Our Labor Day

It seems that this little one is finally going to make it's arrival sometime in the next 48 hours or so. Contractions started last night but weren't really regular, then around 4am I woke up with some discomfort. I started timing the contractions and they started to get more regular - 5-7 minutes apart - and had lasted for about 2 hours. The most bizarre feeling is that everything is completely normal between contractions. The best way to describe these contractions vs. "the previous ones" is that these contractions include back pain/intensity along with front cramps. The previous ones were more tightening/twitching in the front.

I watched the newest episodes of Glee and Gray's Anatomy. I woke Matt up around 6:30am and we called the midwife around 7. She is on her way over here now to check on things before we start our own version of Labor Day.

More to come....

Wasting Time

Finding ways to pass the time this past week was ummmmm... fun. I need to figure out what to do in the coming week though since the baby doesn't seem to want to exit the womb.

Here's a run down of my final week(s) of pregnancy:
Monday, 9/28- Met Brooke for a drink
Tuesday, 9/29- Shopped around Berkeley's 4th street
Wednesday, 9/30- Chiropractor
Thursday, 10/1- Hiked almost to Top of The World (approx. 1.75 miles), got a purple pedicure
and walked home from the Glenview (another .75 miles)
Friday, 10/2- Massage from Amy, watched first half of Baby Momma
Saturday, 10/3- Farmer's Market, Walgreens and Trader Joes, watched the rest of Baby Momma, another walk, scrapbooking, dinner with Sue, tub time
Sunday, 10/4- Walk at Pacifica beach with Matt and Sibs, nap with Sibs
Monday, 10/5- Shop at Target and Alameda, hanging curtains in the bedroom
Tuesday, 10/6- Washed the car, washed the dog

Your Room Awaits, Sir (or Ma'am)

Baby,

Today is your due date and unless you and my uterus are are planning a quick exit, you will arrive late. Your room has been ready for weeks if not months. I'm not really a planner, but things just started showing up and before we knew it, the room was pretty much done thanks to garage sales, freecycle and repurposing some existing items.

Your friend Marby made you an amazing quilt with a subtle chicken pattern on it to appease your father (and your feathered friends in the backyard- Ali and Zona). I am not too crafty, but I do like to dabble here and there in easy projects. While watching Martha Stewart one day, I was inspired to create your mobile with extra quilt fabric (hopefully a growth chart will follow one day once we know your name).

In case this helps motivate you to make your arrival.... here are photos of your room:

Your mobile, baby....


Your dresser and your clothes, cloth diapers, blankets and all that jazz live up in here... your dog awaits your arrival too... I think she is most excited about your dirty diapers and you dropping Cheerios on the floor.

Your map of the world, albeit slightly outdated.... We'll take you on adventures and we'll show you how the worlds borders have changed since... deal?


Hope to see you soon!

Mama

Wrapping up at the Shelter... Starting a new life

Yesterday was my last day at the shelter before Maternity Leave. Those two words seem so daunting- like they need an echo or something. While work was mostly productive, I can't believe I'm not going into my office for the next 2 months, I can't believe I won't know who is adopted that weekend, I can't believe I'm not creating training plans for dogs for awhile, I can't believe that when I come back, I'll be a MOM!

All the thoughts and changes coming about caused a bit of a panic last night around bedtime. I was getting ready for bed as usual and whew! I just started to freak out! Life is about to change, seriously!

I've been excited for the day to come for 9 months now but now that it's here (or will be here soon), yowzaa! A little cold feet, a little holy cow, a lot of changes. I'm excited for so many things about being a parent (from breastfeeding, to delivering naturally, to raising our child in Oakland, to shopping at the market with them, to watching them interact with Matt, to sending them off to Kindergarten) but also a little nervous about the changes (like no more sleeping in until 10am just because, managing a dog and baby, more laundry, more time to get ready and get out the door).

In the end (or is should that be.... in the beginning), it's going to be all worth it... just a mild little panic. It's probably the same thing that will happen the first time this child has a cold.

Little Bean, Why Does Your Heart Slow?

Dearest Little Bean,

You gave your mom and dad a bit of a scare on Monday night. Tenaya, the midwife, came over and all was going well. My vitals were great and you are measuring right on track at 37.5 (is it centimeters or millimeters?). But then she listened to your hear rate and it was in the low range.

Because it's a bit out of the normal range, she sent us to Alta Bates for some monitoring. You were quite the slow one on the monitor- between 102-120 but mostly hanging around the 112 range. Perhaps you were sleeping or needing more ice cream??

We went in for an ultrasound and the tech said you were perfect. It was your first perfect score of your life (that we know of anyway). You got an 8/8. We got to see your heart beat, your chest rise and fall and your legs and hands move a bit. It seems that after a few minutes though, you were a lazy one and didn't want to move any more, even with repeated attempts of me poking you.

Your dad says it was just the beginning of perfect scores... so prepare yourself for some high expectations from your father. I, on the other hand, would love some perfect scores, but I'll settle for happiness.

The nurse at the hospital said, although your hear rate is on the lower range of normal, it looks good. She sent us home with happy wishes for your arrival.

Since Monday night, you have been moving and kicking like gangbusters at certain times. Other times, you are just quiet. Your dad was amazed at your movements while we watched tv.

I'll wrap up this letter by saying "We're ready for you! We cant' wait to meet you! Get out of my belly!"

Love,

Your Mama

"I Can't Find Our Baby"

That's what I heard when I woke up to pee around 5:00 this morning. Matt typically wakes up, asks if I'm okay and we all go back to bed. But this morning he said "I can't find our baby" or so I thought... he actually said "Koepp's had her baby" and the baby news has started to flow in.

After we found out we were pregnant, the news hasn't stopped pouring in from all over the country. Here's a short list people that we know that are pregnant with approx. due dates.

Chris (Matt's cousin) and Melissa- due in July- Check! Welcome Chase!
Stephanie (friend from High School) and Josh- due in Sept.- Check! Welcome Hadley!
Karen (Matt's co-worker) and Manoa- due Sept. 11th- Check! Welcome Jax!
Melissa (my friend from High School)- due Sept 25th- A girl- Check! Welcome Evelyn!
Lyndsie and Jeff (neighbors)- due Sept. 30th- A girl! Welcome Haven Patrece!
Lindsey and Matt- due Oct. 1- Welcome Cassius D!
April (Matt's friend from the UP) and Billy- sometime around me- Check! Welcome Brody William!
Wendy and Darren (second cousin)- due Oct. 11th- Check! Welcome Ava!
Julie (Matt's cousin) and Frankie- due Oct. 18th - A boy- Welcome Frankie IV!
Mikki (my sister) and Brett- due Nov. 4th- A girl- Welcome Kinley Grace
Sara and Richard Lew (Matt's co-workers)- due November 15th- A girl, Tessa Jane.
Karaliese (friend from ACS) and Leland- due Nov. 27th- A girl
Jason (Matt's UP friend) and Kerry- due Dec 23rd- A girl
Dr. Heather and hubby (vet at work)- due in January- A boy
Christina and Alexander (neighbors)- due in Feb. (I think)
Jen (my bestest friend from college) and Dave- due March 25th- a girl
Heather and Billy (Jen's sister)- due March 25th- a boy
Lyndsay (my friend from college) and Matt- due in April

Hopefully I'm not missing anyone.

That's a lot of babies making their way into the world in the next few months!

Contractions

Last night I had some kinda cool contractions. The belly was super taut- no poking at the baby possible- with slight twitches/twinges of something, but not painful. It lasted about 45 minutes but was so cool to feel the belly and my body do it's job. Go Uterus Go!