Let the sun shine

We got the all-clear on Taylor's bilirubin levels yesterday. YEA! We just need to make sure she's well fed and keep her in the sunlight. The weather today is GORGEOUS, 75 and sunny. Good thing she got a new pair of shades... what a diva.

Her future's so bright

On Saturday when we were getting discharged from the hospital, our pediatrician let us know that Taylor’s bilirubin levels were a tad high, meaning she was a bit jaundice. Nothing to be concerned about, he said, as babies little livers need a few days of good feeding to kick-in. We scheduled an appointment for the following day to get re-checked and went home to become a family.

Sunday morning’s visit to the doctor showed that her bilirubin had increased from 8.9 to 18. We were ordered to keep her well fed and she had to spend all of her non-feeding time doing light therapy, which meant she had to lay in a tanning bed brief case. She even received her first pair of sunglasses, which Chris promptly upgraded. Amys’ don’t wear cheap shades.

It was crushing, not only for Chris and I, but for Chris’s parents, Greg and Sue, who made the trip from Texas and were only able to hold their first grandchild for about five seconds. As hard as it was, we kept her on the lights and I forced myself to become a breastfeeding expert in one day.

Monday’s appointment saw an improvement to 10.6, and by Tuesday she was down to 10.4. We were told to take her off the lights and make sure we kept feeding her every 2-3 hours. That night Chris, Greg, Sue and I all sat in a circle and passed her around, we were all overjoyed and relieved to be able to cradle and snuggle her. Yea for healthy baby!

As heartbreaking as it was to watch our newborn spend her first few days home in a tanning bed briefcase, she seemed to actually enjoy it. She didn’t fuss or cry and was totally content just chilling under the lights. I’m pretty sure this means we have a future beauty queen on our hands, and that those arm stretches were really her practicing her parade wave. Wrist-wrist, elbow-elbow. Wrist-wrist, elbow-elbow.

Labor Story: The Cliff Notes

Our labor with Taylor lasted a total of 21 - TWENTY ONE! - hours, with the final three - THREE! - hours pushing. The short story: I started having contractions at 12.30am on Thursday, got to the hospital at 9.30am, got the epidural at 1.00pm, took a nap at 1.15pm, started the pitocin at 3.30pm, was fully dilated at 6.15pm, started pushing at 6.30pm, the epidural wore off at 8.30pm and Taylor was FINALLY born at 9.29pm. Was it painful? Uh, yeah. Do I really remember any of that pain after looking into my daughter’s beautiful blue eyes? Not a bit.

Chris was amazing throughout the entire labor - From drawing me a bubble bath at 3.00am, to rubbing my back at 11.00am, to motivating me to actually stay conscious the final two hours. He was with me and totally involved the entire time. He was my rock, and it was great indicator of what a wonderful father he has already become. Of course Taylor already has him completely wrapped around her little finger.

Introducing...

Chris & I are pleased to announce the arrival of our precious baby girl, Taylor Elizabeth Amys, 8 lbs, 19 1/2 inches long, born at 9.29p on Thursday, April 10th. She is absolutely perfect.

Details of the labor and our first few days to follow soon...

The final countdown

At our 39-week appointment yesterday, my doctor brought up inducement. Leading into this, Chris & I were pretty hesitant to induce - Baby will come when she’s ready. But after talking about all the post-due date tests and then looking at my swollen feet, we decided that a gentle nudge of modern medicine isn’t going to hurt anything. My due date is Monday, April 14th, and if Baby is still reluctant to make her debut, we scheduled for inducement on the 18th. It was kind of like making a reservation at the spa or a hotel - Do you have anything available on the 18th? Yes. What time? We have a 7.00a, with check-in at 6.00a. Be sure to bring something comfortable to wear, meals are provided and we‘ll pencil in a check-out time of 24-48 hours after delivery. Oh yeah, you’ll be leaving with your BABY.

Now the irony of making the appointment makes us feel like it’s definitely going to happen before then… Please, God, let this happen SOON. My doctor also feels like it could happen at any time. I have been having contractions, and last night they came every ten minutes for an hour and then stopped. My body is progressing - I am now FOUR centimeters dilated and my cervix is 60% effaced. My doctor’s exact words were, Wow, you’ve got a great cervix for labor. And that’s, honestly, the first time I’ve ever gotten that compliment. And now I’m all, Yeah, that’s right. I’ve got a GREAT cervix. Jealous?

I don't think you're ready for this belly

After suffering through the first trimester, we thought it might be fun to start taking photos of my rapidly growing tummy. Every week I would stand in front of the fireplace and display my progress. I’m not going to make you suffer through the belly gallery, but I will share with you the first and last photos from this project, which pretty much shows my gut going from barely showing to almost ready to explode.

When I go back to the first weeks we started taking pictures, I want to say to the woman in the picture, Yeah, look how HUGE you are. Eat something for goodness sake! And then all of the sudden there is this enormous belly that makes me squint really hard just to figure out that, yes, it is attached to my body. And, yes, I am definitely growing a baby in there. Which is, of course, the excuse I use for all of the weight gain, that it was the baby and not all of those ice cream sundaes I ate.

A few of my favorite things

I know that lately I have been skulking around like a two-ton gorilla without bananas, waiting uncomfortably and anxiously to go into labor. However, here are some random happenings that have recently made me smile and forget about my cankles.

The weather. Spring has sprung in Asheville , and there is sunshine and daffodils abound. I normally take this for granted in April, but looking at other blogs and weather stories from the Midwest that talk about snow, snow and more snow, I am thankful for 70-degrees, blue skies and flip-flops.

Kilwin’s. Asheville just opened a Kilwin’s Candy & Ice Cream Shop about 50 yards from my office. If you have never experienced the magic of Kilwin’s, I apologize for your loss. Homemade fudge, ice cream and chocolate covered twinkies – A pregnant woman’s dream! And because I am carrying around a nine-month fetus in my belly, it’s considered cute when the sales person asks, Anything else? And I answer, MORE. FUDGE. PLEASE.

Pedicures. Chele, one of my favoritest people ever, and I got much needed pedicures this afternoon. Sorry to the fabulous technician who had to work on my overly-swollen preggo feet. And I do apologize for moaning and drooling during the foot rubdown and refusing to get out of the massage chair until the end of the cycle. HEAVEN! Thank you, Chele, for my twinkle-toes. As my childbirth-guru Aunt Jane says, nothing’s worse than a woman in labor with nasty feet.

Bad television. There was a Center Stage movie marathon on Oxygen last night, and since Chris was busy working in the yard, I was able to enjoy all of the fabulous dance scenes and really bad acting without feeling him roll his eyes in agony. I followed that with the last half of America’s Next Top Model, where, it might just be me, but all of this cycle’s ANTM girls are either really ugly or have totally unpronounceable names – ie: Anya, Fatima, Katarzyna... Sorry, Tyra. NOT so fierce. All I need now is a Top Chef or The Hill’s marathon and my head would explode with happiness.