Welcome Luca Salvatore!

I am so happy to announce that Luca Salvatore came into our lives on 10/6/10 at 1:43 pm.

On the 5th I was having period like cramps all day and just feeling crummy. At night I forced myself to have dinner but all night I was up feeling the need to go to the bathroom. I felt so sick. Just like a stomach bug. Well then around 2 am I started to have contractions. I wasn't sure at first and then they got regular. 20 min apart. I went to my husband and said I think I am in labor. He said are you kidding? I was like no I think I am. I wrote down the times 20 min apart then 10 then 5, then back to 10, then 7, then 5. at around 6am I called the doctor. We waited for the doctor to call back and the covering doctor said to come in and lets have a look. so 6:15 we are on 93 in traffic on out way to the hospital. They were bearable but painful and still 5 min apart and sometimes 3 min.

When we got there, I was only 1 cm dilated, and 90% effaced. The nurse said well I might not keep you. Are you kidding? She hooked me up to the machine and the baby's heart rate was dipping when I had a contraction. She talked to my doctor and when she came back in the room she said well your staying and your doctor wants you on pitocin and ordered an epidural. I said well I don't think I was an epidural. She said are you kidding? why? Well after a few more contractions I said "I'll take that epidoral now". all along I am telling my husband that I think I cant do this again. I think one baby is enough.
Once I got it Oh my god! Amazing! weird because you feel nothing and cant move your legs. I told my husband oh I can have 10 kids. this is great! I guess my contractions came very very close but I didn't feel a thing!
I got the pitocin at around 11am, At about 1 I said I think my water broke. It was like a little pop. The nurse check me and she was like Yep and you are fully dilated. we need to call the doctor in.
OMG! it was so surreal. this was it. all this time I was going to meet my baby.
Doctor came in at about 1:15. I started pushing, 3 contractions, 3 pushes each and he was out!!
the doctor said its a boy. I said really? I thought for sure it was a girl. but my god I couldn't stop crying and they gave him to me right away. It was the most amazing thing in the world. To finally hold your baby. It was just overwhelming.

He was 7 lbs 11 oz and 21 inches long. He is such a great baby. I cant tell you how in love I am. I wonder what we did without him. For all we went through to get here, I finally have my miracle in my arms.

Luca means the bringer of light, and that's what he did. I knew I always saw the light at the end of tunnel that we went through and now I have him in my arms.
He brought us the light into our lives, hearts, and souls.

Week 39- We are almost there!

What is Baby S up to?

Baby's crown-to-rump length at this time is approximately 14.4 inches and the total length is approximately 21.5 inches. The average baby weighs a little more than 7 pounds now and is preparing for birth. You are probably as big as you are going to get and may be uncomfortable now. Most women gain between 25 and 35 pounds during their pregnancy. Your uterus is about 7-8 inches above your bellybutton now.

Although your baby continues to grow and develop inside of your uterus, there is not much room for him to move about. All of your baby's organ systems are now complete and the lungs were the last to fully mature.

If you are uncomfortable with your pregnancy at this time, you are not alone. Most women are ready to deliver their babies. It would be very unusual for you to not be uncomfortable at this time. Your uterus has grown a lot and now fills your entire pelvis and abdomen. Try not to ask your doctor to induce you, unless it is medically necessary. Your cervix is ripening in preparation for delivery and your bladder is under a lot of pressure. You may feel nervous about the upcoming labor. You will know when you are in labor because contractions will get worse when you move around and they will also get stronger and more frequent. Other signs of labor are the breaking of your water or a bloody show as the mucus that plugged your cervix becomes dislodged.

Most of the lanugo on your baby should be gone by now. Your baby still may have some on his shoulders and in the creases of his body. Your baby's toenails have reached the end of his toes. The umbilical cord is about a half inch thick and may be wrapped around him. The umbilical cord still supplies the baby with nutrients that he needs. After delivery, your baby's umbilical cord will be clamped and cut. After it is cut, he will be an independent human being and must perform all of his body functions on his own. Your baby will get antibodies from your body that give his immune system a boost.

I can't believe how close I am to being a mommy. I have dreamed about this for as long as I can remember. I just can't wait to hold my sweet baby in my arms and finally meet him/her.
Almost 13 years ago I became an aunt. A title and role that I have always cherished and adored. I have felt so blessed to be the aunt of the most amazing 6 nieces and 2 nephews. I cant believe that in about a week, I will have the role I have wished for, prayed for and hope for. In 7 days I will be a MOTHER!

Week 38- We are so close!

What is Baby S up to?

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long. She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

This weekend nesting was in full swing! I washed all the baby's clothes. I used Dreft. I love the smell of it. It smells what baby clothes should smell like. My husband put together the changing table, bouncy seat, swing, pack in play, car seat is installed in the car, bags are packed and bassinet is all put together. We are all set. We just have to wait for Baby S to arrive!

We are still waiting on the other furniture to come. The crib, bureau and chest. They said it will come in 10-12 weeks. This is week 11, so I am hoping it comes within the week.

I cant tell you how excited I am. I cant wait to have this sweet baby in my arms. We just have 2 more weeks!

Week 37

Whats Baby S up to?

At week 37, your pregnancy is considered full term, meaning baby is likely to thrive after birth. Baby spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. If (okay, as) you worry about giving birth, consider what it’s like for the little one. During the journey out of your womb, baby will produce more stress hormones than any other time in life.

Last week we had an appointment with the Fetal-Maternal Specialist. My doctor just wanted a second opinion. The head is still larger than the belly. But the belly is measuring where it should so the doctor agrees with my doctor and Baby S just has a big head :) I was so relieved with that news. I have been waiting for the other shoe to drop and I was scared that it would. But all looks perfect. Baby S last week was 6 pounds 13 oz. So if I go to term we are looking at an 8 pound baby.

I am pretty much all ready for the baby to come. Well I have everything bought. We still haven't put the nursery together yet. My husband has been busy painting and Friday we are having the rugs cleaned. Saturday I will be putting everything together and washing all the clothes.

I cant believe I will be mommy soon.
3 more weeks! I cant wait to have Baby S in my arms!

Interesting Fact:

I was reading my What to Expect When You Are Expecting and they said, "according to researchers, who found that 3rd trimester fetuses show crying behaviors -quivering chin , open mouth, deep inhalations and exhalations, and startle responses -when a loud noise and vibrations were sounded near the moms belly. Its known that crying reflex is well developed even in premature infants..."

I also found this video. I found this very interesting and always wondered this. If a baby cries when it first comes into life, why wouldn't it cry in the womb. I cant wait to hold my sweet baby and try to sooth every cry he/she makes.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/media/fetalcryingvideo.html

Week 36

What is Baby S up to?
Your baby is still packing on the pounds, at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Not much new to report. We are just getting ready for little one to arrive. I can't wait! We still have alot to do. The baby's furniture still hasn't arrived yet. Yikes!
I cant believe we have 28 more days!

4 weeks left until Baby S arrives!

Week 35- We bought a family car!

What is Baby S up to this week?
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds. Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete,he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.
Your uterus,which was entirely tucked away inside your pelvis when you conceived now reaches up under your rib cage. If you could peek inside your womb, you'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your other internal organs, too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and may be dealing with heartburn and other gastrointestinal distress. If you're not grappling with these annoyances, you're one of the lucky few.

Well, we bought a family car. I am so ready for the baby come now. I sold my 2 door Toyota Solara and we bought a 2011 Toyota Camry. I cant wait to put the car seat in it.

Last weekend I had major nesting. I couldn't get my house clean enough. I did all the woodwork in the house. I just kept thinking that a new baby is going to be here. Every week we have something to do. Finish the painting in the house, get carpets cleaned, etc. We are very busy preparing.

I look at the baby stuff we have and cant believe its for MY baby. The stroller, car seat, baby necessities are in my living room. I never imagined that I would ever have baby stuff in my house. With all we went through I never thought it was possible.

This is real now. I will be a mommy.

32 more days to go!

Week 34- 42 more days!

Whats Baby S up to?
Your baby now weighs about 5 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers, which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born, are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

We had a growth ultrasound last week. Baby is about 5 lbs and is in the 48 percentile. They did notice that the baby's belly was a little small. They will have to watch it and I will have another ultrasound next week and see if it grew. If it doesn't I will have to see a fetal maternal specialist. They will then make sure the kidneys, etc are working OK. I am praying that it was just the way the baby was laying and the tech just didn't get a good look. I am crossing my fingers. I know in my heart everything will be fine. I also had a non stress test because I am 35. I will be having one every 2 weeks also until I deliver. This is to make sure the baby can handle going down the birth canal. They just hooked me up to a monitor and monitored the baby's heartbeat. Here are a few photos of our little one. I cant wait to hold the baby and kiss its sweet face.

Just 6 more weeks to go!