11 Weeks 6 days

Noah went to the pediatrician yesterday and as I suspected he's really grown!

On December 3rd when he went to the cardiologist he weighed 10lbs 7 ounces and was 21 inches long. Yesterday (less than a month later) he weighs 21lbs 2 ounces and is 23 1/4 inches long!

He got some immunizations yesterday too, one shot that combined 3 things and a polio vaccination which was oral. The nurse cracked up because he sucked it down. She couldn't believe he grabbed her hand trying to get it. Have I mentioned that he's serious about eating?

Noah seems to have developed a cold today. He's had a runny nose and he's been sneezing and coughing some. Around 7:30 I took his temperature and he had a low-grade fever. I gave him some Tylenol, a bottle, and put him to sleep. He's just beginning to stir so I'll probably take his temperature again to check on it.

We're having people over tomorrow for New Years so I have a lot to do tomorrow to prepare. Hopefully I'll get it together!

11 Weeks

Well, we've survived Noah's First Christmas! I know Noah was very worn out by today though and he's slept very very well every night since Christmas eve.

We did pretty much all of our shopping last week, starting on Monday when we all went to Target to get most of our gifts. Tuesday, Ellen, Noah and I shopped around the mall and got lots of assorted gifts for people, including our gifts to Rudy. I wrapped all of our presents that night and then because I'm so impatient, we opened our gifts to each other! Noah and I picked out some cologne and a video game for Rudy. I had also bought him some socks a few weeks ago. I got a wonderful Kitchen aid mixer from Rudy, so I was really glad we opened our gifts early! I was going to make cookies for presents for my brothers but I was so excited I didn't wait to get the proper ingredients. I tried to make short bread cookies, but I didn't have any real butter, so they turned out pretty dull. I made dough for Mexican wedding cakes Wednesday which I planned on finishing when we got back from Rudy's moms house, but I didn't really have time.

We went to a Christmas eve service at Rudy's church in Radcliff where Noah was passed around and appropriately adored. Brad and Roxy were flying out to Minnesota Christmas day so we all exchanged our gifts then. Rudy got a mobile from Brad and Roxy that plays music and is supposed to turn. His doesn't turn, so we're going to exchange it for a working one, but it's very cool! Mia got Noah 3 Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals and 3 adorable shirts (one of which he wore later that night). Rudy got a set of DVDs that has hours of cartoons on it and a series of DVDS of the G.I. Joe cartoon. I received the Sims 3 world adventures game. Mia also painted us a planter and it looks really cool. I used to it to put kitchen utensils in. It was a good Christmas and it was great to see everyone.

On Christmas, we headed back to Radcliff for lunch. There was a huge spread which filled us up for the rest of the day. Noah was passed around to a couple aunties and got to play with his Lola and Mia. I had a bad headache when we were leaving so Noah and I went to bed when we got home.

Saturday, we went to my parents house where I helped cook and everyone watched Isaiah play and took turns holding Noah. Isaiah was fascinated with Noah and wanted to hold him and carry him around. We gave pictures to everyone and received lots of cookies and candy. As well as a movie gift card and some money. My grandparents were in town from TN so it was really good to get to see them too.

Today, Noah and I mostly rested. I took down the Christmas decorations and did some laundry. Noah ate all of his bottles way to quickly today so he was pretty gassy. I'm going to have to start slowing him down.

Noah's 2 month checkup is tomorrow (even though he's almost 3 months old) so I'm very anxious to see how much he's grown. I know it's a lot because I can tell the difference he's made every week! Plus, he's such a healthy eater, it would be impossible for him to not grow.

Stay tuned for updates after his appointment!

2 1/2 months

My recovery is coming along and I'm feeling more and more like myself everyday. I'm still in quite a bit of pain but with pain medication its very manageable.

Noah spent most of the day with his uncle Brad so that I could rest. Plus, carrying Noah really hurts my incisions since he's gotten so big! Being around the house without him is weird though and I hardly know what to do with myself!

Not much to say really. I'm hoping to get a little bit of Christmas shopping done tomorrow if Rudy isn't at work all day.

Can't believe Christmas is this week!!

9 weeks 5 days

That pesky gall bladder is finally gone and though I know in the long run I'll feel better, I sure do feel like crap now! My whole abdomen is pretty sore feeling and some of my back and shoulder blades too. It's definitely nowhere near as difficult as my C-Section though, which makes sense as it's 4 small incisions rather than one huge one. This pain medicine makes me pretty drowsy so I plan to sleep most of the recovery away which I'm sure will do my body wonders all around since I haven't really slept a whole lot for almost 3 months.

Noah did very well yesterday with SReio and Ashley. He didn't nap much, but they said he didn't fuss a whole lot either. Last night was pretty rough and he hardly slept at all. I think it's because he's so used to being put to sleep by me. I knew there was that risk by me always putting him to bed, but it just always happened. Hopefully, he'll either get used to Rudy doing it, or I'll get better and be able to do it myself again.

My mom is watching the baby today at her house. I hate not being able to take care of him myself, but I know that I can't really take care of him right now by myself because I can't lift him and I'm so sore and drowsy that I'm just not fit for it. At least Noah has grown out of his colicky stage and he's a little more predictable and easier to take care of. I feel more comfortable allowing others to take care of him than I would half a few weeks ago.

Noah's 2 month checkup is tomorrow and I'm anxious to see how big he is. I know he's grown so much! Mia will be here to help so she'll be going with us.

Family and friends are a huge help right now and I really appreciate them. I don't know what we'd do if they weren't around while I recover. We can't afford to pay anyone to come in and help and Rudy can only take off so much work. He was off all day yesterday and was with me at he hospital and he's going into work later today and will be only working a half day Saturday.

I'm not supposed to lift more than 10 lbs until I go back to the Dr for my follow up in a week. If I start feeling stronger and better I may start lifting Noah again. I'm just gonna play it by ear for now. I'm going to go take advantage of this quiet house, Noah being taken care of, and this sleep inducing pain medication and take a nap!

9 weeks 3 days

Tomorrow is surgery day! I will finally get this pesky gall bladder out! I'm not really nervous, though I don't especially like the idea of being put to sleep. Stephanie (AKA Sreio, AKA Birthday Buddy) and Ashley Crabtree will be watching Noah while Rudy and I are at the hospital, so hopefully he'll behave! I'm not too worried because I know how he loves attention and new people.

Noah had projectile vomit twice yesterday evening so we headed to Kosair to make sure everything was okay. We waited FOUR hours in the waiting room and by the time he was checked out, he was absolutely starving and exhausted but still did very well! He hadn't eaten anything in over 7 hours (successfully anyway) and he had basically sucked his hand raw. They did an X-Ray and saw no obstructions or anything to be worried about so they had us try to give him 2 ounces of pedialyte. He drank those 2 ounces in about a minute (not exaggerating!) because he was so hungry. He spit about half of it up too, we figure it was because he drank it so quickly, but we had to wait and try again to be sure. The next one we tried, I stopped him about half way through and he did fine so they sent us home where he's had no problems at all with his formula. They just told us to go back if he had anymore troubles, we still have no idea what caused the problem in the first place.

Noah has been smiling all the time now. He's very social and just lights up and grins when people talk to him. He loves the attention! Nobody seems to mind his ADORABLE smile either!

Noah's 2 month checkup is this Friday so we'll get to check on his weight, length and get another set of immunizations. Pretty excited to see how much he's grown, because I know he has!

I'm going to head to bed so I will be ready for surgery tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to getting rid of the gall stones, but not really looking forward to another surgery recovery. I got through the recovery of my C-Section though, so I know it won't be too bad. Wish me luck, I'll update again soon!

2 months old

Noah is 2 months old!

I went through a bunch of clothes in his room today and he's already outgrown a ton of clothes. Hard to believe since I remember when even his newborn stuff was too big!

Michele is coming over tomorrow to take Noahs 2 month pictures. I am very excited-I'm sure they'll turn out great! I just can't decide what he should wear.

Speaking of the handsome boy, he's woken up.

7 weeks 5 days

Can you believe it's December???

Noah had his visit with the cardiologist today and as suspected, the heart murmur is completely innocent and will never cause him any trouble. We also found out that he's jumped in weight again to 10lbs 7 ounces! He's gained over a pound in about 2 weeks! Definitely no doubt that I have a thriving baby boy!

In other news, I may have found the perfect job for me at this point in my life! I've been a member of a site called sittercity.com for quite some time, but I hadn't really done much with it. Last night, I applied to a couple of postings for sitters in the area mentioning my experience and also that I would be keeping Noah with me. I really wasn't sure how that would go over, but it doesn't make sense to babysit someone else's child, while getting a sitter for mine! Today, I got a response from a woman returning to work soon from having her baby. She loves the idea of having our babies together and asked if I would want to do it at her house or mine. I hadn't even considered the option of doing it in my house really, so I told her I was flexible but that it would be wonderful to be able to stay at home. I hope this works out because I really cant think of a more ideal way to earn money!

I've also been researching online programs. I'm hoping that I'll be able to get enough financial aid to go back this spring. We'll see how that goes.

Not much else is going on here. Noah and Rudy are both asleep on the couch, although I think I'll be moving them both to beds soon.

Gobble Gobble! 7 weeks old

Our house is filled with zzzz's right now as I'm sitting on the couch with a sleeping dog and baby on my right and a sleeping husband in the recliner to my left.

Wednesday, I got out our Christmas decorations. I got our tree up but soon realized that I'm missing quite a few decorations! Someplace, I have a tree topper, a table centerpiece, the manger for my nativity, and our stockings. I have absolutely no idea where they could be since I'm the one who packed up the old apartment and unpacked at this apartment, and I always label boxes. Also, there's just not a lot of places things could hide here! Hopefully, I will find the missing decor before I have to replace them!

Thursday we headed to Rudy's brother, Brad and his girlfriend Roxy's house for Thanksgiving with the Bamba's (We met Roxy's parents too!). The food was delicious and it was really nice seeing everyone Unfortunately, I left my camera at home, so we don't have any photos! Mia took some though.

Friday morning, we headed to my parents house so I could start cooking for our Thanksgiving dinner while Rudy and Ben headed out to face the Black Friday madness. We had a wonderful meal and I got to see my big brothers and my nephew. Isaiah was adorable with Noah and so curious! He kept peeking into his car seat carrier when he was asleep inside and was sweet enough to try and hand Noah his toys. At one point when I was with Isaiah and Noah I told Isaiah to look how much bigger his hands were. Isaiah checked it out and just continued to look at the difference. Then I asked him, "are you going to hold Noah's hand?" and then that's exactly what he decided to do. Noah had his hand in a fist though, so Isaiah just sat with his hand around Noah's clenched fist. It was the longest Isaiah sat still the entire day.

Noah and I went shopping today and he behaved wonderfully. He looks around quietly or slept all the way until the very end of our trip. Then we headed to LaGrange for a hanging of the greens service at my moms church. Noah was adored by all and did pretty well until he got hungry and had a wet diaper about half way through. He seemed happy whenever we sang though regardless.

Everyone sleeping is making me sleepy and there's only one way to help that! Good Night!

5 Weeks 4 days

Noah, Lucy and I just got back from a walk that I think we all really enjoyed. Noah was asleep but woke up when I took him out of the carrier so now he's just sleepily looking around while sitting on his boppy. Hopefully, he'll fall back asleep soon.

Our family had quite a day yesterday starting with a trip to the ER around 6am because I had awful stomach/back pain. It started around 4am but I kept thinking it would go away and we finally just gave up around 6 and called my mom to come get the baby because I really didn't like the idea of him sitting in a hospital with lots of germs. Turns out, that pain was caused by my gall bladder and I had just passed a stone. I apparently have more gall stones and will be having my gall bladder removed in the next few weeks. I'm glad all this is happening now because I only have insurance until mid-December, but it does sort of stink to have surgery almost as soon as I recovered from my last one...I'm going to need lots of help with the baby.

Noah had his one month appointment today and he has grown again! He's now a whopping 9lbs 4 ounces! He's also an inch longer at 21". These measurements have him in the 50Th percentile for both height and weight. His head circumference is only in the 25Th percentile, but I know Isaiah was like that too, so it may run in our family or something. The doctor wasn't concerned about it.

Noah does have a heart murmur so we're going to a cardiologist December 3rd to have that checked out. Our pediatrician said it's probably a closing hole or valve or something(i forgot the appropriate wording) that prevents blood from entering the lungs before a baby is born. Sometimes it just takes a while for it to open all the way after birth but we're checking it out just in case. Hopefully, it's nothing major.

We're very much looking forward to Thanksgiving and seeing the whole family again (both sides!) We need to find a "first thanksgiving" shirt for Noah too!

5 Weeks

I'm writing today as a VERY drowsy mother. Noah has returned to his 2 hour naps for the most part, and as hard as I tried not to, I got used to the 4 hour ones. He also had a stubborn spout of "I'm not tired" today that lasted from about 3pm to 9pm, so by the time he fell asleep he was one exhausted baby! He's still asleep now though at nearly 1am so he's finally getting that sleep in.

Noah's fussiness has improved significantly thanks to mylicon drops suggested by his pediatrician for gas. He still has his moments, but overall we're much happier.

I've fallen in love with the carrier my mother got me. I'm finally able to take the dog on walks again, which is great for Lucy, but I've realized I really missed all the walking I did when I was pregnant. It's really nice to get out of the apartment and get some fresh air sometimes too. The biggest plus of all is that Noah seems to really love going outside in it! He falls asleep almost immediately after we leave the apartment, so it's great during the day when he's not in the mood to sleep even when he's tired! Hopefully we have some more days that are not too cold.

Noah has his one month checkup this Wednesday so I'm very anxious to see what his weight is now. I can tell he's grown quite a bit! I will keep all you followers posted.

One Month!

It's hard to believe Noah is a month old!

Over the weekend, Noah got to meet his uncles Jonathan and Andrew and his Aunt Vanessa. We finally got my mom moved to my dads house which is a huge relief, now for the unpacking!

The last two days have been the hardest days Noah and I have had I think. Until earlier today, Noah only had one dirty diaper in 3 days so he would just strain and cry most of the day. He's still straining some now but it's not quite as much. Hopefully, he'll keep them coming now because I'm exhausted! He's asleep right now and its the first time all day and most of last night that he's allowed me to stop holding him. Part of the problem the last two days is that he's just been too tired to deal with anything but I think he's had trouble falling asleep because he's uncomfortable. I told Rudy to come home with chocolate!

3 weeks 6 days

Noah is currently enjoying his favorite activity, eating! And since I cannot be doing my favorite thing (sleeping) I thought I'd update.

Noah has been showing signs of intelligence and that he's maturing in the last few days. He's alert much more of the day and looks all around him and I can really tell he's thinking about something. It's becoming apparent that he's getting older too because he's finally beginning to sleep for longer periods of time, with longer awake periods. It's nice for me so I hope he keeps it up for a bit. He hasn't really been sleeping in his crib well though. He just keeps waking up and the only way I've been able to get him to stay asleep is by putting him in his car seat next to our bed! It sounds silly I know, but I get desperate sometimes in the middle of the night! I think he likes it because its snug and feels a little more like being held, which is his first choice.

The sun is about up and Noah seems to be content and asleep (hopefully, he'll stay that way for a while) so nap time it is!

Happy November! 3 weeks 1 day

I CANNOT believe November is here. After waiting for Noah all summer, October absolutely flew by.

Noah had a pretty uneventful first Halloween. We hung out at home most of the day and Noah insisted on eating almost the entire day and staying up as much as possible. We went to have dinner with my parents and he slept on the 10 minute car ride, but then stayed alert the whole time we were there. Needless to say, when we got home he was absolutely exhausted (me too!) and was miserable because of it. He still took a very long time to finally fall asleep but when he did, he slept for about 3 hours straight, woke up and ate for about 15 minutes and then slept for another 2 hours. It was pretty fabulous for me, but then around 4:30am he was tired of sleeping and was really fussy. He's been pretty needy today, insisting on being held. Hopefully, everything can return to normal this week.

2 Weeks 6 Days

It's almost Halloween and almost Noah's 3rd week! It's hard to believe he's only been with us that long, I feel like he's always been here, which is kind of weird cause he's monopolized my time and my life's nothing like it was...

We went to the pediatrician yesterday and Noah has moved up to 7lbs11ounces! At his week appointment, he was at 6lbs 13ounces and when he came home he was only 6lbs 8 ounces, so even though he remains the worlds skinniest baby, he's growing!

Rudy and I carved our pumpkin Wednesday night and Noah was even awake for a little bit of it and got to "help". I don't know what our plans for Halloween are, if we do anything.

Noah is very alert right now and hes looking all over the room and at me as I write this. He's kicking his legs to lift himself up higher on his boppy (which is not really proving successful) so he can look around more. Our pediatrician said he seemed very mature and alert for his age. I'm so glad he's done so well after such a rough delivery!

Sleeping at night has gone a little better. The baby Einstein CD really helped I think. I've still wanted to sleep all week, luckily I've been able to without a whole lot of trouble.

2 Weeks

We're back! We didn't have Internet this week so I wasn't able to update. I'm not sure I would've found the time anyway, it was a very long and pretty busy week for us!

My mom moved this weekend to my dads house, and while I was pretty much off the hook on moving day itself (I can't lift over 10 lbs) I was out there several days sorting and packing. Friday night Noah hardly slept at all, so when I had to get up at 7am on Saturday to get ready to head out to my moms, I was not in the best shape. I was sore from helping Ben clean out the garage the day before and exhausted from being up with Noah. After most of the moving was done, I went trick or treating at the zoo with Yeska, Isabella, Noah and Rudy. It was supposed to be with KAC, but we showed up late and everyone else had already about finished the walk. It was really cute and fun, we can't wait to go next year, when Noah will have some clue about his surroundings (he slept through the entire thing).

I just downloaded a baby Einstein album on itunes that's supposed to be great for getting babies really asleep. Hopefully, it'll help Noah and I out at night. I think he's got his days and nights confused and I unfortunately wasn't able to sleep when he slept this week as much as I really needed to. I will definitely do my best to catch up this week!

Not much else has really gone on this week. We got a pumpkin today to carve sometime this week for Noah's first Halloween. I'll be sure to take pictures.

One week old and "perfect" :)

Noah had his first doctors appointment yesterday and it went very well. The pediatrician is a really nice guy and he seems to really care about his patients and their parents.

He said he looked great and was perfectly healthy and was impressed that he's only 3 ounces from his birth weight. Apparently babies tend to gain an average of an ounce a day and breast fed babies typically take 2-3 weeks to get to their birth weight again, so Noah is ahead of schedule. I had told him I was concerned that he may be eating too much and he said that there's basically no such thing at his age and that I should continue to feed him on demand. He encouraged me, if Noah continued to have trouble breast feeding, to supplement with formula or pumped breast milk if I needed. He said it shouldn't cause too much nipple confusion as long as it's no more than once a day and that I needed to be sane. It was great news for me because there are times I spend an hour just trying to feed him for 45 minutes and then I have to turn around and do it again in an hour and a half or two hours. He did do very well yesterday with breast feeding though.

We're expecting a heavy flow of visitors today. Rudy's brother and sister are coming over along with Novie, Auntie Lita and one of the uncles. My parents are planning on coming sometime too! Noah is a very loved baby!

Overall, things have been going very well. Noah is adorable and we've been able to manage things pretty well so far. My recovery has definately been more painful and longer than I anticipated, but it is improving. :)

You can now view videos of Noah on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8FmIMVJBMY

6 days old!

After a few days at home we are beginning to get used to this whole parenting thing. I've really enjoyed having Rudy home all day and I don't really think I would be doing so well if he'd been working! I am still the main caretaker for the baby but it's been a huge help to have him cooking our meals and getting things for me so I don't have to get up, which is still really difficult because of my incisions. The staples are being removed tomorrow, so I'm hoping that will help, but I'm not really sure it will make any difference at all. Either way, I'm on the road to recovery.

Noah has been adjusting pretty well too. He's been sleeping in his crib with no problem and even slept 3 1/2 hours without waking up last night. The first night he slept in his crib i had an alarm set for 2 hours later each time i put him back to sleep which was completely unnecessary because he always woke up about 10-15 minutes before the alarm went off.

We've been doing a little better with breastfeeding but it's still kind of inconsistent. Several feedings in a row will be perfectly fine, but then he'll pull another frantic feeding and he ends up spending much more time screaming than eating and it's frustrating for both of us. Today he also fed for nearly two hours once...it was ridiculous and became pretty painful by the time he was finished. I'm beginning to think he just enjoys the closeness of breastfeeding and wants it when he's not even hungry. Everything I've read about breastfeeding insists that i feed him on demand though, especially till my milk comes in, which should happen soon.

All in all, everything is going pretty well. I'm not looking forward to Rudy returning to work Monday, but there's no way around that. Noah has proven to be a wonderful addition to our family and I can't wait to see how his personality develops!

What a wild ride!

After two days of trying to get used to each other and our surroundings, things are finally starting to fall into place. I'd say Rudy and I have already learned tons in our 2 1/2 days of parenthood!

Noah and I have had a terrible time breastfeeding and after spending an entire night up out of bed with a starving, screaming baby I was beginning to feel like we wouldn't be able to breast feed at all and I was very upset. We finally got some sleep after he had some formula i had the nurses fetch because I knew he really really needed to eat and I also knew there was no chance of either of us getting any sleep till he wasn't on an empty stomach. Noah has very little patience and since all my milk hasn't come in yet, he doesn't get any food quite as quickly as he'd prefer, which frustrates him and turns into him crying, causing him to not even notice that all he has left to do is suck. After a while of this, it can become a bit frustrating to both parties, although mostly I just feel bad because my baby isn't getting enough to eat! I have been very careful today to not let him go more than 2 hours without feeding him even though they say he could go up to about 3 hours because I think it helps a little bit if we try before he's already hungry and desperate. It has helped a little, but we're still having some issues with feeding, but I've been assured by nurses that it will probably resolve itself in time, especially when I'm really producing milk.

Because of his not so great eating habits, Noah has developed a little bit of jaundice, which isn't a huge deal but I felt a little guilty. Apparently, his case is pretty mild though.

We've had lots of visitors every day we've been here and Noah is definitely a very loved baby! It's been nice that so many people have been able to meet him and some people who wouldn't normally be around, were in town to meet him which is pretty nice. Luckily, Noah loves being held and he doesn't really seem to get tired of attention, so I think he liked the visitors too! Right now, he's sitting in my lap "helping" me update everyone on our lives. He says "hello, out there!"

We're pretty excited to return home tomorrow and sort of get into a routine. I'm also very excited to get that crib some use since it was so much trouble to get!

getting to know Noah

I'm pretty sure everyone who reads this already knows, but just in case, Noah was born October 10th at 11:07am. He weighed 7lbs and he's 20 inches long, he's very well proportioned :)

The last two and a half days have been absolutely exhausting, but also very very exciting! I was scheduled to have my regular weekly doctors appointment Friday and after the exam, the doctor told me I was only about 1/2 a centimeter dilated (basically nothing) and so I accepted, though i was disappointed, that Noah would still be a few days later. The doctor then asked if I'd had any recent ultrasounds and I told her it had been about 10 weeks so she decided we should go ahead and get scheduled for one just to check on things. Then it occurred to her that they might be able to work me in that day and I'm SO thankful they did!

I was pretty excited to get the ultrasound because i was SOOO nosy to see how big Noah had gotten! The ultra sound tech told us everything looked great as far as his measurements but then informed us that the fluid levels were low and we'd need to go back across the hall to see the dr again. She also said she was pretty sure we'd be going downstairs. It took me a second to realize that by downstairs, she meant labor and delivery. I was completely unprepared and it took me longer than it took rudy to adjust from not having him really soon to inducing today. I was pretty excited to get to meet him soon, but I was also nervous and disappointed that I didn't get a chance so tidy up the apt, get everything i needed from home, and most importantly, I didn't get to EAT!

I was in labor from about 4-5pm until he was born at 11 the next morning so I was pretty exhausted just from that. I spent 7 hours of labor dilated at 6cm which is why they decided I needed a C-section. I knew that I didn't want to stay in labor any longer but I was absolutely terrified of having surgery and i pretty much just tried to not even think about it while they were prepping me (pretty much impossible to not think about, by the way). They explained that it wouldn't hurt, I would just feel pressure, and thought I believed them, I was still very very nervous. I was so anxious that I was shaking all over and I got so nauseous from the anesthesia that i threw up several times right before they started cutting away. I was so glad Rudy was there though, he was very supportive and kept telling me I was doing a good job, even though I wasn't really doing anything.

It didn't take long at all for Noah to be born and I cried the instant I heard his crying. I was so happy and overwhelmed I couldn't say a word, plus they still had to put me back together which took probably 3 times as long as it did to cut me open!

After they were finished though, they rolled us to recovery where I sat in basically excruciating pain from the incisions and staples. They started me on pain medicine, but i took a while till it kicked in, and even then if still hurt. On the plus side, i did finally get to hold Noah before we left recovery and I got to see how adorable he is. We were both soo proud!

On our way to our mommy/baby room we passed several families members and friends waiting to see us and meet Noah and I sort of felt like i was in a parade being rolled around in that hospital bed. They took Noah to the nursery to get bathed and I went to our room to get a little situated before people started showing up. I couldn't wait to see Noah again!

We had many visitors throughout the day and it was a lot of fun seeing everyone react to him. I was really tired and had trouble keeping my eyes open at times, but i didn't seem to bother anyone.

Rudy and I have really enjoyed getting to know Noah the last two days and Rudy has turned out to be an adorable father! I can tell he really gets a kick out of watching him and seeing all his friends and family come dote on his son! I think Rudy will continue to be an amazing father!

More to come soon!

At Last!

After 17 hours of labor, ending with a c-section, we are happy to annouce :

Noah Vincent Bamba

10/10/09

11:07 am

7.7lbs 20 inches

:)

Dreams do come true...

Thank goodness for the epidural, I watched the contraction monitor sky rocket and Emma was sound asleep. Our visitors have just left and now maybe I can get some rest; the time, around 8:30am on Saturday October 10th 2009.

Sleep felt so good, except for the continuous beeping from the monitor machines. The room was cold, just about 60 degrees, pretty cold for me, Emma on the other hand in complete bliss; for the time being that is. I doze off and dream that I'm still awake in the room trying to go to sleep to the ever repetition of beeps echoing in the silence before the storm.

"Emma I need you to roll to your opposite side, we need to keep the baby moving and off that umbilical cord."- The nurse spoke firm and loudly; waking me from dreaming about going to sleep. "I'm also going to check how far along you are." as she proceeded to measure her dilated progress. "6cm still, ...." the nurse says as she checks the monitors.

I wake up to another nurse at the foot of my makeshift bed, with what looks like a birthday cake stack of white linen, a blue hat, booties to cover my shoes, and topped off with a bright yellow face mask. "I need you to start putting these on" the nurse, as she steps out of the room and another comes in to check now irregular beeping.

Was I still dreaming, or was there now two nurses in the room followed by a third masked individual re-positioning Emma.

"Gather all of your things and hers and get ready to move, this has to happen quick." One of the masked nurses with the blue booties on her shoes, as she stepped out of the room.

Emma slowly waking up is rolled out the door and down the hallway. Maybe this is not a dream...better get dressed and pack everything up. "Let me help you carry some of your things," A masked nurse assists me in getting our bags moved into the recovery room. "Right this way, Dad..." as she points down the hall to the operating room. "The baby has not made any progress past 6cm in the last 5 hours, we have to get him out by C-Section." She directs me to the dad to be chair in the hallway outside of the operating room, as other masked individuals walk up and down the hall as their blue booties shuffle quietly.

Coming down the stretch, here I am in the hallway, across the way Emma is being prepped for C-Section. I'm suited in a paper linen full body zip up, with blue booties over my shoes, a blue paper hat, and a bright yellow face mask that connects around my ears. I guess I better update a few people before I go in there, it could be awhile, and I don't want them calling during the operation. Problem is, I can't get to my phone in my pants pocked with out unzipping and twisting my arm through the opening to get my phone as I walk down the hall. I don't even remember who or what I texted, but it was something in the form of 'its time, she getting c-sectioned. "Right this way, Dad." the nurse handed me over to the Anesthesiologist.

"Hello, Emma is all prepped and ready, I will be monitoring her heart rate and managing her pain, please sit here," the masked man gave me a seat next to Emma's stretched out arm so I could at least hold her hand behind the wall of a curtain draped over her chest. Opposite the curtain, there was a great team of doctors and nurses already going for Mr. Noah.

The time was around 10:30am Saturday October 10th, 2009, and what I saw that day... let me just say it like this...-you know how you see the programs on T.V. that show a C-Section, well, take that and think about it 100 times over in different ways, because on T.V. you know the show is only 1 hour long. This however, felt like the longest and shortest 2 hours in my life. It was as if time had stopped to wait for Noah to be born, although he was 5 days overdue and Emma is a Champ. She pulled through with, lets say it this way flying colors. If I were in here position, I know I would have been crying. I'm very proud of her giving birth to a healthy big 7lbs. 3/4oz, 20inches, and the World's Coolest Baby, NOAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laboring all night...

One bedroom, One remote controlled reclining bed, two nice green hospital leather chairs that fold out into makeshift beds, an IV, heart monitor, contraction monitor, tons of cords, an analog clock, a full bath, five trash bins, two rolly tables, inset lighting with dimmer switch, a big ol' curtain, and free cable tv...

Awesome, we have arrived, it is indeed time to recieve baby Noah. First thing first, Emma updated her facebook status and calls or texts her people. I do the same. My sister calls, first thing she asks, "Are you all hungry? I can pick something up on the way there."
On her way in she gets lost in the lobby of the main building. "I'll come get you we're on the 2nd floor, meet me by the elevator."

I can smell cheeseburgers and bacon and fries and goodness as the elevator doors open up wide. I don't see her anywhere, but I sure can smell something good good good. I saw her through the giant windows walking down the side of the hall carrying some Rally's. "Hey there you are," as the cup holder wobbles.

"Ding*" 2nd floor.
"Are you gonna open the door?" My sister balancing the cup holder, drinks, bag of goodies, and her purse.
It was almost like trying to get in an armored fortress. On the way out I didn't have to stop and see anyone, however entry is so strict. I really missed the big sign that said Please press button to let the nurses open the doors. Next to the button is a camera pointed at eye level; I hope they see me so we can get in. Magically the doors opened wide and behold a long hallway that looks the same as every hallway.
Now, If I could only remember what room she is in, all the doors and rooms are identical. I should know since I just walked out less than 5 minutes ago.
"Oh yeah, its this way...nope...the other way."
"Helloo, are you hungry?" my sister upon arrival, "I would have got you something, you want some fries?"
"I don't know if I can eat anything," Emma as she shifts on the bed.
Only dilated about 1/2 cm she doesn't even feel the contractions. So yeah, we haven't had a nurse come in yet, or even a doctor. My sister plops the bag of food on the counter. "Well its still early on, and you haven't been induced yet." handing her the fries.
"Man, I was so hungry." nibbling on the scrumdidlyumcious fries.

Maybe an hour later the nurse came in and hooked up Emma to the machines around her bed.
It was like listening to someone trying to find a radio station, when the baby's heartbeat came through over the speaker.
"shhhhh boooo shhhh booooo shhhhh boooo....."
"Yup he's still in there"
"and yup still not dilated."

Since we came for the doctor's appointment, we really didn't think about bringing the overnight bag with us. I mean, who knew we would be in for the long haul.
"Well can I help you do anything?" my sister volunteers
"You can grab the bag from the apartment," ..."and clean up the apartment"
"clean the apartment, yeah sure, I can do that and bring back anything you need....how do I get to the apartment from here?" my sister writing a list of things she's going to do.
"Maybe I should just go with you so you won't get lost and I'll find everything at the apartment."
The nurse said we wouldn't be missing anything for awhile and she's a little over a 1cm dilated.

All we had to do was find my sister's car since she parked in one of the outside lots, but after we made it through the maze of a hospital fortress.
Down the hallway to the right,
Maneuver through the zigzag hallway,
Push the button on the far wall to exit,
Find the elevators on the right,
Push floor 1,
no music in the shiny elevator,
read a sign for H1N1 vaccination,
exit the elevator into the lobby,
figure out which way she came from,
we'll just go out the first double doors to the outside,
look for the car and go,
and all the while respond to the multiple texts from everyone that has my phone number,
Thank goodness for mass text capabilities.

It is still raining by the way, and its getting dark,
We can barely see the lines on the wet and shiny dark road, luckily, we only had a short 5 minute drive to maneuver through traffic on a Friday night.

Back at the apartment, Lucy is so excited to see us clean and gather Emma's and the baby's stuff. My sister washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, while I took care of sifting through the living room and vacuum; took a lil over an hour.

"Beep Beep" text from Emma, -Get back here soon.
And of course, we got back to the hospital as soon as possible.

"Beep Beeep," my phone received a text message from my brother.
-Where y'all at?
-2nd floor.
-Im in the lobby
As I start to respond to his text, here he is at the door and his significant other. "How you feeling Emma are you hungry?"
Well since she's not really feeling the contractions and she's not dilated, the doctor ordered her to be admitted because her fluids are low from being overdue.
We kick back and relax and watch some Free.99 Cable T.V., woot woot!

It was about 5pm or 6pm when the nurse check her dilation, it was about 2cm dilated, and she just started to feel some of the contractions. then after awhile, maybe an hour or so she had dilated 3-4cm, and the contractions got stronger and stronger.

The nurse came and checked on her and asked anytime you want to go on epidural let me know. It takes about 20-30 minutes to kick in. At the time her contractions were about 2-3 minutes apart. 15 minutes after the nurse left, Emma turned to me and said, I think I want to go as long as I can without. Then, 5 minutes after that she said, call the nurse I want the epidural.

Are you in Labor yet?

It was a dark and stormy day, rain clouds drifted overhead, the time 1:00pm Friday, October 9th, 2009. Traffic clogs the expressway on my way home from work. My mission: to get Emma to the hospital, she has a doctor's appointment at 2:30pm. Rain drizzles down my windshield, cars merge into my lane on the exit ramp as my wiperblades give me guidance.

Splashing through the parking lot of our apartment, my foot glides through a valley of a puddle. Fumbling up the stairs sifting through my keys hanging onto the side rail, the time is 1:30pm. We have an hour to get her to the hospital. The clock is ticking past due, her due date October 5, Monday 2009; I find Emma asleep in a cocoon of blankets.

Lucy our lovable puppy stands guard at the foot of the bed.

"Emma, Are you in Labor yet? You know we got a doctor's appointment at 2:30pm. Are you feeling ok?"

"errrrr" as she rolls out of bed and into the bathroom. "What time is it?"

"It's past baby time. Are you hungry?"

"errrrr" as she tunnels back into her cocoon of blankets.

2:00pm, Time to go...."Feelin' ok?"

"Yeah, just tired"

"Alright, be careful on the stairs its slippery....watch the puddles."

On our way we hit the traffic and rain, and all. "Man, I'm Hungry" "After the appointment we can get something to eat"

Upon arrival to the doctor's office, there are a few people in the waiting room. Yeah, shouldn't take long. Every appointment before today has been pretty quick and easy, we'll get some food afterwards. And so we waited in the waiting room, read a magazine, Time, Baby talk or something called Baby something, about babies.

"Emma Bamba?" ..."Right this way"

Routinely, She heads right to the bathroom for the very basic sample, while I wait in the expectant dad chair in the hallway. Next is to the exam room like always, and wait for the doctor. In the Exam room, same one we've been into many times before; Emma noticed the baby pictures on the wall.

"Those are cute." I've never really noticed those pictures on the wall from anytime before, I don't think she has either, except today.
"Yeah those are nice." as I check my email on my phone.
Then she picked up a magazine from the holder on the wall. The front cover has a picture of two pregnant former Playboy Models on it.
"Hey, isn't that so and so. Did she leave that show because she was pregnant?"
Now being a guy, How should I know? "I guess yeah how long ago was that?"
"That was like 10 months ago..."
"Yeah probably" maybe you'll have baby today too.

Knock, Knock...
It's the random doctor at the door.
It's the random doctor at the door who?
It's the random doctor at the door who does the routine checkup and says not dialated we'll have to schedule an appointment next week, maybe we'll have a higher chance for baby then.

So we listen for the heartbeat....yup still in there...yup not dialated...nope not feeling any contractions...

then the random doctor says...

"How bout we take you across the hall for an ultrasound and see how our lil guy is doing? I'll call over there and see if they can fit you in."....."No answer, ok so go checkout schedule an appointment for early next week and have them call across the hall to see if they can get you in today."

Easy enough, we schedule our appointment for next week, 2:3opm and the receptionist calls across the hall..."Yeah...Uhuh...are you with a patient right now?....hmmm...uh huh...yeah...ok...ok...no, it was monday...yeah earlier...uh huh...ok..."

So we go across the hall and check in with the ultrasound receptionist.

"I'm so hungry, right now..." Emma says as she sends texts on her phone and checks facebook.
"I'm sleepy, think its gonna be awhile, I'm gonna take a nap..." as I dose off with my hand pressed into my cheek.

Waiting....inbetween snoozing:
doors open and shut,
people walkthrough the waiting room,
patients sign in and their names called, and then they leave,
new patients come in and sign in and leave,
a guy plays with his iphone and tells his mom to be that a new beer pong app is available,
she says you're dumb,
doors open and shut,
Emma reads a magazine,
my cheek feels all numb, my hand is asleep it tingles,
people walk through the waiting room,
a lady sitting to to my right taps away at her phone texting,
my phone dies...

"Emma Bamba?"....
"Right this way..."
"Do you have a bathroom?"
"To your left"

Ultrasound, ultra awesome, we are ready to see this lil guy who has been taking his time. Upon first glance at the monitor, "Yup he's still in there" His head measures over 7cm, and his weight roughly around 7 pounds more or less.
"Wait...let me check something" the ultra-awesome ultrasound specialist says in bewilderment...
I look at the monitor and there is a new and very colorfully psychadelic extra box on the floating around clicking and snapping pictures in variations of red and blue.
"Yeah...He may weigh a little more or a little less around 7 pounds. It's hard to tell...It looks like your fluid is low."
"......."
"Awesome...." I wonder....
"I was waiting for an answer, and you will be a mom really soon, let's get you down stairs and ready to go."
"But I don't even feel any contractions, and the doctor said I wasn't even dialated....I new I should have eaten something earlier."
"Congratulations and Happy early birthday!"

And we're off to get admitted, to the wonderful labor and delivery triage with the most awesome mom to be!!!

-Rudy

False Alarm? 40 weeks 1 day

After sleeping maybe a total of 45 minutes last night, I woke up this morning feeling absolutely terrible. I felt achy with a sinus headache and was having some cramps. I decided to just spend the day in bed, but found myself unable to sleep a wink because of the cramps. It dawned on me that the cramps could turn into contractions but they certainly weren't regular. I texted Rudy, "I'm either having contractions or cramps, but either way, my life sucks right now." He decided to leave work immediately to sit with me. It wasn't really necessary for him to come home, which i told him, but I certainly can't say I haven't enjoyed having him around today.

We decided to go to the mall to walk around since it's rainy and the mall has bathrooms available. We figured if the cramps were going to turn into contractions, that would speed it up a little.

We've been home from the mall for a while and I still feel crampy, though not as bad. It's been a pretty rough day so far, I'm hoping to either start feeling better soon, or to have a baby, that's the only options I plan on giving my body. We're probably safe to assume i won't be going into labor very soon, but you never know!

40 Weeks!

Well, we've finally reached Noah's due date! He has just a little over 9 hours to arrive in order to be on his due date, which would be pretty cool since roughly only 4% of babies are born on their due dates.

There's not much else going on but waiting, we're both very ready to embark on this new adventure. Rudy hasn't talked to me in days without first asking, "you in labor yet?" and adds it in occasionally when we're just hanging out. I've also had several text messages/facebook wall posts asking about Noah and mentioning this being his due date so, he is certainly a highly anticipated baby!

Fetal movement has slowed down significantly,which could be a good sign (or he could just be napping a lot)

One of the other alums of my sorority took maternity photos for us and she did a great job so I included my favorite. There are other good ones too though!

Hopefully soon, I'll have photos of the cutest baby ever born to post on here, but until then, you're stuck with Rudy and I :)

39 Weeks and 2 days

I thought I'd start a blog for Noah "fans" to keep up with us once he's born. Especially those who don't have facebook to see pictures.

Normally, I wouldn't have started this until he's born, but since he's not born yet and I'm running out of things to keep me occupied, you will all have to keep up with me in the mean time...poor you!

I had my weekly doctors appointment today and to my dismay, he announced that nothing at all was happening down there. My cervix is still half thinned, same as last week. He said he didn't like to estimate when a baby would be born to avoid looking stupid, which I can understand.

My mom set up a pool to guess when the baby would arrive, and I suppose I loose because today was the day I guessed. I also guessed the 3rd, so we'll see how Saturday goes. You can take a guess too at http://expectnet.com/games/BabyBamba

Noah's nursery is ready to go! We finally had the closet door fixed this morning (it kept falling off the track) and we got our new vacuum earlier this week and so we don't have piles of pet hair in our carpets anymore!

I suppose Noah is just being polite and waiting on me to catch up on laundry, which is very considerate, and I should probably get on that. :)