Thoughts on diapering

There is nothing more frustrating AND relieving than getting a new
diaper on JUST in time to be reloaded.

One of these days we'll get the diaper loading-changing system down!

We had a baby: how it went down

We welcomed Rolin Matthew Thompson to our world at 1:42 a.m. Tuesday, July 24th, 2012. His arrival was swift -- so swift that it took Justin and I at least the amount of time we were in the hospital to realize Rolin (pronounced "raw-lin," like Colin or pollen) had been born. That I'd gone through labor. That we had a son. That we were, henceforth, charged with caring for and nurturing a child of our very own.

We were parents.

Not that I'm complaining. I'll take a four hour and 30 minute labor & delivery any day of the week!

Settle in here, folks. This post is rather long. It's more of a place for me to type out the birth story. I've inserted a few pictures to help keep you entertained until the very end.

How it went down:

The Friday before Rolin was born I had a regular weekly appointment with my doctor where I learned I was about 3 cm dilated. During my visit she said she "stirred things up a bit" so I shouldn't be surprised if I experienced some cramping over the weekend.

Some cramping. Ha.

This is one of my fav pics so far

Friday, Saturday and Sunday brought discomfort, though I went about with my normal activities, which included having friends over for dinner and meeting up with friends to do girly things, like shopping and eating. The whole time I was experiencing this so-called cramping. Sometimes the pains were intense with regularity...occasionally a cluster would be exactly 8-10 mins apart...occasionally I'd go 20-30 minutes with nothing. I did some serious timing of them Saturday, but eventually I gave up on that, especially since everyone says, "oh, when it's a real contraction, you'll know. You'll just know."

The cramping sensations disappeared completely Sunday night. Monday, nothing. I went to a park with friends Heather and Eva, who were up from CA visiting peeps in WA. Over lunch that afternoon, Heather and I joked about how after all the weekend excitement I'd probably have the baby as soon as Heather left that afternoon to Seattle. Haha, funny.

A little smile

Back at home I started in on dinner: Steak Em Up Pitas (find the recipe here). Around 7 p.m. I called my mom to ask a question about tablecloths and reported that I felt just fine, that there had been no signs of pre-labor all day.

Justin and I helped ourselves to large servings of said pitas, mostly because after 8 p.m. JT was to be fasting for his morning doctor's appointment. After dinner we went upstairs to do more research on pediatricians. About 9:15 p.m. I decided to go from standing by the computer to sitting...half way through this maneuver something inside my belly popped. It was an audible "pop!," at least to me. It was my water...it broke. There wasn't much of it, but enough to know that was the most likely scenario for what I was experiencing.

Chaos ensued.

Both of us completely forgot the plan. We spent about five minutes running back and forth upstairs, empty-handed, trying to figure out what was absolutely necessary to throw in our nearly-packed hospital bag. Although there was a list (of course there was a list, this is me we're talking about here) of things to complete the bag, it was like I was staring at a list written in blurry Chinese. JT had just finished a sweaty bike ride too and so he jumped in the shower while I rounded up last minute items, like my toothbrush, snacks for the cooler, JT's Kindle, my slippers and iPhone charger...you know...important things we'd need for the long labor I was expecting.

He'll show you how to Dougie

We made it to the hospital by 9:30 p.m.; I had JT drop me at the door while he parked. I was still feeling fine and was nervous that they'd send me home...that it was a false alarm...that perhaps the loud "pop" was just baby karate-punching my bladder. As I walked through the sliding door, I had a contraction. As I rode up in the elevator to the Birth Place, I had another one.

Yes, yes, everyone...you're right. When you're having a real contraction you just know.

The check-in process was ridiculous. Apparently it was a busy day for babies and the hospital had not yet processed my previously submitted pre-registration form -- the one I thought about calling to check on earlier that very day, but decided against as I was told they'd call me to finalize details about a week before my due date. The receptionist said we could wait in the waiting room if we wanted so we didn't have to stand.

WAIT IN THE WAITING ROOM??! It took everything I had not to flip out. Justin too. We just stood in the waiting area. I walked through three or so contractions. Finally the triage nurse, who was very sweet, came to get us. I was quickly strapped to monitors and the like while they tried to figure out if my water had indeed broke...apparently not as big of a deal to real doctors as they make it sound in birthing class...

Aunt Brianna and Roly

Turns out people had been coming to the Birth Place all day thinking they were in labor. Instead, because of the heat, the majority were simply cases of dehydration and they were sent home. I guess by the time we got there they'd had their fill of false alarms and thought it was ok to just take their sweet time with check in.

In triage -- 40 mins later -- my blood pressure was sky high. High enough to make the nurse yelp at the computer and recheck my BP at least three more times. Of course it was high! I was contracting about every 6-7 minutes, the juice she gave me made me feel like I was going to vom and I thought I had to use the bathroom. It was nearing 11 p.m. when they decided to officially admit me, only "because my BP was so high." Then she decided to check to see if I was dilated more than 3 cm. Uhhh, yes, I was. By this time I was about 5-6 cm.

It was actually my OB/GYN who was on duty that night (hallelujah!) and a friendly nurse, Nurse Tom, walked us to our room. I continued to quietly breathe through contractions as Nurse Tom told us all about or room's amenities and asked if I wanted to walk around, get in the Jacuzzi or try the birthing ball. I opted for Jacuzzi and the luxury of its jets. By this time, the contractions were quite intense. JT then ran out to move the car and get our bags while Nurse Tom continued to ask me check-in questions. After Justin was back, we decided to call the families to let them know we were indeed at the hospital and indeed in labor. It was then about 11:45 p.m. - 12:15 a.m. or so.

See...we envisioned this going a little differently...laboring at home, slowly telling people I was either a). thinking I was in labor and just giving them a heads up or b). in active labor, checked in at the hospital. I had planned on telling many of you we were in the process of having the baby rather than telling you we had already had the baby!

Eventually I tried the birthing ball...contractions were coming I'd say every 1-3(?) minutes by that point, making it incredibly hard to answer more than one question at a time for Nurse Tom, who was still going through the admin form. I was thinking to myself, "If I'm in for 10 or more hours of this at 2 minutes apart, I'm not going to make it." It was then I decided I'd give in and ask for the epidural, so they sent for the anesthesiologist, who had an entire set of questions/forms of his own.

Spoiler alert: we never got to his list...

It was closer to 1 a.m. by now. I wasn't connected to any monitors, nor had anyone checked to see the progression of labor in quite some time. I casually mentioned to Tom that I sure did feel like I had to go to the bathroom again, but he suggested I hop up on the bed so we could check baby and labor progression. He also told Mr. Anesthesiologist, in a more harried tone, to get his act together lickity split as they started getting a hep lock for the IV in my arm.

Before they finished IV prep, Tom looked me straight in the eye and then announced that I was 9 cm dilated.

Tom then kindly asked Mr. Anesthesiologist to go get the doctor.

Mr. Anesthesiologist left. Mr. Anesthesiologist didn't come back.

We were past the point of no return.

I looked back at Tom and said something like, "soooo...no epidural then?"

He said something to the effect of, "Oh hun. No..."

Tom and Justin continued applying loads of welcome pressure to pressure points in my back and palms. Tom and Justin were quite the team! Both were wonderfully supportive and strong, both physically and emotionally.

Sleeping babes in the hospital

Then it was showtime.

Someone pushed a button on the wall and suddenly our plain, quaint, cozy laboring room pulled a Transformer. Lights came down from the ceiling, walls flipped around to display computer screens, medical equipment and more, and carts full of various instruments and devices rolled in.

A reminder to always double check placement of 'things' when putting on a new diaper.

My doctor -- again, so glad it was my doctor on call the night -- asked Tom and me a few questions, gave me a look of surprise when Tom told her how long we'd actually been in the room laboring and then said, "Ok, Christine, on this next one I'd like you to push."

WHAT?!

I thought I still had to go through the transition phase, the part they say is the most uncomfortable. The part I was dreading.

"Pssst, they've been putting me in these "shirts" for a few days. They don't even cover my bum! Also, yes, this is a makeshift changing table on the dining table..."

I mean, I was uncomfortable, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I guess you could say I was just waiting for things to get worse. And I certainly did feel like I had to push. I'd felt that way for a while by that point.

Then Tom whispered, "You can do this, your body was made for this."

As cheesy as it sounds when reading it, those words seemed to do the trick. Tom was right. I was made to have a baby and I was going to do it, damn it! It was that simple statement that made something click in my body and brain. I should send Tom a thank you note.

Pushing began. Nausea kicked in. Again. The steak pitas decided to join in on the party by parking themselves in my throat. They made it so Tom had to run from one side of the bed to the other holding a barf tray the whole time I was pushing. Thinking about that still makes me chuckle. Thankfully he never had to use the tray, but the pitas sure did keep Tom on his toes. Despite their annoyance, the med team all agreed the steak pita recipe sounded really good, and were impressed they were homemade on the night of labor beginning.

My memory from here on is a little cloudy. I think we did about 10 sets of pushing total. I remember getting super hot and also remember looking at JT at one point and saying, "This hurts." Then, pushing again, I remember the doctor said, "Oh look! Christine, look!"

Boom.

Baby.

Rolin Matthew Thompson was born.

As soon as it was over, it was over. Pain, gone. Need to push, gone. All other labor-related sensations (well, almost all), gone. I looked up and said, "That wasn't so bad!"

Seriously...I said that.

In my mind, at that very moment, I honestly thought to myself, "I'd definitely do that again. Next week, even, if I were guaranteed another labor like that one." It's pretty amazing what your body can do. I'm not saying it wasn't unpleasant. Please don't think I'm saying it was easy or pain free -- I did ask for an epidural, after all, and the only reason I didn't get one is because nature had a different plan in mind. I've never experienced pain or uncomfortableness like that before in my life, but it's a different sort of pain. Progressive, goal-achieving pain that, again, is over once it's over.

Then recovery begins, but that's another story for another time. Another time that'll never come to be. That is a tale that's best left to the imagination and late night texting amongst friends.

The rest, as they say, is history. Justin got to push the button that rings a chime-like bell throughout the entire hospital, announcing to the world another baby has been born. He also cut the cord and helped get Rolin cleaned up, swaddled and prepared for moving to the mother-baby room. Justin was, and has been, a champ, a rock, a comfort, a partner and a wonderful, amazing, loving father. Nothing compares to actually seeing your husband in action as a dad.

We have many stories to tell about our little one and parenthood, so stay tuned. Oh, and yes, there will be pictures. Many, many pictures.

Grandma Karen Thompson and Rolin

Make this: Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salad

Historically, I've shied away from recipes or dishes featuring corn. Salsa, salad, relish, soup. For some reason I had it in my head that nothing with corn would taste good. Well, that and anything with corn in it usually also has bell peppers in it.

Bell peppers and I do not mix.

Don't be me wrong. I love corn on the cob. I like corn kernels as a side dish.

I do not, however, like creamed corn. That's probably because I've only ever had it from a can and I haven't had that since I left the nest for college.

Sure, I'm open to trying your grandmother's creamed corn recipe. You have my email address, go ahead and send it to me.

However, last summer I started adding fresh, just-sliced-from-the-cob corn to my summer salads. Greens, sungold cherry tomatoes (CA peeps...please eat some of these delicious orange cherry tomatoes for me...I can't find them in WA), corn, fresh, mixed greens, blanched green beans, cucumber, various other veggies and a little blue cheese dressing. Oh, and add some steak to that salad...delicious on a summer night!

Justin laughs at me because whenever I actually do eat something with corn in it I always say, "Wow, this actually is good!"

I've been more adventurous with corn as of late, putting it in salads or salsas and such. I even made the following recipe and have been living off it all week.

Instead of serving it just as is, I added a few strips of grilled chicken to the top (thank you, Costco!). For another meal, I put a few scoops on top of salad greens, added chicken and dolloped on a bit of ranch dressing.

I grilled the corn on a grill pan on our stove and that worked just fine. It did take longer than 10 minutes though...I rotated the corn a few times to get some nice grill marks, probably for 15-20 mins, 3 mins per turn.

via 

Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salad

Recipe via Everyday with Rachael Ray. Serves 4+.

• 4 ears fresh corn, shucked
• 3 tablespoons EVOO
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• salt
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch  radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced (use a mandolin if you have one)
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 4 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (I used shredded Monterey Jack instead)
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced (pick up more than one to serve with leftovers)

Directions: Preheat a grill to medium. Add the corn and grill until charred in spots, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely. (If grilling inside, heat to medium high and grill longer for good grill marks.)

In a large bowl, whisk together the EVOO, lime juice, chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using a large, sharp knife, carefully cut the corn kernels from the cobs and transfer to the bowl. Add the beans, radishes, scallions and cilantro; toss well. Divide the salad among 4 plates; top with the queso and avocado.

Week 38

How far along? 38 Weeks, 1 day

Sleep: Not very comfortable at all these days. 

Best moment(s) this week: (1). Driving home from the store, music blaring in the car. I believe BT started dancing to the beat..or was trying to tell me, "Oy! MOM! That's too loud and that is NOT what the cool kids listen to these days!" (2). My mom came up Monday. It's so nice that family is close now and anyone can easily come up for the day. (3). Heather and Eva stopped by to say hi while they were in town! (4). I sewed a little somethin' somethin' for Mr. James' first birthday AND got it in the mail. (5). Discovering New Girl on Hulu. Hilarious!

Miss anything? Walking at a good pace. Laying down and not getting heartburn. Not being bitten by what seems like every bug out there (apparently bugs like preggos). A cold beer on a hot day. Aunt Looie's pool. 

Movement: As I type, BT is stretching. It's cute (and slightly uncomfortable).

Food cravings: As has been a constant the whole time: water. Also, when I arrived at the park today for a walk, I thought I could smell peach cobbler. Now I want some. We've also been eating a lot of orange-flesh honeydew melon. Do yourself a favor and get one at the store. Look for a more yellow than green coloring, make sure the bottom gives slightly and is fragrant...then you'll know you've got a good melon. Remember, cosmetic imperfections on the skin are expected...especially if it's at a regular grocery store. Thank you for excusing my produce-geek moment.

Labor signs: Nothing new. 

Happy or moody most of the time: I'm fine. It's hot. I get bored VERY easily. 

Looking forward to: Seeing BT on the ultrasound tomorrow. Understanding why my belly measured small. Knowing whether or not the dr. would like to induce early (AH!). Attempting to remember what I've read about feeding a newborn and keeping it alive. No pressure!

In other news: BT had/has the opportunity to be birthday buddies this month with quite a few of my buddies and family members. Linsley (18th), Grace (19th), James (22nd), Carrie (22nd). Joe & Brianna's anniversary is the 23rd and our fourth anniversary is the 26th. I realize BT isn't due until August, but you never know!

Week 37

How far along? 37 Weeks, 2 days

Sleep: Thank goodness for the AC window unit, that's all I have to say about this week!

Best moment(s) this week: Dr. says I'm now about 2.5cm dilated. Secondly, though a little bittersweet, today is my last day working before maternity leave. Aside from populating the store's new website with produce tips, I've not done much in the last two weeks as it was time for the new guy to handle a newsletter on his own. It's a strange feeling knowing I won't have ANYTHING tying me to the computer after 5 p.m. today. It's wonderful and daunting (that's the word I'm going with for now) at the same time. Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic about the opportunity to be a stay-at-home-mommy, but when you boil it down, a lot has changed for me in the last few months...with moving, working less than part-time, leaving a great group of friends, staying in the house almost all day every day, not to mention being pregnant...and there are many more changes to come! 

Miss anything? Seeing the bones in my feet. Poor things are pretty swollen these days. 

Movement: BT's little feet are usually up near my ribs or off to the side. It likes to do a little dance for dad at night, kind of like the boot scootin' boogie...it sweeps one heel or knee back and forth from one side to the other after dinner. I'm glad Justin gets to feel the little one's acrobatics once in a while too.

Food cravings: I've been digging red meat, salsa and berries this week. When I was first pregnant I wanted Mexican food a lot, now I seem to be back on the same track. Tacos, burritos, salsa...I even made some salsa the other day, yum! Overall food intake this week in general has been less because of the heat. 

Labor signs: The same backache that hits every once and again. They seem to be doing some good!

Symptoms: I decided that all the blinds in our house were gross so I've been cleaning them. I also plan on moping all the wood floors with a vinegar mix at some point...it'd probably be best to wait until we have some cooler weather to try that. 

Wedding rings on or off? Just have the wedding band on lately. The others fit, but I've just been sporting the band just because. 

Happy or moody most of the time: Hot. Grumpy. Swollen. Anxious. Nervous. Excited. 

Looking forward to: Seeing BT on the ultrasound next week. The dr. said my belly is measuring a little small for 37 weeks (should be about 37 cm, +/- 2cm) so we'll take a look to see how the baby is positioned and measuring up. Neither JT nor I are tall people or come from families of beastly-sized folk (well, except for those Norwegians, but I inherited my stature from my mom's side), so the dr. said she wouldn't be surprised if baby is just small, but wants to check things out anyway. Since she's ok waiting a week, I'm trying my hardest to tell my brain not to over think things and work itself into a nervous tizzy. It could also be because BT may have dropped. Maybe. It's hard to tell. Fingers crossed! Prayers for a healthy baby and hospitable living in-utero living environment are appreciated! 

Speaking of an in-utero living environment...and if you'd like a good laugh...read this blog post from Honest Toddler -- a collection of comical posts written from a toddler's perspective. The entire blog is hysterical. I think it's funny and BT hasn't even been born yet! (Thanks, HB, for the recommendation!)

This is all you're gonna get this week...it's too hot to turn on the hair dryer and I don't feel that anyone should be subjected to what my hair looks like when I don't use a hair dryer. Well, anyone except my husband, other park goers and all the staff at my doctor's office. But...they understand. It's hot and I'm pregnant. The end. 

In other news, BT is still the size of a "watermelon." The app had the same stats as last week. Boring!

Week 36

What comes after a watermelon? A pumpkin??

How far along? 36 Weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain: Somewhere between 27-30 lbs now

Maternity clothes? Indeed

Stretch marks? Haven't seen one yet.

Sleep: Slumber is interrupted several times a night and heartburn always precedes any shut eye. Luckily, I don't have much of a problem falling asleep when I first go to bed!

Best moment(s) this week: This has been an exciting week! Tuesday my friend Sarah was in town, Wednesday we went to Garfield to celebrate the 4th with the Olsens, Thursday I sent up to Waitts Lake to spend time with Tara and the Stroyan family and tonight JT and I are going to a Spokane Indians baseball game. Tomorrow mom, dad, Joe and Brianna are coming for the weekend too!! Something else exciting?? The doctor says I'm 1.5 cm dilated and about 80% effaced. I'm just happy the semi-painful, back-centered contractions I've experienced have been doing something and that the discomfort wasn't just in my head!

Miss anything? Energy.

Movement: Little one has been telling me lately that my ribs are irritating and a total inconvenience :) The other night it did a kick and a punch at the same time and it startled me enough to let out a yelp!

Food cravings: Nothing like last week, though Wednesday was one of those days where I just couldn't get enough food to make me feel full. Two breakfasts, lunch, 4th of July snacks, a full dinner...it was a good day to be hungry since there were so many yummy dishes to choose from at the Olsen's party!

Anything making you queasy or sick: No.

Gender: Two more people have joined the girl camp, but it seems most people think BT is a boy. 

Labor signs: No true labor signs, but progress is being made!

Symptoms: Anxiousness.

Belly button in or out? Still an in/out.

Wedding rings on or off? On, but getting tighter. It'll be interesting to see what the expected 100F weather does to my little fingers this weekend.

Happy or moody most of the time: It's been a good week! 

Looking forward to: My parents and Joe & Brianna's visit, another week out of the way, Heather B's visit, seeing little BT.

BT's Room

Whew! I am glad to report we have BT's room just about finished. I think JT may be even more celebratory than I, considering he put together all the furniture...

Nearly everything has been washed and stashed in the dresser or wardrobe too. We just need to hang a few more frames; the frames are waiting on pictures of baby.

Here are a few pics of the space, furniture construction and finished projects, followed by a video:

 Lee, Curtis and Justin: the crib construction team.

Putting together the dresser. Word to the wise: While the Delta Springtime crib was easy to put together, pretty and didn't stink, the dresser is another story. If you're considering the the Delta Springtime dresser (from Babies R Us), reconsider a different brand. The dresser had a funky smell to it for weeks. WEEKS! I put bowls of ammonia in there, got a special room deodorizer, placed dryer sheets in the drawers, aired it out, put a fan in the room...most of the stink is gone now. The manufacturer's site, as well as review sites (which I apparently didn't read very well pre-purchase), say the smell comes from the varnish not being completely dry before it's put in the box. Also, not many of the holes were drilled in the right spot...luckily JT is handy with a drill. If it had been me putting it together, I probably would have thrown it away, cried and purchased some plastic tubs to hold all BT's clothes instead. 

 Applying a few wall decals. This is Justin's "fly away" bird.

Attaching arm cushions on the glider.

Putting together the wardrobe (there is no closet in this room since it's considered an office).

 Changing table/dresser.

Crib corner.

Glider corner.

Wardrobe and door to the room.

Wall art. The puff balls were made by BT's Aunt Brianna for the baby shower in Grandview. I thought they were a perfect match for the room so I brought some home. 

To give you a better idea of the flow of the space, here's a video!