Ben has arrived!

Benjamin Andersen Garbe 

09/16/2014, 8 lbs, 21 inches 

I've been meaning to write out Ben's birth story before I forget the details*. We are so happy Ben is here ---- it still seems so unbelievable that we have this tiny, adorable human in our life now! 

I went in for my 39 1/2 week appointment on Monday the 15th to re-check my blood pressure. The week before it had been in the high 150s, but I didn't have any signs and symptoms of preeclampsia or other complications. Just in case, Dave and I got as much ready as possible over the weekend and "assumed" a Monday baby arrival. Truthfully, I think we both figured my blood pressure would be back to normal and I'd see my physician at my 40 week appointment on the 18th. I was really hoping Ben would arrive naturally sometime during the week prior to my 40 week appointment. 

Sunday night I started having a lot of pressure in my abdomen, but I assumed they were Braxton Hicks contractions. It did cross my mind that I may be in early labor because the pressure was so intense, but I decided that it would be best to get a full night's sleep. If the contractions started to get worse, I figured they would wake me up. They really didn't feel anything like what I've read contractions should feel like, so I wasn't too concerned/excited. 

On Monday, I was still feeling a lot of pressure. At work, it started to get more and more uncomfortable, but I knew I would see an OB in a few hours so I decided to wait to ask her if I should be paying a little closer attention to how I was feeling. ;) At the appointment, my blood pressure was in the 140s --- still high, but not as alarming. Again, all other tests for preeclampsia were negative. My OB was out of town that day --- so I saw another OB who was really wonderful --- and she suggested I do a fetal stress test and an ultrasound just to rule out any other reasons why my blood pressure would be elevated. Ben passed the fetal stress test with flying colors (he moved a ton --- as he did throughout my entire pregnancy!), but the ultrasound showed really low fluid levels and the OB said I needed to be induced ASAP. It was noon and she asked if I could go to the birthcare center right then and there ---- I think the look of terror concern on my face led her to then ask if I could make it by 1PM. I said I could and called Dave right away --- he packed up the rest of our things, I got things settled at work and ate a peanut butter sandwich and two bananas knowing I wouldn't be able to eat for quite a while (a true runner's breakfast, am I right??). 

Before leaving the clinic, the OB also cautioned me that I would likely have to have a c-section. Actually, she said that she was very confident a "trial of labor" would fail. The doctor on-call at the birthcare center, though, wanted to try to avoid a c-section if possible. I'm glad the OB mentioned this to me beforehand --- I was able to prepare myself mentally for this possibility during labor when things were not progressing.  

When we got to the hospital, things were going really well. As it turns out, I WAS having contractions every 2 -3 minutes apart, they just didn't feel like radiating pain, just pressure. The nurse drew more bloodwork to continue to rule out preeclampsia and I was hooked up to fetal monitors and an IV of pitocin. I have to say, I really enjoyed this time spent with Dave in early labor --- we were so excited (and nervous) and the room was so peaceful. After some time, I took a whirlpool bath ---- I would HIGHLY recommend this --- that took all of my pain away. I was only able to stand the heat for a short period of time, though. When I got out of the tub, Ben's heart rate was dropping and I had to get back in bed to lie down to more closely monitor how things were going. I was slightly concerned about this, but also the contractions were starting to get more intense and it was hard to think about anything else. 

I labored for several hours before our active Ben kicked me really hard during a contraction and broke my water (thanks, buddy!). Prior to my water breaking I really felt like wonder woman --- I could handle the pain! Woo! But after? Forget it. I got to a point where I thought to myself "okay, 4 more contractions and ask for the epidural". I got through 4 more, told Dave and the nurse I wanted the epidural and waited for the anesthesiologist to arrive (from home. bless that man.). All I can say is epidurals are a magical. I tried to get as much sleep as possible at this point. Every time I would get checked, it would be disappointing --- I was hardly progressing at all. Ben's heart rate continued to be great in general, but he had a few drops here and there. I remember the nurse saying she'd call the doctor if it happened one more time. I think at that point, I knew I'd have a c-section and that I had to be okay with it. After 16 hours of labor, the on-call doctor asked me if I wanted to move forward with the c-section and I said "yes!". I was ready, and I think Ben was ready. 

The c-section went really well. Thank God for Dave --- I don't remember what he said or if he said anything at all, but just being able to hold his hand during the surgery made everything easier. He was really my rock throughout the entire labor and surgery. When Ben was born and I could hear him crying, I was so happy and relieved. I could have cared less what happened after that. Dave was able to go over and see Ben while they cleaned him up and then they were able to bring him over to me. Ben was born September 16th at 5:56 AM weighing 8 lbs and measuring 21 inches long. 

Rocking the hipster glasses during surgery

Dave and Ben went to the recovery room while I was stitched up. When I got to the recovery room, the nurses said that Ben was having a really hard time "transitioning". Usually, when a baby is born, the fluid in his chest is squeezed out ---- harder to do during a c-section, and Ben was really struggling. It was a flurry of activity --- there was a high-risk birth that one of the flight nurses kept having to answer her cell phone to coordinate while in that room, and there were so many people running around that I couldn't quite figure out what was going on. They told us he'd have to go up to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and I really wanted Dave to go with him. I had been pretty adamant about that when we talked about potential complications during a birth class we took together --- if for whatever reason I couldn't be with Ben, I really wanted Dave to be there. 

I don't know if it was maternal instinct, the fact that I work at St. Luke's and had full faith in their NICU, or the morphine --- but I really felt 100% like Ben was going to be okay, even though he was up in the NICU. I think Dave had a better understanding of how serious things were (they should dole out some morphine for the dads, amiright?) --- but, fortunately, his breathing got better after a couple of hours and they were able to discharge Ben. I remember they wheeled him into our birthcare room and I was so, so happy to see him. 

We didn't create a "birth plan" and I'm glad we didn't. This was certainly not the experience we were expecting, but I am so thankful that Ben is a healthy baby. It feels like he was always meant to be here --- like this particular person was always going to be part of our lives. It's a great feeling! 

*written the week after his birth for us to look back on someday! If you made it through the whole story, I probably owe you a pistachio chocolate chip cookie. ;)

Bump Date: Week 39

Week 39 (go huskers!)

How Far Along?  39 weeks. 5 days from our due date today! 

Size of the Baby? Baby G is the size of a watermelon. He is anywhere from 19-22 inches long and my app says around 7 lbs. He's obviously not 7 lbs from that picture above. We think he's 8. ;) 

Maternity Clothes? Nothing truly "fits" anymore. I broke down and purchased a pair of flats and some boots. My feet are very thankful. 

Stretch Marks? I plead the fifth. 

Gender? Boy! 

Name? Ben Garbe! 

Sleep? Oh, sleep. I need to make myself rest more often. I'm at a really good place at work, so I'm going to take it easy this week and leave early to get a nap in! Happy my workplace is so flexible with my hours. That is definitely a benefit of working with a lot of female nurses!

Cravings? This baby needs to arrive so we can take our first family trip to the apple orchard. This momma needs some apple cider donuts, stat! 

What I Miss? Being comfortable. Walking comfortably. My shoes fitting. Being able to get out of bed/up from my chair/put on pants without a struggle. ;) I'm basically a turtle. This is still true this week. 

Movement? Yes! And there is no room left in there. 

Symptoms? Braxton Hicks. My heartburn has been better this week since he has dropped so much. I'm so tired and sore, though! I'm also fairly irritable, but I don't know that there's any way around that at 39 weeks pregnant. ;)

Belly Button? Still in! HOW I DON'T KNOW. 

Best Moments of the last couple of weeks? Getting to 39 weeks feels like a huge accomplishment. There are so many significant milestones throughout pregnancy that mean your baby is likely to be healthy, and getting to 39 weeks is one of them. 

Looking forward to: Meeting Ben! At my last appointment, my blood pressure was very high so I'll have to go in again tomorrow to get it checked out. If it's still high, then the doctor is going to talk about scheduling an induction. If it's not high, then we'll re-check again at my 40 week appointment on Thursday. I'm hopeful it will be normal tomorrow and Ben will arrive on his own this week, but we'll see. I did a lot of reading since induction is such a hot topic (isn't everything related to women's health these days??), and I'm comfortable with this option since we're so far along. I don't want high blood pressure to cause any problems for Ben or my own health! This was something we were watching closely throughout my entire pregnancy --- so, again, super happy it hasn't been a problem until this late in the game. :) 

Some nursery pictures! You'll have to visit and see the nursery in person! ;) 

Light was not my friend today. ;) The walls are light gray, curtains; etc. are navy. 

Awesome recliner from Dave's parents! Elephant bunting made by my mom! 

The ottoman has a side pocket where I plan to stash magazines/my ipad for nursing and has storage space inside for nursing gear/burp cloths/snacks; etc. It was an awesome and super cheap Target find. The lamp also has a shade on the bottom and the light is adjustable so it won't be shining in Ben's face. :) 

Changing area

Crib!

Close-up of bunting

This is as crafty as I get, people. 

Cute peek-a-boo elephant print from Art.com

My mom is a lot craftier than I am. ;) She painted this shelf! Adorable keepsakes from MommaDonna! We're going to add a few elephants from Dave's childhood, too. 

You can never have too many books! 

Wall decals from Etsy

Going home outfit #1 (whaaaat is this cuteness) 

Going home outfit #Ben-is-huge-and-doesn't-fit-in-newborn-outfit

Adorable dog who has no idea what she's in for! 

Bump Date: Week 38

Week 38 + 3 days

How Far Along?  38 weeks! (+3 days. each day is a challenge so I am counting each one!)

Size of the Baby? Baby G is the size of a watermelon. He is anywhere from 19-22 inches long and likely around 6.5 - 7 lbs.

Maternity Clothes? Nothing truly "fits" anymore. I need some new shoes --- I've been told my feet will be swollen for a bit post-baby, too. 

Stretch Marks? I plead the fifth. 

Gender? Boy! 

Name? Ben Garbe! 

Sleep? I get some sleep. sometimes it's good sleep. sometimes it's not good sleep. sometimes I think about driving home and taking a nap during the day while I'm at work. Sometimes I go lie down "for a few minutes" and never get back up again. 

Cravings? Iced vanilla lattes. Specifically from Coffeesmiths. 

What I Miss? Being comfortable. Walking comfortably. My shoes fitting. Being able to get out of bed/up from my chair/put on pants without a struggle. ;) I'm basically a turtle. 

Movement? Yes! He's the cutest when he's moving. He always moves around after eating, during soccer and football games and when we play music. 

Symptoms? Braxton Hicks. Heartburn. Fatigue. Nesting. Swelling. I'm really thankful, though, that it's hit me so late in pregnancy. Sad that I can't wear my wedding rings, but happy that we don't have too much longer to go. (Don't be too late, Ben!) 

Belly Button? Still in! HOW I DON'T KNOW. 

Best Moments of the last couple of weeks? I made a ribbon mobile last weekend and then we didn't hang it up. ;) We will hang it up this week! Then, pictures! I promise! 

Looking forward to: Meeting Ben! Any guesses on arrival? I think he's going to arrive next week (before his due date --- a bit of wishful thinking!). Dave thinks he'll arrive a bit after his due date (which is more likely as a first-time mom). 

Cat adventures to brighten up your Monday: 

This is her favorite baby item. 

Testing out baby's crib. 

She liked this for about five seconds before realizing her favorite place to sleep is in the middle of our Queen-sized bed. 

She's excited we're having a boy.  

Can't leave out a picture of our cute and fluffy puppy. ;) Naturally, we assume she thinks we're having a puppy. And that Oreo thinks we're having a dragon, given that we call her Khaleesi from time to time. Totally makes sense. 

Bump Date: Week 36 & 37

Oreo wanted in on the action 

Week 37

How Far Along?  37 weeks today! Baby G is technically full-term, though we hope he makes it to 40 weeks. :)

Size of the Baby? Baby G is the size of a watermelon. He is anywhere from 19-22 inches long and likely around 6.5 pounds. 

Maternity Clothes? Nothing truly "fits" anymore. My maternity pants for work are hanging out at my ankles because they are pulled up around my belly so much now.  Stylin'. Also, my feet are about a half-size bigger from being a little swollen, which makes me thankful for the pair of shoes I've kept that were always a little bit too big! 

Stretch Marks? I plead the fifth. 

Gender? Boy! 

Name? Ben Garbe! 

Sleep? I get some sleep. 

Cravings? I'm back to the beginning: lemonade, baked goods, iced lattes (oh wait, that's all the time, even when I'm not pregnant). 

Also these: 

What I Miss? All I think about is running. I miss running. I won't miss it so much when I'm starting to run again. ;) 

Movement? Yes! He seems to be more active during the daytime hours now. :) 

Symptoms? Tired! Mornings are great, but by the time I get home from work I am exhausted. When people want to do things after work, I think they're crazy. ;) I'm also swelling a bit, but nothing too bad. I still have my wedding ring on, though I haven't been wearing my engagement ring in case I swell up suddenly and it needs to be cut off. ;) I'm definitely nesting --- we sanitized all of his bottles/feeding supplies and have been organizing every weekend (which really just tells you that we haven't truly organized our house since moving in almost, eh, 5 years ago....). His bedding/0-3 month clothes/towels/burp cloths have been washed and are ready to go!

Belly Button? Still in! 

Best Moments of the last couple of weeks? Nursery is nearly complete! I still have to get one more decoration up and make a ribbon mobile. I'll take some pictures soon! We've been organizing our room and have a few more baby items to pick up before baby arrives. 
Looking forward to: Meeting Ben! We have our hospital tour today, and I've got my bag (mostly) packed and ready to go. We're going to pick out a "coming home" outfit for Ben this weekend and finish up getting/organizing the last of the baby items. I'd love to spend the next three weeks just relaxing and enjoying our last few weeks of being married with no children.

And maybe get a pedicure. (hint, hint daddy-to-be!) ;)

Happy Friday!

Bump Date: Weeks 34 and 35

Week 35

How Far Along?  35 weeks today!

Size of the Baby? Baby G is the size of a large cantaloupe. He is anywhere from 19 - 22 in and 5.5 lbs. (He'll probably just gain 2 more pounds in the next five weeks and be the perfect size. Right?!?!)

Maternity Clothes? Yes, ma'am! Even that's starting to be a bit of a struggle. Yoga pants should be part of an acceptable "maternity dress code" at work. ;)

Stretch Marks? I plead the fifth. 

Gender? Boy! 

Name? Benjamin Andersen Garbe. 

Sleep? Sleep is not going so well, but I'm getting used to it. 

Cravings?  Wendy's frostys ---- I had quite a few home visits this week, and (understandably so) no one else has the air conditioner blasted to the arctic temperatures I've gotten used to at home. There is a Wendys two blocks from the hospital...at $1 a frosty, how can an 8.5 month pregnant woman say no?? 

Yesterday I also got a large lemonade from Panera after two challenging home visits. They have the best lemonade. I've also had approximately one thousand iced whole milk lattes from the local coffee shop. 

Though I recognize we've basically had Fall weather all summer, I'm still hot, people. ;) (Thank you, weather gods.) 

What I Miss? I've gotten to the point where I feel like a whale. So, I guess I miss not feeling like a whale.  

Movement? Yes! He's kicking me in the ribs all the time. He parties all night. He seems to sleep when I'm walking/active. 

Symptoms? Heartburn hasn't been as bad this week (yay!). Fatigue hasn't been as bad, either. I don't know why, but I think weeks 32-34 were really tough for me and this week has been pretty nice. 

Belly Button? Still in! 

Best Moments of the last couple of weeks? 34 week appointment went well! He's growing right on track and heartbeat sounds great. We met our Pediatric ARNP and she seems wonderful. I'll be happy to have her taking care of Ben after he's born and the clinic is a 10 minute drive from our house. We booked our photographer for newborn photos. I went back and forth about whether it was really "necessary" to take professional newborn photos --- but, um, YES, in the end we decided it was 100% necessary to have photos of our squishy newborn with some sort of cute hat on/in a wagon/in a basket/any other ridiculously cute scenario. Our hospital tour is scheduled for two weeks from now (literally the day I am technically full-term!) and I meet with HR today about maternity leave. We're getting a lot of these super important tasks completed and it makes me less anxious every week! I had a work shower a couple of weeks ago, and it was such a sweet shower. One of my co-workers ordered this awesome "diaper cake": 

So cute!! 

We have a working vacuum!!!!! 

Also loving coming home to some surprise gifts from Ben's Grandmas and Aunt! Adorable outfits, handmade keepsakes, and books --- it really brightens my day! (Read: I get all giggly and turn to mush.)

Looking forward to: Decorating the nursery this weekend! All of our artwork should be here by end of day today or tomorrow, so Sunday will be the day we put everything together. :) I'm also really looking forward to meeting Ben. I really hope we get to 40 weeks for all the health benefits, but as we get closer to 37 weeks, I'm so happy to get to the point where he'll be considered full-term and we don't have to worry as much if he arrives early. :)

Bump Date: Week 32 & 33

Week 33

How Far Along?  33 weeks today!

Size of the Baby? Baby G is the size of a honeydew. He is approximately 19 in and 4.5 lbs. 

Maternity Clothes? Yes, ma'am! And yoga pants all weekend long. Yoga pants are the best --- and you don't even need maternity ones!! 

Stretch Marks? I plead the fifth. 

Gender? Boy! 

Name? Ben! 

Sleep? My blissful nights of sleep are over. If it's not heartburn waking me up, I'm going to the bathroom 3x a night or having some serious pregnancy insomnia. Gotta get used to it. ;) 

Cravings? Still loving homemade pancakes, any tacos, ranch dressing on salads. And maybe this happened last night after a rough week: 

Baby loves ice cream. 

Disclaimer: That WAS split between Dave, myself and baby. ;) We haven't gone out for ice cream all summer ----- it needed to happen!! 

I won't get into how many times we've been to Chipotle since it's opened. 

What I Miss? Walking quickly. Even when I think I'm really moving --- I'm like a tortoise. 

Movement? Yes! He's definitely running out of room and now it's mostly BIG movements. I can also feel him hiccuping, which is pretty much the cutest thing ever. 

Symptoms? The worst. heartburn. of. my. life. TUMS are my best friend. I'm also tired all. of. the. time.

Some quirky aversions: A coworker brought in angel food cake for her birthday. I took a big bite (usually love it) and had to immediately spit it out in my garbage can. Sorry, office mate! And parsley --- I am not usually a big fan of parsley anyway, but I can at least stand it if it's mixed in a pasta or something (we're oregano and basil types around here). I had a smart ones (was trying to be good because I was craving fettuccine!) and it was COVERED in parsley. I had to throw out half my lunch after gagging. Boo to parsley. 

Belly Button? Still in! 

Best Moments of the last couple of weeks? 32 week appointment last week was great --- everything is looking good so far! I love hearing that heartbeat. :D Next appt is at 34 weeks, and then I'll start going in weekly from 36 - 40. We finally finished our childbirth classes --- I feel a little more prepared than before, though having a baby just seems like something that you can't prepare yourself for, no matter what! 

We have a functioning garage door!! This happened quite a while ago, but our garage door bit the dust. We knew it wasn't going to last very long after last winter, but finally the spring broke and we had to fix it. Not a bad time of year for the door to break --- I'm so glad it's fully functioning prior to Ben's arrival! 

Worst (and funny) moment: Also a bit ago --- our Dyson AND our backup vacuum stopped working at the same time. Initially, I wasn't too upset about it ---- but there maaaay have been a weekend when I maaaay have started to cry about it while sitting in the nursery (just thought I'd give a good visual of my hormonal distress). Dave may have been the best husband ever and vacuumed our entire house with a vacuum attachment. This memory had to be documented. ;) 

Seriously, though, you can't have a golden retriever and not have a functioning vacuum. Woah. This nester needs to vacuum every inch of the house, like, weekly. ;) 

Looking forward to: Ben's final baby shower is this weekend (we have a couple planned post-birth, too --- this kid is spoiled!!). A few coworkers are putting together a brunch with my favorite people from work. I am also looking forward to decorating the nursery this month!! We have a few things on Etsy we are planning on ordering and here is a sneak peak of the adorable bunting Nana Patti sewed for the nursery:

 So cute!!!

Nana Patti also sewed some adorable burp cloths for Ben! 

Bump Date: Week 29, 30 & 31

31 weeks. Bye toes!

Week 29/30/31

How Far Along?  31 weeks today! We're in the single digits! 9 weeks to go!

Size of the Baby? Baby G is the size of head of lettuce. He is likely measuring 18 inches long and 3.2 lbs. Baby G is going to gain about 1/2 lb a week until we get to his due date!

Maternity Clothes? Yes, ma'am! 

Stretch Marks? None from pregnancy so far! Burt's Bee's Momma and Baby oil has been good to my growing belly. The ones from before.....eh, they weren't going to disappear so who really cares. ;) 

Gender? Boy! 

Name? Benjamin Andersen Garbe! 

Sleep? Sleeping very well, most nights. :) Also taking a lot of naps ---- I took two the day of the baby shower. ;) 

Cravings? Pancakes and tacos. And salads (drenched in ranch, obviously). 

What I Miss? Energy. Family. Framily. :) 

Movement? Yes! Moving a lot ---- more big movements rather than kicking, which my body appreciates. ;) 

Symptoms? Feeling hot. I love this polar vortex. :D Heartburn (they say to avoid spicy food, but I can't give up my tacos). I'm starting to get leg cramps. Those are fun. ;)

Belly Button? In, but it's making it's way out! 

Best Moment of the last three weeks? Schaumburg Baby Shower! Seeing my best friends and framily!

Looking forward to: Continuing to work on the nursery and not having to travel again until after Baby Ben is born. 

Some random thoughts from the last three weeks: 

Last week we toured Ben's future daycare. It was the definition of bittersweet. I'm so glad they were able to accommodate us in their infant program ---- I was told a couple of years ago to put our name on the waiting list "the second you know you're pregnant" and I practically did --- at 9 weeks right after our ultrasound! The center is really secure, clean, and (most importantly) highly recommended by many good friends. The babies looked really happy ---- and the idea that Ben will get to see and play with other babies kind of makes my heart melt (so cute). I also almost cried at one point thinking about leaving Ben to be cared for by someone other than myself or Dave. But! Such is life when you want a career and like to shop travel!

Dave and I have been going to a series of childbirth classes that I've found to be pretty useful. I had a love/hate relationship with this week's class --- it was focused on Comfort Skills and I can tell already Dave is going to be an AWESOME labor partner, but I also felt like the whole "labor is painful" thing was a liiiiitttle bit glossed over. During a video, women were saying things like "when I relaxed my face, it's like the pain just disappeared". Please! I'm not believing that for a second. I also just scheduled a meet and greet with a Pediatric ARNP and also registered at the hospital for labor. Feels great to be crossing items off the to-do list, and it also heightens my anxiety that we've only got about 2 months to go!

We had a baby shower in Schaumburg last weekend, which you know about if you're reading this! It was so beautiful and it was so great to see people who have been such a significant part of my life since childhood. Truly my "framily". I have some really talented and creative people in my life ---- everything was absolutely perfect, and I kept a few decorations for Ben's nursery. I know I keep saying this, and I don't want it to seem disingenuous, but I really am overwhelmed by the amount of love and support we've received during this pregnancy. Everyone is so excited for Ben's arrival, and he has already been spoiled beyond belief and I have a funny feeling that's going to continue. ;) Thank you so much to my lovely hosts!! Some of my favorite pictures from the day:

*Random note: My hospital recently started playing Brahms lullaby over the main intercom whenever a baby is born; however, initially I did not know this and thought I was genuinely having some baby-related hallucinations. Though a cute idea in theory, there were 100 babies born within a ten day period. I'll let you decide if that song gets annoying after a while.