Nate's New Trick

We have been propping Nathan up on his Boppy during tummy time to encourage him to lift his head more, and this is what happened last time we did it...

The little stinker actually climbed over it! He really has some strong legs - just like his marathon mama!!

Nathan's Birth

So... I have this nice long detailed story of the day of Nathan's birth but it's at home, which doesn't do me any good while I'm pumping/blogging on my lunch break!

Here are a few photos of the big day to tide y'all over until I can get the whole story up!

Me, probably updating my facebook before all the excitement started

After 2 hours of pushing, and an hour of not pushing(but wanting to), I had to have a c-section

Seeing Nathan for the first time

First family photo!!

Randy taking Nathan to the nursery for his first bath

LOVE this pic!


Finally, some Mommy and Nathan time!

Don't Tell Tom Cruise...

Apparently there is an up-side to being depressed... free meds! I just got home from Walgreen's where I picked up my first prescription of Zoloft - which my insurance company pays for and is "safe" for breastfeeding. That's right... since Nathan was born, I have been suffering postpartum depression - I just wasn't ready to admit it to myself (or anyone else) until earlier this week. So for those of you who were wondering where I've been - I have had no interest in anything - blogging, running, eating... I have really just not felt like myself, and I hate it! I had a long talk with a good friend on Monday and she told me that it was time to talk to my doctor about how I was feeling - but most importantly, that it was okay. Some women bounce back from all of the hormonal changes very easily, and some don't - and apparently I'm in the "don't" group. I knew early on that I didn't feel right, but I thought it was because we were having breastfeeding issues. I kept telling myself that I would feel better once we got the breastfeeding worked out. Nathan was 7 weeks old when we finally got it figured out, and he is now almost 12 weeks and I'm still not feeling better, so I am opting to accept medical help. It will probably take a couple weeks for the meds to start working, but I am looking forward to the day when I can enjoy the things that I used to! So - to all my friends who I have been neglecting - I am SO sorry! It is nothing personal and I'm trying to get it straighted out. Over the next week or so, I will be trying to get everyone caught up on Nathan's birth, surgery, growth progress, vacation, and other happenings, so check back often! I think it will be good for my mental health to get everything out in the open!

I'm headed out the door for some sushi!!!! I haven't had any since before I was pregnant (not "real" sushi, anyway), so this is long overdue! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Little Nate

It's a Boy!!

Nathan Charles
2:21pm
7lbs 15oz
21 inches

Not sure when I'll get some pictures up, but he is incredible!! I ended up needing a c-section, so my recovery is going to be a little harder, but he is worth every bit of it!

Gonna try to get some rest before LOST starts - will post more later.

Baby Time! (almost...)

Well... I had to go back to the doctor today because my blood pressure was a little higher than usual at my appt on Thursday. Thursday was 122/68 and today was 138/80. I also gained 2 pounds in the last 4 days... but I feel a lot better about my weight gain, now that I know it is mostly fluid retention. So anyway, my doctor feels it will just keep going up, and for the health of me and the baby, I have been put on bed rest until 5am on Wednesday, at which point, I will be induced. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now... I thought I would have a little more time to get ready. But it's nice to know that in 2 days I finally get to meet and hold my son or daughter!

Showers and such...

Wow! I have had quite a week... it all kicked off Saturday morning, when I went to a baby shower for my friend Tiffany. She is due about 3 weeks after me. It was fun and nice to get out for a bit! After that, I had a little bit of time to run some errands before going to my baby shower! It was hosted by Randy's sister, Diana, and their sister-in-law, Kathy. I had a great time! The slide show below are pictures from my mother-in-law's camera. I do have others, but I don't have the energy to sort through and organize them all right now, and hers were pretty simple and to the point. Not exactly very flattering pictures, mind you, but you get the point! Since I had already had a busy day, and this shower didn't start until 3, I was pretty swollen which makes me look even big than I am, and the pressure makes my skin red. Pregnancy is fun!!




After the shower, we had dinner out with Randy's family to celebrate his upcoming birthday, his dad's birthday that just passed, and our impending arrival. Dinner was at The Brasserie, which I love! It's a little pricey, and we probably won't ever go there on our own, but when we're being treated to dinner, we certainly won't turn it down! I had a Beef Tenderloin Salad. So yummy! It had mixed greens, tenderloin, grapes, apples, Gorgonzola cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette. Mmm... I'm just making myself hungry thinking about it! And since everyone else was drinking wine, I asked the bartender to make me something fruity (no peach) and alcohol free. I'm not exactly sure what I got, but it was a pomegranate something or other. Also very yummy!

Anyway, I basically left home at 10am on Saturday, and didn't get home until midnight. It was a very long day, and it made Sunday even harder! We got up and went to church (at this point, if we don't show up, people will assume I'm in the hospital and we don't want any rumours floating around!). After that, I headed over to Coach Kathy's house for my running group shower!! Talk about knowing how to throw a party... Chicken Cordon-Blue, stuffed mushrooms, cake, pie, more cake, punch. The food was all incredible! It was so nice to just sit around and catch up on every one's recent and upcoming races!! It sounds like everyone is doing so well with their training! And then, of course, the gifts... that part is always fun too! I don't have pictures yet from that shower but I'm working on it. It's nice to have such awesome friends! I do love all of my gifts, but I have to send a special shout-out to Lisa and Chrissy and for giving me a gift for me and not so much for the baby - they are treating me to a spa treatment of my choice after the baby comes. I thought it was very sweet and thoughtful! My guess it that I will use it for a massage after my first attempt back at running - I have a feeling I'm gonna need it!

The rest of the week has been pretty normal. I'm just feeling more tired than I have been, so by the time I get home from work, I'm ready for dinner, a nap, and then off to bed. Yesterday, I had an appointment with my doctor and she confirmed that things are starting to progress. I have started dilating, and I'm almost at 2cm, and she can feel the baby's head. Now I understand why I have to pee every time I stand up! My weight gain is up to 157. Not too happy about that, but as long as the baby and I are both healthy, I'm not going to stress about it. I know it will come off pretty easily, so it's okay! She is a little concerned though, because my blood pressure is a little higher than it has been. Still in the "normal" range as far as that goes - 122/68, but higher than usual. The blood pressure, combined with the swelling that I've having, are early warning signs of pre-eclampsia. I haven't actually been diagnosed yet, but she wants to keep an eye on it, so I'm going back Monday for a blood pressure check. I guess that is, assuming I make it to Monday! Since we're expecting a big snowstorm this weekend, and Randy's birthday is this weekend, it would be our luck to end up in the hospital! We're hoping he/she holds off until April 2, which was Randy's grandma's b-day (and she lived to be 96!). But we'll take whatever we get and just be thankful for a healthy baby!

Okay, now that I've written a short novel, I should probably get off here. If anything happens, I'll keep y'all updated! For now, I'm just resting as much as can, and taking it easy. But I'm ready to get this pregnancy thing over with and meet my baby!!