Week 2: More Firsts

To Blog Or Not To Blog?
You might notice in the blog header that I originally started this blog to keep everyone updated on the pregnancy. Well, the pregnancy is done (yea!), so I am left with the decision on whether to continue the blog now that Oliver is here and kicking our butts (in a good way, of course). Don't worry, I will give everyone fair warning should the blog be discontinued, but for now, I will try to keep on sending out weekly updates with pictures of my cute baby. Because there really can't be too many baby blogs out there, can there? :)
Week 2
This week saw lots of action. For starters, Matt and I were on our own (Nana departed on Sunday) for a few days until Grammy Melanie and Grandpa Jerry arrived on Thursday. I fear the rumors are true: New parents really don't get much sleep in the beginning. But, we are lucky in that Oliver seems to like sleeping in his crib - alot. In fact, sometimes he reminds me of a hibernating bear - wake him up at your own risk!
We took our first family walk, and everyone did great. Preston seemed to be just fine keeping pace with a stroller, and Oliver, well, he got so excited about his first walk that he promptly slept through the whole thing.
We had several friends drop by to bring us dinner a few nights, and we really appreciated the adult company and delicious food. We are so blessed to have a great community of friends here in Lawrence. They are definitely a necessary support group.
We also took Oliver out for his first public appearance. We stopped by Matt's office to show him off to some of the clinic gals, and we weighed him on the doggie scale (okay, it's a cat scale too, but I'm not a cat person so they usually get the snub from me). The scale showed that not only has Oliver gained back his birth weight, but he is actually OVER it already - one reading showed 8.2 lbs and another showed 8.4 lbs. Woo hoo (go Mom)! He is quite the piggy when it comes to eating. Grunts and squeals and all.
Oh, and then we also took him to the Walmart. Yes, Walmart. Hey, we're all about keeping it real here in the Midwest. :)
Onto the fun stuff
Here are some pics of the past week:

It's Been....One Week Since You Looked At Me

Oliver's First Week
So, 8 days ago I was praying that I would have already had a baby by today - my due date. 7 days later, here we are!
I would say O's first week was an eventful one:
1. Good Pediatrician visit (Stats: 20 inches = 52% height, 7 lbs 7 oz = 32% weight, 13.2 in head circ = 11% - hey, my head was small too, and I'm still smart. :) )
2. Good QT with Nana - who has been a Godsend!
3. REALLY good feedings
4. A couple of diaper explosions - and I do mean explosions!
5. Lots of wetness from head to toe (really need to figure these diaper things out)
6. First, second AND third baths - see items 4 and 5 above
7. Three roll overs by himself (yikes!)
8. And, last but not least,  Dad got to give his first (and second) bottle.
Here are some pics to commemorate the past week:

So this is what the fuss is all about!

One Wild Weekend
Hello blog world! Needless to say, it's been an eventful few days. I don't have alot of wit in me right now due to some sleep-deprivation, so bear with this somewhat jumbled recap!
Showtime!
Friday, June 11th, 5:45 am - Wake up to roll over, and POP! Water breaking. And breaking. And breaking. Niagara falls comes to mind. I wake up Matt. He immediately goes into Operation Roundup Hosptial Necessities mode.
6:45 am - Roll into hospital - get checked into delivery room. Contractions beginning to get a bit uncomfortable. Dilated to a 4.5 at first check.
7:15 am - Ask nurse when she comes in again if I have to specifially tell them that I want my epidural now or do they just automatically know that. Because, you know, pain is becoming a factor preventing me from enjoying this "birth experience".
7:30-9:00 - Best not to relive this part, as it basically just involves me being incoherent and concentrating on breathing and not putting my fist through a window -or someone's face. Making lots of dilation progress though, so that was good.
9:15ish - Anesthesiologist FINALLY makes his appearance. Praise Jesus!
9:30ish - 1:30ish - Life is sooo good. Just hanging out waiting on the little man of the hour/day to arrive.
1:30 - Dr. Mercado checks in and says we are getting close to getting this show on the road!
(BTW, Dr. Minderman, my actual OB, was out of town. Of course.)
2:19 pm - Last push and Oliver is here! He took a big gulp of fluid right before he decided to make his entrance, so they had to work on him for awhile to get his lungs and color right.
And he's been perfect ever since!!!!
Now, this is all from my perspective. I will have to have Matt be a guest blogger sometime to tell you his side of things. I do know that he was pretty excited to get to watch alot of the World Cup all weekend since he didn't have to work! Oliver was born during halftime of the Uruguay/France game, which was respectful of him.
Grandparents R Us
My parents were able to get here literally right as I was delivering. I think the Judge broke a few traffic laws on the way up from Oklahoma, but managed to avoid any tickets (that I know of).
Jerry and Melanie couldn't get a flight until Saturday, and rushed to the hospital about 24 hours after Oliver's birth. And they couldn't get enough of him! All of the Grandparents were super helpful and - thankful? Melanie told me "thank you" a few times I believe! :)
The good stuff
Okay, enough of a recap. Here is what you really want: Pictures!

More to come when I have another spare and lucid moment!

Checklist

38 Weeks
Yes, that's right. Friday marked 38 weeks of pregnancy. Had I not been so diligent about keeping track of all these weeks, I would believe it if someone told me I have been pregnant for years. Years! The weekly doctor's visit was disappointing - if only b/c Dr. Minderman announced there is no change. No further progression. No good guess on when I will go into labor. It's comforting to know we can send things to space, clone animals, cure horrible diseases, and yet not have a clue about what's going to happen from one day to the next during pregnancy.
I managed to fit in two movies this week. I've received this same piece of advice from several people - to go to the movies as often as possible in the remaining weeks, b/c I will not have the chance to do so for a long time to come after baby!
Check, check
I'm winding up all of the loose ends on the To Do List. There's not much left to finish up now:
1. Attendance to all pre-natal classes offered at hospital - check
2. Car seat installed properly - check
3. Hospital suitcase packed - check
4. Nursery decorated - check
5. Baby books read - check
6. Baby necessities purchased - check
7. Baby clothes, blankets washed - check
8. Fighting with insurance on weekly basis for screwing up pre-natal doctor visits - check
9. Husband with his own pregnancy brain situation going on - double check
10. Having the conversation with your doctor at 38 weeks about the likelihood of inducing after 7 weeks of bed rest for preterm labor - PRICELESS!!!