A Week Ago Today: Hello, Rowan.

Rowan Lee William Guffey

Born: November 3, 2014, 6:20pm

7.6 pounds, 19.5 inches long

My, how life can change in a week! This exact moment last week, Rhyno and I were headed to the hospital to begin inducing labor. I hit my due date, October 27, without any signs of oncoming labor. Every morning following the long-awaited due date, I rubbed my then super pregnant belly and asked, "Is today your birthday?" Rhyno and I walked our neighborhood and ate spicy food at every meal. We visited our doctor and he confirmed what we suspected, there were still no signs of progress and we quietly scheduled an appointment to induce labor on November 3. 

The night before we were to head into the hospital I kept waiting for my water to break. I had been so against being induced and badly wanted things to happen naturally. Rhyno and I spent the night before our induction quietly at home, soaking in our last hours as just the two of us playing cards, snuggling Violet, watching movies, and laying in bed talking about what the next morning would bring...and secretly we were both waiting for labor to begin earlier than expected and rush to the hospital in the middle of the night. The next morning we both woke up at 3:30am anxious for the day's events. After what seemed like years we finally grabbed the hospital and diaper bags and made our way to our hospital.

I have to say now, induction wasn't what I thought it would be. We were placed in a big birthing room, my parents met us at the hospital, and we spent the day monitoring baby's heartrate and movement and my contractions. To spare the long details, after nearly 9 hours of intense epidural-free contractions I still had shown no signs of progress and my water was intact and my doctor uttered the phrase I had desperately hoped to avoid: C-Section. It was best for baby and myself and our doctor had really tried his best to avoid it as I had told him throughout my pregnancy I wanted a "traditional" labor and delivery. 

The second the words left the doc's mouth I started to cry. I had never had surgery and a c-section just wasn't how I envisioned bringing this long awaited baby into the world. I wanted my baby delivered directly to my chest, I wanted their umbilical cord to finish pulsing before it was cut, I wanted to breastfeed minutes after their arrival. I saw my vision of my "perfect" delivery. I finally had my moment of panic--I was afraid of surgery, afraid of letting go of my delivery dreams, afraid of being "out of it" when my baby arrived. 

The hour before surgery was a blur--nurses rushing in to get me prepped, my dad (who had run home to let the dog out) rushing back to the hospital so I could see him before I headed to the OR, my final visitors stopping in to make sure I was alright, and--in a moment of irony--my water breaking as I got into a wheelchair that would take me to the C-section I hoped never to go through.Rhyno was left in the OR hall to dress in his "bunny suit scrubs" and in my terror and panic I was left to get my spinal block and get prepped for the very first (and most important) surgery of my life. After getting my husband situated on the stool next to my head and making sure I was numbed up, the doctor went to work. 

"Well, are you ready? You have a handsome baby boy!" Sweeter words have never been spoken and there was no shortage of tears as Rhyno and I both repeated, "A boy? We have a boy! We have a son!" Ry announced his name to the surgical staff in the room--Rowan Lee William Guffey--and the doctor held him over the curtain for me to see. He was absolutely perfect (in my hormone, adrenaline-fueled state I loudly proclaimed, "Oh thank goodness, he's really cute!" The nurses, knowing how badly I had wanted my golden hour, let me hold my new baby on my chest and when I met my boys in the recovery room a short time later, a nurse quickly helped me breastfeed and hold him skin-to-skin. As for my umbilical cord wishes? Welp, it was cut as soon as possible instead of being allowed to finish pulsing, but for good reason. It turns out someone was looking out for my baby because upon pulling him out of me they discovered his cord had been wrapped around his neck twice so a vaginal delivery could have had major, terrifying complications. Things have such a way of working out for the best. Our families were able to quickly visit us in our room and we spent the following days bonding and falling madly in love and (for me) beginning to recover from major surgery while learning to breastfeed and be someone's mom (oh, but that's for another post). Life has completely changed in 7 days and I couldn't be happier.

So, he's here! After years of waiting and trying and crying over negative pregnancy tests, our beautiful (and I mean seriously beautiful) boy is here. Our Babysaurus is home, Rowan Lee William, our Ro, our future Blackhawks power forward. He has my pout and pointy chin, Rhyno's nose, and big feet that we aren't quite sure who to attribute to. He has the most beautiful slate colored eyes (though in the last couple days they have begun to lighten and it's bittersweet that he's already beginning to grow up). He is sweet tempered (mostly, he also throws a pretty rocking temper tantrum) and seriously strong (must be all that spinach I ate!) and I could (and do) spend hours looking into his little eyes or holding his tiny hands in mine while he eats and running my hands over his sandy colored hair and kissing those little baby cheeks.Did I mention the clothes? I could spend my whole day changing Ro's tiny hats and outfits...if only he didn't despise getting dressed quite so much.

Welcome to the world, my Babysaurus, it's a much sweeter place now that you're in it.

From Duo to Trio.

It's Tuesday (and, you know, just a regular day) so I better yammer on about my pregnancy, right? 

 

With just over a month to go (41 days!), Rhyno and I are getting more and more excited to welcome Babysaurus into the world and take him or her home from the hospital. I feel so ready to become a parent and I don't feel anxiety (so far) but I do realize this is a big life change. For 8+ years it has just been my Rhyno and I. We have been able to pick up and go whenever we wanted, to order pizza at 11pm because we forgot to eat dinner, and to skip grocery shopping for the week because going on an adventure to Six Flags seemed more fun. 

As I count down to our duo becoming a trio, I have been trying to relish the last few weeks of it just being the two of us. I've found some lists of things to do before baby is here and making my own small list of things to take advantage of or do before our bundle of joy is here.

1.) Sleep! 

Everyone and their mother has been telling me to get sleep now while it's still possible. Despite some pregnancy insomnia, I've been trying to take all that advice to heart. I have been crawling into bed a little earlier on weeknights, sleeping in a little later on weekends, and taking more naps than usual (I was NEVER a nap person before!). Even though finding a comfy sleeping position isn't quite as easy and sometimes I get up to pee at 3am completely wide awake for the rest of the day, I am soaking in sleeping.

 

2.) Date Nights (especially on weeknights)!

Rhyno and I love a good date night and since it has been just us for so long we usually go on a few dates a week. Though I plan to stick to at least monthly dates after baby is here we are just trying to take advantage of being able to head out for dinner and a movie on a weeknight without finding a babysitter.

3.) Doing Anything on a Whim!

 I know that babies are on a schedule and going out takes planning so for now we're taking advantage of just deciding to go to the movies while running errands or taking Violet for a long, long car ride.

4.) Maternity Photos!

Up until a couple of days ago I wasn't into the idea of maternity photos. I know I don't have a Pinterest-worthy bod and Rhyno isn't that into photos (especially artsy or sentimental ones...our engagement photoshoot was awkward and hilarious) but the more I think about it, I want to capture this little piece of time. I'll never have this moment again so I'd like to remember it.

 

5.) Lazy Days!

Babies require feedings and changes and come with responsibilities, so I've set aside a couple days to just be lazy. I've relished in a couple Sunday afternoons where I only moved from the couch to pee or get more snacks. I've been a-okay with spending hours rotting my brain with TV.

Any suggestions of other things we should do before baby arrives?

Pin-Spirational: Taking Care of Swollen Feet.

This week is a lesson in "sometimes things don't go according to plan."

 

For this week's Pin-spirational I had planned to find some great pin on taking care of swollen pregnancy feet. I don't know why I didn't search this before but oh well, I didn't. After doing a bit of Pinterest I didn't find anything terribly helpful that wasn't common sense or some company pushing their pregnancy product on unwilling Pinners. 

The best pin I found? This. Again, mostly common sense. 

I tried the tips found in this pin before even deciding to search. I sleep on my side anyhow since a watermelon-sized bump doesn't make for stomach sleeping and sleeping flat on your back can restrict blood flow to baby. I limit salt (aside from cravings for salty potato chips) just for health's sake. I stay cool because OH MY GOSH I AM ALWAYS HOT. I swear, our air conditioner is constantly set at 74 degrees. Where are you Fall? Admittedly, I haven't tried compression hose. Maybe soon. Maybe not.

So, some tricks I've found useful that I should probably pin the shit out of on my own? Put your dang feet up, gurl! I try to seriously elevate my feet for at least 20 minutes at night (if not way longer). If you are super swollen? Dunk your feet in a bucket of cool water mixed with epsom salt. Use those terrible infomercial-sold Yoga Toes things. I bought them on a whim and they actually work pretty great. They stretch my toes out and I feel like they help a lot with blood flow.

So, there it is, the world's laziest Pin-Spirational!

Have you tried any great pins lately?

Pregnancy Prep.

Our "go time" diaper bag, which we've slowly been packing with hospital necessities. Also, that dino? I die. He's just waiting for his buddy to arrive.

 So, I don't know if you know this but being pregnant and getting ready for a baby involves a lot of prep work. Like, learning how to keep baby alive and getting the house clean and preparing to not be able to go to the grocery store alone for a few weeks and dimming the lights on work for a few weeks.

On our "before baby" list of things to prep?

1.) Hospital Bag.

You know that age-old sitcom bit were the pregnant lady and the daddy-to-be rush out of the house and are furiously throwing things in a suitcase (like a cordless phone and frying pan and evening gown) because they didn't pack a hospital bag? THAT IS MY NIGHTMARE. I am a prepared person by nature (have you noticed?) and worry that we will be at the hospital without something I need. I've pulled together a few lists from veteran moms of what to pack in the hospital bag and have started ordering things I don't have (like Tuck's medicated butt pads because apparently you need them). I have a post-it in the top of the bag of things to remember that we can't pack yet (phone chargers, my camera, my glasses, etc.). I plan to have this bag fully packed before October 1st and waiting by the door/in the car at any given moment.

2.) Freezer Meals/Meal Plans.

Of course I am obsessed with the food situation. What will we eat after the baby is here? But how will I get more food? I have begun meal planning for the 30 days after babe arrives already and have a date with my mom the first weekend of October to whip up a TON of freezer meals--casseroles, soups, stir-fry bags, the whole lot. I know I will be too consumed with baby to meal plan in those first weeks and unable to get to the store, so I'm trying to cover off and prepare us to eat healthfully. I don't want to spend money/calories on eating pizza every night so I'm trying to set Rhyno and I up for success. I'm also planning to whip up oatmeal mixes in small Tupperware containers for quick and easy breakfasts or lunches.

3.) Getting Home Ready.

We've already deep cleaned/organized most of the house (just the basement and that pesky garage left to finish) so now it's a matter of making sure we're fully prepped for any home needs while we are caring for Babysaurus. We have plans to winterize our yard a bit earlier than usual--a final weeding, unhooking the hoses so they don't freeze, burning our leaves. I also have a list of things I need to buy in bulk--toilet paper, dog food, cat litter--so we don't suddenly run out when I'm cooped up. I also have a date with myself in early October to make big batches of all our homemade cleaners because who wants to be grating Fels Naptha when they could be cuddling an infant? A genius idea I had? Rhyno is having a cleaning service come in while I'm in the hospital with the baby to clean the house so we come home to a sparkly palace. 

We also have our big baby shower in a few weeks (eee!!) and I can't wait to put everything in order and get the finishing touches put on everything.

4.) Pet Projects.

We've been prepping our pets for our bundle for a few months now. I think the cats will mostly stay away (though Kira has been sneaking into the baby's bassinet in our bedroom to sleep at night), we have been working with Violet with a baby doll to be gentle. We've been training her not to rip up the baby's toys and that she doesn't play rough in the baby's room.

5.) Work.

I feel mostly prepared when it comes to work! My last day before maternity leave is set and I met with my boss and coworkers this week to figure out who will be taking care of things while I'm out. I have my clients prepped for transition and I feel like things will go pretty smoothly.

Any other ideas of things to be prepared for before Babysaurus arrives (in just 48 days!)?

Pregnancy Snapshots.

I hope you had a great long weekend! I feel like I slept a lot of mine away (that's third trimester for you, I guess). After looking through my camera memory card and my phone gallery, I am happy for my crazy "I need to take photos of everything" mentality because I realized I have some great tiny moments of my pregnancy tucked away for the future.

Some snippets of pregnancy so far...

Taken the morning after we took the initial (and following FIVE) positive pregnancy tests. Yes, I peed on that. You're welcome.

A gift from my very excited sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and nephews. Those tiny socks? I can't take it.

Hats we bought the week we found out we were pregnant and I was so excited that I wanted to buy out the entire baby section at Target. 

Shoes I bought years ago when we started trying for a baby. There were definitely frustrated times when I felt like we were never going to get any use out of them. Now they are sitting in a bin of other tiny footwear waiting patiently for Babysaurus's tiny feet.

 Typical organized freak. 

 A sweet card from Rhyno's sister.

The beginnings of our books-to-read-before-baby-is-here collection. Admittedly, we are getting down to the wire now and I am just beginning on some of these.

Three or four cups of caffeine-free pregnancy per day helps ease the coffee cravings.

Just some rad mag swag from the doctor's office....yes, I just wrote "rad mag swag."

 

Making space for baby! This weekend we cleared out a corner of our bedroom for the infant napper and set up a swing for baby's naps in the front room. I can't believe we are almost there!

Now that it's September we are officially having a baby NEXT MONTH! I can't believe it! I feel like it was both years ago and minutes ago that I took that very first pregnancy test--on a complete whim no less. I had felt more tired than usual so I thought, "What the hell? I'll take a test." After so many times seeing a negative response, I had to do a double-take when I saw two lines on the test. Now with giant kicks in my belly at all hours and bi-weekly doctor visits where I get to hear that big, strong heartbeat things are so real. 

October 27th, get here faster!

Pregnancy Tuesdays: Products I Love.

Welcome to Pregnancy Tuesdays!

 Getting rounder and rounder all the time...

I don't pretend to be some expert on being knocked up--I'm learning as I go that everyone's experience is so different and not every product is perfect for every mama-to-be. I'm now in week 29 and officially in my third trimester which is insane to me! Time has flown by and I have been lucky to have a great pregnancy so far--a bit of morning sickness and some aches and pains but nothing too major. 

Now that baby is getting bigger, I am experiencing a lot more of pregnancy joys and woes. I get lots of booming baby kicks (seeing Rhyno's face light up when he felt his very first baby move for the very first time was a highlight in my life) but I also get lots of restless nights. I get closer every day to meeting my baby and with that comes BIG changes in my body (and my mood...just ask Rhyno about my Godzilla-esque temper tantrum when he left a single dirty fork in the sink). When it comes to taking good care of myself, I love to check out what works for other pregnant ladies and I've also found a few of my own secret weapons in the last few months.

Some of my favorite products this pregnancy?

 (clockwise from top left corner)

 Yes to Coconut Head-to-Toe Restoring Balm ($9.99)

From the get-go, I wasn't super worried about getting stretchmarks (I guess my vanity lies elsewhere). I used cocoa butter every night as a part of my usual skin care routine anyway and didn't want to spend a huge chunk of money on expensive belly creams. Near the end of my second trimester when my belly really started to pop I got some deep stretch marks and a few more have popped up since (am I totally turning you on? do you wish you could see this hot, chubby bod naked?). Though the appearance doesn't bother me (it's all part of makin' a baby to me!) they ITCH. A big fan of the Yes To line already, I bought this Coconut Restoring Balm and use it on my belly twice a day after dry brushing. It makes my skin so soft and is super rich and smells so, so delicious. No more itchy belly and I smell like the beach. When my fingers get nice and swollen after a long, hot day and my wedding ring (which is stuck on my ring finger with no hope of coming off) starts to feel uncomfortable, I also swab a bit of this stuff under my ring and it's instant relief.

Trader Joe's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil ($5.99)

I've been using TJ's coconut oil for my daily oil pull for a long time but pregnancy has upped my coconut oil game. After reading the benefits of this wonder-oil for expecting and breastfeeding mothers, I started using it for more than just a pull a day. I throw a spoonful into my morning spinach smoothie, use it on my dried out hair, and after getting my first sunburn I slathered it on my red arms and nose for a bit of relief.

IKEA Body Pillow ($12)

No link available but I picked this up in-store

As I get bigger and bigger, sleeping on my side is becoming a quite a task. I wake up at all hours with aching hips or a numb hand. My doctor told me early on that sleeping on my side was best so I had been rigging a series of pillows to surround me (one between my knees, two under my head, one behind me) but things would shift throughout the night and I'd get frustrated trying to get myself re-situated at 4am. After seeing that some of those pregnancy wonder pillows cost upwards of $80 (for a pillow!) I snagged a cheap body pillow at IKEA on a Saturday trip. I am in love. It works like a charm to keep me comfy and supported throughout the night. My only complaint? I have to fight off both Rhyno AND Violet all night since they both try to use it too.

Traditional Medicinals Pregnancy Tea ($4.99)

The day I found out I was pregnant I decided to cut out all caffeine cold turkey. I traded my morning coffee for morning tea. A tea fiend already, I drink three cups of this stuff per day.Though I did have some big caffeine cravings in the beginning, this tea helped since it was a warm morning drink and became ingrained into my morning routine pretty easily.

A tip for barfy preggos: when I was still battling morning sickness I would steep the pregnancy tea for a few minutes and when it was still hot I would drop in 1-2 Trader Joe's Ginger Chews and let them melt a bit before chugging. It definitely helped my nausea.

RealFood Organics Prenatal Vitamins  ($31.99)

 I am a totally vita-head as is and I took finding a great prenatal pretty seriously. After doing some research, I knew I wanted one that was both organic and made from real food. After a bit of searching I stumbled on this brand and I have not been disappointed. They were approved by my doctor and I have NEVER gotten sick after taking them (even when I would take them and then forgot to eat breakfast for an hour).

Also, to note, when it comes to products like toiletries or vitamins I am a huge fan of Drugstore.com. The prices are great and shipping is quick, like I ordered something on Sunday with free shipping and it was at my house early Tuesday morning quick. I typically buy in bulk since shipping is usually free when your order is $50 or more. 

What are your favorite pregnancy products?

Disclaimer: No one paid me to say this stuff, these are products I really love.