and she said that forever he would have numbness and weakness in that affected arm. Yikes.
• Back to the first issue, his head- it could very well be that his head doesn't fit at all and Logan could get stuck just before crowing. When that happens, you have a matter of minutes to get the baby out so that the blood supply isn't cut off, and permanent brain damage or worse doesn't set in. I don't think I need to clarify what is worse than brain damage.
• Going through labor could all in all be a success, but due to the fact that we would be inducing, overruling Mother Nature, it may not go quickly- which can be exhausting for the Mother. On the other hand, labor could go VERY quickly (All 3 of my Mom's labors were pretty quick) which would leave the Dr. less time to react to any complications.

Dr. Morris ultimately left the decision up to Jason and I. She said that overall, she was Ok with either option we went with, as long as we were aware that if we chose to induce and she wasn't comfortable with the progress she would take over and have us do a C-Section.

So Jason and I left her office and talked about our options. As I write this, it baffles me that I actually wanted to TRY to push him out. But yes, that was my initial thought. I explained to Jason that I felt I could do it and I wanted to give it a try. I asked Jason what he wanted to do, and he said he felt that trying the induction was too risky. Something *clicked* in my head when he said that- I realized that the decisions we make from here on out were going to need to put Logan first- and that was going to begin with this decision. It didn't make sense to put HIM at the biggest risk so that I could try to experience Labor. So after a little more talking, Jason and I decided to just schedule a C-Section for the next week and call it good. So that's exactly what we did.

After speaking with several people since we made our decision I cannot tell you how right it feels to do the C-Section. I can think of at least 3 people who either had a natural labor (meaning they began going in to labor without an induction) or were induced and labored for hour after hour (One person labored 50 hours, pushed for 2), only to have all of it end up with a C-Section anyway. At that point, the Mother then has to deal with being exhausted from the labor, recovering from the surgery AND taking care of a newborn- I just think that since we were given the CHOICE, we should take the easier route since not too many things are going to be easy from here on out!

So we have a C-section scheduled for 7:30am on Thursday the 24th. Our families are flying in or driving down for the event, though Jason will be the only person in the OR with me. We'll be in the hospital for 4 nights and should be released sometime on Monday. Jason is going to be with me from the 24th through July 6th since I will need a lot of help getting around and caring for Logan (Most likely Jason will be doing all of the diaper changes for the first little while). My Mom arrives for a week and half on Saturday July 17th so I'll have about a week and a half "on my own. I have a lot of friends in the area that I know will come over and help if I need it, including one brother who I know is just DYING to change diapers! haha :)

I know that the recovery will be tough, but I have a really good attitude about it all. I'm a tough and motivated individual and I'm also very goal oriented- so I think every day I will have a goal in mind for how to get a little bit further in my recovery. Whether that means one day I walk down to the elevator of our apartment building, and the next day I get IN the elevator etc I will do it and I will recover well.

So that's the story! If you have any questions, let me know- I'm pretty much an open book at this point, so I'm happy to answer anything :)

Just a few more days!!

-Ash-

Things I won't miss...

Here is a collage of things I will not miss once I'm not pregnant!

• It's been a few months since I've been able to wear my engagement ring or wedding ring- so being able to pop that beautiful diamond BACK on my hand is a great great thing!

• While maternity jeans have come in VERY handy over the past 9 months, I am so over them. They just don't fit right anymore- at all. Some parts are too long, some parts are too tight- and overall they are just uncomfortable! If I could walk around in Yoga pants and Lycra tank tops everyday, trust me, I would (That's what I'm wearing right now!)

• By this point, I have to take a daily (huge) dose of tums- having never been a sufferer of heartburn BEFORE becoming pregnant, I have not gotten used to this side effect at all- I will be thrilled to put the Tums bottle back where it belongs- under the counter in the bathroom!

• Every week that I go to the doctor, I get weighed...and that darn number keeps creeping up! I've thought I'd reached the max weight SEVERAL times, beginning SEVERAL weeks ago- but nope! That number just keeps getting bigger...and bigger...and bigger. I'm over it. Several people have told me that once I deliver the baby, my weight will drop tremendously since a lot of it is the baby's weight, fluid etc...I cannot WAIT to step on the scale after I return home from the hospital! If my stitches allow, I may just do a jig around the apartment!

• I haven't been able to fit into my regular shoes for a good month and a half at this point. My clogs that I love, stand no chance next to my beefy piggies, so I will be really excited to get back in to those....as long as my feet haven't permanently stretched! I've heard that can happen- up to an entire size! I swear, 1/2 of the expense that babies cause is really from all of the clothes the Mom has to buy for herself after being pregnant because of all the changes your body has gone through!

• Lastly, I will NOT miss the constant back pain that I've felt. Not having a nagging ache along the left side of my spine will be amazing. The Chiropractor has helped to relieve me of some of the pain, but after a few hours it always seems to return.

So I am seeing amazing things in my future....oooh I can't wait!

Possibly our 2nd to Last Photo Update

Here I am at a whopping 38 weeks (Mmmm....Whopping...sounds like Whoppers...makes me think of a Whopper milkshake my Mom makes....YUM....may have to whip out the Blender tonight!). It kills me how far OUT Logan is....I think it was 34 weeks or something I was looking pretty round, now it looks like I have a rocket ship inside me bursting to get out via my belly button! Hopefully that is NOT the case!



I say that this may be our 2nd to last photo update because at our 1:30 OB appointment today we are supposed to figure out the game plan for getting Mr. Logan out and into the real world! Jason and I both have a feeling that the doctor will want to induce me either next week or the following week. If she does it next week, then we'll take one final photo this weekend (or better yet, just before we head to the hospital) and then all photos after that will be with the Baby (And no more profile shots of me in a sports bra for awhile- that's for sure!).

The purpose of today's appointment is to get a look at Logan and to find out the following as best we can:
1. What position he's in. At 34 weeks, the doctor did an ultrasound and figured out that Logan was transverse in the womb (Sideways)- which is not a good place to be! She said he was more head down than anything, but definitely wasn't in the necessary birthing position. She had mentioned at that time that she may be able to manually turn him...but at last weeks appointment, as she gaged the size of my tummy, she said she would NOT be comfortable turning him herself. The procedure to turn the baby is pretty common, but can be dangerous. I think her concern plays in to how big he is, and what little room he must have inside- a huge risk of doing a manual turn is rupturing the placenta- which isn't good for anyone involved! So, if he's not turned by today, we're going to talk to our doc about doing some acupuncture to get him headed in the right direction. Our OB's office has a licensed acupuncturist on site, so I'm sure she could help us out.

2. Get a more accurate measurement of what Logan weighs right now. At 34 weeks, all of the measurements she took put him right around 7lbs 6oz...with 6 weeks to go! Given that during the last 4 weeks a baby gains about a 1/2lb per week, that would put him just too large to even fathom! Which would be her main reason for wanting to induce and get him out early. No need to let him sit and cook even longer (Even though I'm sure he's QUITE comfortable in there!) when a natural delivery (meaning not inducing) would only lead to complications in the delivery room. Inducing at this point would just help increase our chances for a vaginal birth, if we let him get much bigger, then a C-Section will most likely be inevitable. And while that may be the case regardless, Jas and I have agreed that we'd like to ATTEMPT at delivering vaginally if at all possible. So only time will tell...

It's kind of funny how far I've come in my thinking of what I want out of this birth...it's always been my goal to have a SAFE delivery of Logan- no question. But I've just gone in so many directions about how I want to GET to that safe delivery it makes me laugh. Initially, I was all about an epidural, hadn't ever really given a natural birth much thought. I figured I would have a vaginal birth, with drugs like "everyone" does. Then, out of the blue I started thinking I wanted to do a natural birth- no drugs, just me and a cup of strength! And now, that we know more about Logan and his size and me and my size, I'm back at square one- just get that baby out of me safely, healthily and I don't care what that means- Drugs, no drugs, C-Section- whatever.

It's frustrating to me to hear so many people discuss C-Sections in a negative light. I don't understand how people in this country don't trust their doctors- and yet will still GO to a doctor to have their child. If someone is so against, and non-trusting o the medical community, especially when it comes to child birth, why not just head out to the forest, pop a squat and get that baby out Old School style? If your going to entrust yourself with a hospital, a nursing staff and a licensed doctor then you may as well trust them 100%. People have spouted off statistics to me from day one about how my doctor will push me to have a C-section because it makes THEIR life so much easier. While I agree that the US has a very high percentage of C-Sections, I don't know that many people making the argument against C-Sections really think about where that high number comes from:

1. The US is a very medically advanced country, so of course, when compared to Namibia we're going to have a higher number of C-sections performed.
2. The US has more multiple births than most countries, due in large part to the IVF that goes on in this country. It is VERY rare for a mother carrying multiples to deliver vaginally. In order to get all of the babies out safely, a C-Section is a lot of times the only option.
3. I read recently that 90% of scheduled C-Sections are requested by the Patient- not the doctor who has a 3:30 Tee Time, but the MOTHER. For some women, it's just more convenient and more suitable to their lifestyle to 1. have a c-section and 2. have one scheduled. No fault or crime in that.
4. The US is a VERY legally charged country. You can sue someone for looking at you in the wrong way and causing you emotional distress. Because of that, Doctors in this country are far less inclined to just "let things play out" when there is a possible cause for concern with either the Mother or the baby- or both. If given the choice between the two (let the mother attempt to delivery vaginally or perform a C-Section and almost guarantee a safe outcome), the doctor is going to take the safer of the 2. Again, no fault or crime in that.
5. I also read recently that babies in the recent past have been delivered at larger weights- why? Well, probably not for the reason you would think. In the last 10 years or so, women have STOPPED SMOKING while pregnant, they've also been eating more healthy since we have more research on what a developing fetus needs to thrive. So those 2 factors alone have given us more plump and more healthy babies which usually also means BIGGER babies.

I think this country just needs to "Simmer Down". It's great that we're a free country and have the right to our opinions and all that, but sometimes I think we get a little out of hand and just start blaming, bashing and taking for granted all that we have.

I think Jason put it best while in the middle of one of our birthing classes:
Jas: "Have humans in general gotten a lot BIGGER over the years? Like, are babies now a lot bigger than they were 100 years ago?"

Me: "I'm sure we've grown a little, but I don't think drastically, why?"

Jas: "Well, if we have so many C-Sections because babies aren't fitting through the canal as much, I'm just wondering how they got around that 100 years ago"

Me: "umm...well...in that situation, 25, 50, 100 years ago...either the Mom or the Baby would not make it."

Jas: "Oooh."

Of course, I would love to have this baby vaginally- for me, that goes without saying, but I am not about to jeopardize the health of my baby or myself just to "prove a point". If I can do it (And let's face it, I've got hips...I've been told FOREVER that I have great hips for birthing, it would be nice to put them to good use!), I will do it, but I'm not going to be bullheaded (for once) about this- I'm going to put my faith in God, my trust in the Doctor's and nurses that are at the hospital to know what is best for me and Logan and I hope at the end of the day I can look at my Son and be happy with the outcome that got him in my arms :)

Last Month = First Craving

So, I've felt that overall, I've kind of gotten JIPPED out of one very common symptom of pregnancy...CRAVINGS! There hasn't been anything crazy that I have just HAD to have...nothing waking me up in the middle of the night that called for an emergency run to Ralph's by Jason...not until this morning. Now, it wasn't a CRAZY craving, but it was something I just HAD to have! Waffles...Belgian Waffles topped with whipped cream and strawberries! There's a Denny's down the street from us, but Jason was sound asleep, my brother and his girlfriend were out watching the Wold Cup, Iris is in vegas and Suz is in Palm Springs...everyone else lives too far away! Since I wasn't about to waddle myself to the closest Denny's, I decided to get all Martha Stewart-like and make my OWN waffles!

Thanks to a great Waffle Maker that my fabulous Aunt Kathy, Uncle Rod, Cousins Erin and Michael gave Jas and I for our wedding, my craving was satisfied! And boy oh boy were they good!! YUM-O!

Ok...I'll show you the feet

Here's a picture of my feet from just a few months ago- back in February, right before we found out if we were having a Boy or a Girl...look at how lovely they are! Slender, petite, gorgeous!


Now look at what I'm dealing with! At least they aren't painful...yet! But they sure are beastly!


I mean the "After" feet don't even look real! I feel like a little gnome must come in my bedroom every night and add plaster makeup to my feet to make them look this way! It's unbelievable!

I apologize if this made anyone's lunch come back up...just be glad you don't have to look at them every day!

How am I feeling? Take your pick from one of the following...

Only one part of me feels like our favorite pre-historic man...my Feet! My feet have taken on a life of their own, and I'm beginning to think that all of the weight I've gained is residing in each of my little piggies! I am just putting my faith in the words of my mother-friends who SWEAR to me, all of the fluid will go away after the baby arrives and within 24 hours of giving birth, I will have normal, cute, human, GIRL feet again! I would post a photo of the feet...but I dare not, because i may put some of you in to shock by the mere sight!



I must make it clear that on my own, or with good friends *I* do not feel like a circus freak. All things considered, physically, I feel great (Aside from the elephantitis I have on my feet)- I think a lot of pregnant women are just OVER the whole PG thing by this time, but I'm still really enjoying it. Especially since Logan has started to descend/lighten/DROP I feel like I'm barely pregnant! I can only imagine what I'll feel like when he's officially out of me! But back to the Circus Freak comparison- the way people react to me as of late has me feeling like a circus freak. Sure, I get the occasional (And VERY much appreciated) "You look great!" "You barely look pregnant...from behind!"...but more often than not, each day brings "OMIGOD...how pregnant are you?" or "You are HUMONGOUS!" or "Are you due like any minute?" No people- I actually have 3 more weeks thank you VERY much! My favorite comment however, came yesterday while in the elevator leaving our weekly doctor's appointment. A nice old lady got in with us and said "Wow, you just do pregnancy beautifully!" to which I replied "Wow, thank you! I'm so used to hearing that I just look humongous all day..." to which SHE replied "oh you are humongous, but you are a beautiful humongous" Wait...what?...
And strangers just kind of gawk at me...to the point where I almost just wish I was wearing a mumu so I could chalk all of this extra weight to being overweight instead of pregnant- doesn't that seem backwards? Whenever I'm outside- grabbing lunch, at the grocery store, running an errand and i see that I'm about to cross someones path, I try to smile, thinking that maybe my jovial belly will brighten their day, but instead they don't know what to do- they just kind of stare at the belly like it's taking over my body.
So my question is this- am I really that huge?! Aren't I just 8 months pregnant? Surely the majority of pregnant women look just as I do...or am I really THAT large?


And lastly, the good ol' Stay Puft Marshmallow Man...again, I must reiterate I don't feel large, or out of control in general, but PARTS of me do...recently it's the cankles...they surely resemble Mr. Marshmallow shown above- rolls for days I'm telling you. So not attractive. And as with the Fred Flintstone feet, I'm just happy to know that all of this will go away soon...what a great day that will be- I won't be in pain anymore, I won't have cankles, I won't get gawked at in public, I won't be told on a daily basis that I'm humongous, and best of all...I'll have a SON!

Can't wait to meet you Logan...but you better believe, all of this information is definitely going to be thrown in your face whenever you act out. I will take joy in reminding you of all that I went through just to bring you in to this world...muwhahahahha...the simple pleasures of a Mother :)

PS- I must say, not once has my fabulous husband EVER told me I look Humongous! He has been a treat and great with everything (Except for answering his phone as of late, but we'll let that one slide)- he's made me feel beautiful and great from day 1, so no complaints from the Wifey department :)

Nursery DONE!

Yesterday, Jason and I got right to work finishing up the nursery. I was definitely NESTING and Jason was fully aware of how i was feeling...that's all I'm going to say about that!
So our goals for yesterday were to get the dresser in place (Jas spent ALL last weekend getting it stained, finished and sanded), putting up some shelves, and stocking everything for the arrival of Logan! I can honestly say we completed all of our goals and in my humble opinion, the room looks great! So without further adieu, let me take you on a tour!



This is the view Logan will have every morning has he wakes up from a restful night of sleep at Laubster Cove! Really with this picture I was just trying to capture the awesome Wind Chime that Jason's Grandma Lynn got for us at our first shower. We have a pretty constant breeze in our neighborhood, thanks to the near by ocean, so it's great to hear it's chiming in the background of our day to day life.



Here is the far corner of the nursery that is set up as the Changing Station (An area where I'm SURE we'll spend lots of time). The room is basically cut in 1/2 because for now we currently have our desk and file cabinets set up along one entire wall of the nursery (I say "for now" because I'm not convinced that the desk will stay where it is...the nursery works with it in there, but I'm not sure if an OCCUPIED nursery will work with the desk in there...only time will tell!). I Love the shelving that my Mom and I got at Target last weekend- I must give a shout out to power tools right now too. I remember growing up and doing little things to our home when I lived with my Mom and EVERYTHING always seemed SO difficult, and every shelf we put up, every piece of furniture we put together was just kind of "ok" because by the time the thing was up on the wall or standing on it's own, we were so frustrated with how long it took that we didn't care if it wobbled slightly if you had too much change in your left front pocket as you sat down- HOWEVER, I will say watching Jason put shelves up, furniture together with a power tool seems to make a world of difference. And yes, you've interpreted that story correctly- the not so great furniture had NOTHING to do with mine and my mother's skills, it has EVERYTHING to do with the lack of a power tool. Obviously. Moving On...



Here's a better view of the shelving we've got above the changing table. The Construction Piggy Bank has to be one of my most favorite pieces. Funny story too- my Mom and i found this at Nordy's last weekend, and after seeing it there was no discussion about whether it should be purchased- Grandma swooped it up and bought it for Logan. I called Jason's Mom to tell her all about it because she had purchased similar piggy banks for Matt and Lee Wey's twin daughters last year- well, unbeknown to me until last night, while we were purchasing this piggy bank, Nancy was at HER local Nordy's doing the SAME thing! She was actually ordering it because the one she found at her Nordy's had a chip in it! Great minds think alike I guess!
I also love the letters we have on the top shelf. We bought them as plain white letters, and I painted the "L"'s and Jason took over the J! I Love them! I think they're just so cute! The 2 baskets on the lower shelf house some essential...stuff, that I GUESS we'll need. I know it all looks tidy and perfect right now, and I think I can already hear the snickering of mothers reading this thinking "Oh silly first time Mom, that shelf will be a disaster in 2 weeks time!" that may be, but for now, it's perfect and I LOVE it!








This series of pictures shows the OTHER corner of the room. The items shown in the crib are what Logan will be taking home with him from the hospital. The little bear is a bear that Jason and I bought specifically for Logan when we were in Kauai. The Hospital said we can bring a stuffed animal to keep in the baby's bassinet so that's our plan with "Kai" (After I wash him of course). The little lobster outfit is what Logan will be coming home in. We're going to leave the outfit out in the living room for a few days so the kitties can get used to it's feel and smell and not attack it when we walk in the door with Logan in a few weeks. And the blanket was a gift from our Seattle shower and we're going to use that to drape over the car seat as we get to our apartment.
The Glider is a great piece. When I mentioned that I wanted one, Jason rolled his eyes and said that my big splurge item was the stroller...but I found this glider on sale at Walmart! A ridiculous price made it all possible- and i must say, it's VERY comfortable! And it even has pockets so I can put a bottle of water, some reading material or blankets for the little tike as we're having some special Mommy and Baby time together.
The bookshelf is one of my favorite pieces as well. Jas and I got this when we moved in to our last apartment. Originally we weren't going to use it in here, but once we started getting a lot of great books as gifts, we realized we HAD to put it back up!If you look closely, you'll see we have some New meets Old items residing on the shelf. Up top, we have Logan's baby book (A gift from Hillary) and behind it we have Jason's baby book (His Mom gave it to us at our shower- such a treasure!). ON the bottom shelf we have 2 sets of playing rings. The one one the far right is Jason's from when he was a baby (Again, a gift from Jason's Mom), and on the left, we have a *NEW* set of rings for Logan!

Thank you for visiting Laubster Cove! We hope to see all of you in PERSON over the next few months to meet the latest addition to our family.

We are now having weekly doctor appointments, and while most are uneventful (Listening to the heartbeat, measuring my size and asking the doctor any questions we have). The next BIG appointment is on June 17th. At that appointment, we'll do another ultrasound to determine the babies position and size. Both Jason and I agree that we think the doctor will have us go right to the hospital that day (or the next) to induce us. If Logan is anywhere near as big as he was at our last visit (Meaning, if that last reading of 7lbs, 6oz was accurate at 34 weeks), then there shouldn't be any need to let him continue to grow inside, which will only make the delivery process a lot harder. I think I'm as prepared as I can be for any delivery method that we may stumble upon. The grandparents are on call to make the flight down to LA to be the firsts to see their Grandson, so hopefully all of them are able to make it down in time!