Solids

Jimi sits on my lap during meals and shows interest in what we are doing. He even leans forward, or reaches for my fork from time to time. All the while he has been at the table, wondering where his is. His Dr. says no food until 4 mos., so I have been waiting about two weeks to do the infamous first bites.

Well he turned 16 weeks on Friday, and although he won't be "4 mos" until the 13th of Nov., IMO 16 weeks is four, four-week spans, in other words, 4 mos.

So, we outfitted him with my favorite bib of his which reads, "If you think I'm handsome you should see my Daddy!"; put him on Daddy's lap; made a small amount of rice cereal; and began the festivities. If you have a guest pass (you most likely do if you are a friend/family), you can view pix of the occassion on Flickr.

I didn't know what he would make of it, so I only made one small scoop of cereal, and mixed it with his formula. The first bite was more of an introduction. Jimi, this is cereal. Cereal, this is Jimi. THEN what happened surprised us all....Jimi LIKED his new friend, cereal. I knew he was ready, I just didn't realize how ready he was. He looked at us as if to say, "where has this been all of my life?"

His first bites consisted of figuring out how to use his tongue. Once he got that down, how does he open his mouth? By the end of the feeding we were both pros, with my wiping-the-cereal-running-down-the-face-with-the-spoon move well practiced!

He ate the entrire scoop's worth of cereal, and only stopped because there was no more to have. He then topped off his meal with the remainder of his 6 oz of formula and fell FAST asleep.

I was so proud of my baby! Daddy was proud, too. The gift of life continually amazes me, as I never could have anticipated experiencing such joy watching a person eat.

Jimi

Well, it has been more than three months since I last touched the blog. A lot has transpired. I had trouble nursing with breastmilk, I never could make enough. After 6 weeks of pumping, herbal supplementing, water logging, and lactation consulting his pediatrician suggested I give it up. It was an emotional crash, but in the end it was best for all of us. At his last weight check, Oct 1, he weighed 13lbs 7oz. I am sure he is close to 16 lbs by now. I sent my mom a pic of him in the bath last night (water toy appropriately placed). She replied, "no more food till Christmas, he is getting so big!" I know what she means by that. I feel like his most precious moments are sliding away, too. But it is so fun watching him learn and grow. What an amazing gift he is!

Jimi started growing like a weed on formula, and went from 4 oz bottles at a time to 6 oz bottles now. During growth spurts I have seen him take as much as 8 oz. He is 16 weeks, and I am ready to start feeding him solids. I really want to wait until 4 mos, as doctors recommend any sooner could create a food allergy. He sits on my lap with us at meals and does very well at holding up his head. He leans in towards the food, and motions his hands at my fork, as if to say, "give me some, Mom". All signs point to solids!

Being a mom is the most awesome, joyous occurance. It continues to amaze me projectile diarreah, vomit, fountains of urine, drool, mucous and the likes are not repulsive to me...when they're Jimi's (not accepting new applicants). A mother's love goes further than acceptance of all things bodily fluids...there's such compassion for the little cries that would otherwise irritate an outsider. There's a drive to teach them to be more and do more than you ever knew. And, there is a monster called protection that if anyone EVER thought of hurting him would be unleashed.

I had an epiphany one day as I was holding my son, "Mom," I said, "is this how much you love me?" "Yes, it is" she replied. I was overwhelmed. I knew she loved me, but now I understood how much. I realize that she deserved much better Mother's Day gifts through the years!

Here comes the son

At long last, my baby boy has arrived! Olujimi Ayomide Toluwani Eso was born at 4:00 pm on Friday, July 13, 2007. He was a big (!) boy weighing in at 9 lbs 4 oz. He is 20 inches long.

We decided to have Dr. Rushing induce me on Friday morning, since my mom would not be able to make it sooner than her scheduled ticket of July 20th. Why wait any longer than necessary? And, I have a friend with a birthday on the 15th and another friend w/an anniversary on the 15th, so I wanted him to have his own day, even if it was Friday the 13th. Although, that superstition is lost on me because of my faith in Jesus Christ. Anyhow, the day went as such:

We woke up on time, but I was moving really slow. I don't know if I was dragging my feet intentionally or what. I asked Dapo to stop at McDonalds, because I knew once I got to the hospital I would not be allowed to eat until the baby was born. They tell you not to eat before you come in (because of the Caesaren risk) but I was not going to be hungry AND in labor. We arrived about 7:15 am and checked in. It wasn't long before Belinda, the Pastor's assistant, came in. She had told me she would be there at some point during the day, but I didn't realize she was in it for the long haul. I was taken to my room, given a gown, and put in bed. They started the IV drip, and fluids. The nurse asked if I wanted an epidural, and I said no. She then asked am I totally against it or just not wanting it now. I said I was "pretty much totally against it". Which, in retrospect, wasn't very definite. Wendy (the RN) hooked up the baby heart monitor and contraction monitor to my belly and left the room. Dapo had gone to get our belongings and Belinda and so I was alone in the room. So, I watched the screen, and it looked as though I was having contractions, but I didn't think they had administered Pitocin yet. When Wendy came back in the room I asked if she had started the Pitocin yet and she said, no, that is you, honey, not me. I said that maybe I would not need the drip after all and she said that I was still getting the drip, because the contractions I was having were way too weak. But, I was thrilled to have "started contracting" on my own.

It was about an hour before the Pitocin started producing painful contractions. I had read a book entitled Supernatural Childbirth, and had hoped for a painless childbirth. When the contractions came they caught me by surprise and I was hardly able to breathe through them. I really had not gone into it prepared for a natural childbirth. By hour four, I was asking for something to take the edge off. As it turns out, there is no "edge" to labor, and after about an hour of demmoral (sp?) I asked for an epidural. Dapo was supportive of anything that would distance me from the excruciating pain I was feeling. Really, all the demmoral did was make me sleep off. I woke myself up several times snoring, and saying things from the odd dreams I was having. For instance, the night before Dapo and I had got the family chicken meal from Publix (a supermarket in the South). They have two types of potato salad in the deli to go with the meal. One is Southern and one is the New York style. Dapo once bought the NY and I have since asked him to get the Southern style. One dream I woke up saying "and I want the NEW YORK potato salad" to which Dapo, not realizing my dream-like state, replied, "but, you like the Southern potato salad". That woke me up. I also dreamt about men in coats bringing me Oreo cookies. I should note these dreams took place around the noon lunch hour.

I don't remember much once I was given the demmoral, something I would change if I could go back in time. I would basically sleep until a contraction, and then say "ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow" through the contraction. I had no plan, no breathing, etc. I kept telling the nurse I had to go to the bathroom, which she kept telling me that those feelings were not going to go away until after I had delivered the baby. She said it was the baby making his way down, and putting pressure on that part of my body. I really only remember complaining all afternoon about needing to go to the bathroom. Finally the anesthesiologist arrived, and gave me the epidural. I remember leaning forward...all dopey like. I remember having a contraction or two while he was working on me. And, then he said I'd feel a shooting pain down my leg, which I did, but did not care about. With the epidural, I had to get a catherter because I would not be able to have the sensation of when to urinate. At this point I had an IV in my arm, a blood pressure taker on the other arm, an epi in my back and a catheter in my front.

After awhile on the epidural, the demmorol started to wear off, and I felt much better. I was progressing rather slowly, though, with only going from a 5 to an 8 in four hours. Because the baby was off to the side and not aligned straight, the contractions were not "being effective enough" and they decided to do an internal monitoring to check those. I was not looking forward to another cord hanging from my body, but thought the contractions were too painful to be not doing their job. Since I mentioned I was still feeling the contractions, and was incessant about my need to push and go to the bathroom, they had the anesthesiologist come back to give me another something else. I felt the cold water sensation go down my back, and then I really started to feel much better. I did ask him how come I couldn't go to the bathroom, and he said because I don't have any legs (which was true, they were a bit numb). Besides, he said, I might have the baby in the toilet. I retorted, well isn't having the baby the goal here?? Nonetheless, I did not feel like going to the bathroom for the first time all day. I bet the nurse felt better, too, not having to hear about it. Aftger that, I had a slight fever and also had had high blood pressure all morning (if you backtrack in my blogs, you will see I had a health blood pressure throughout pregnancy. When I checked in this morning, I had 156/92. Yowsa.) I asked for a wet washcloth to try to bring my fever down.

About 45 minutes after that happened, I thought the medicine had worn off because the nurse had come in to increase my pitocin dosage, and I told her are you sure I can't go to the bathroom? She reiterated for the umpteenth time that I was going to feel that pressure until after birth. I said, I really want to push, are sure I can't? She said, well, maybe you've progressed, let me check you. This was about a quarter after 3. She did, and I remember hearing her say "oh, yeah, you're ready". The next thing I know the bed is folding down, stirrups are being raised up, the Doctor is being called, the Batmobile turns up. She told me what I was going to do and how I was going to do it. The contractions never did get very close together, and I had to wait for each contraction before I could push again. She wanted three pushes for a ten count on each contraction. So, the first set was more like a practice set. It wasn't until the third set I really reached deep and found the strength to push hard. I probably pushed about 5 or 6 times of 3 each. I pushed for forty minutes. Dr. Rushing did arrive (like a mighty rushing wind) for the last two contractions. I heard Dapo say I can see his hair. Then, I can see his head, then the head is out. Although, he did not need to tell me the head was out, I was rather aware of that one. I could not get him out on the second to the last push, I was really starting to get tired. But Dapo's play by play was keeping me encouraged. Dr. Rushing helped massage the area where the baby's head was stretching. By then the people who weigh the baby and do the tests had joined us, and they were really getting excited everytime I pushed. So, I just kept trying to push with all my might. They set a towel on my abdomen, and I know from watching the videos this means I am really close to holding him. The last push on my contraction he came out. Dr. Rushing handed him to me right away. I was so happy to see him!!

He was SO cute! I noticed right away that he had Dapo's nose, and Dapo's eyes, and Dapo's lips, and Dapo's forehead, and he started to cry. It was the cutest little baby cry I'd ever heard. Dapo and I kissed and Dapo was just so happy, and so proud. I helped dry him off, and they took him and weighed him and etc. Dapo took pictures. They brought him back all bundled up. Meanwhile, they are stitching me up and getting the placenta delivered. I remember saying, I thought I was done with pain. But it wasn't very terrible, and certainly was pale in comparison.

What a precious gift from God. It has gotten late and so I will have to conclude for the night and try to jot more memories of labor and the hospital stay another time.

Oh, I thought he was joking!

Today we saw Dr. Rushing again. I had only gained one pound, my uterus was 38 cm, and my blood pressure was 118/76. The baby's heartbeat was at 154. I am now dilated to 5 cm, and 50% effaced. Dr. Rushing said that I seemed like I was ready to have this baby. I said, yes, I am. So he says can you hold on until Friday? I said sure, I can. Or Sunday, he says, those are the days I'm on call. Either one, it's up to you. I thought he meant because he wants to deliver the baby. So I'm laughing, haha, I can pick the day the baby comes you're funny, Dr. Rushing! Then on the way out a lady I've never met before says I think I need to talk to you. Oh really? How so? I ask. Are you Kari? I said yes, and she replies I need to schedule your induction. Oh!!! He was SERIOUS?! WOW. Dr. Rushing is such a jokester that I thought he was kidding. Ok, I say, can I have a minute to think about it? She gave me her card and said to call her back once I decide. So, either way, we will have a baby by the end of the week. I had a feeling I would get to the Dr. today and he would tell me to go present to the hospital. Well, it panned out, although not to the exact way I thought. Also, Dapo and I have both been feeling as though we would not be at church next Sunday (the 15th). So, it seems as though our inclinations were accurate. We are agreeing, however, that my body will go into labor on its own, without need for the induction.

You're still here?

Everyone is anxiously anticipating not seeing me anymore. I get various "oohs" and "ahs" and "oh that poor woman" from passer bys. I feel like a circus freak.
I also get "you're still here?" I know people mean well. But, just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm not human. Your emotions actually stay intact your entire pregancy. In fact, they become heightened.
For instance one woman turned to me in her sweet Southern accent and said, "you look like you are having twins!" That's always a boost for self esteem in your ninth month of pregnancy, eh? I wanted to say, "So do you and I'm pregnant. What's your excuse?" Of course, sanity prevailed and I grinned and said, "no, just one". Or, "you look like you are about to pop" (at 36 weeks, mind you). Yes, I am about to pop...you in the face. Then, there are those people who put it mildly, "you look like you are fixin' to have that baby any minute." And these are all the same people who were telling me back in my sixth month I was barely beginning to show. Now they want me to stop showing? I just can't make them happy!
One dear soul when responding to my answer of being 38 weeks along said "oh, really? You look great! It must be all baby" I kissed her. Not really, but I sure wanted to. She was the exception to the rule.
We were at a wedding on Saturday, and a teenager from church commented to me that she thought pregnant bodies were sexy. Her comment embarrased her teen brother sitting next to her, but I said it is hard to feel sexy when you are constantly being put down and made to feel large. People don't realize that they say the rudest things to pregnant women (oh, you are so big!) that they would never dream of saying to fat women. Then our husbands are left to pick up the pieces and assure us of our sex appeal.
Could it be that they forget the way they felt when they gained 35 pounds? And, only 10 of it is baby?
I know it isn't intentional...no one would really purposely make you feel so rotten. The irony is that most of the insensitive comments come from women. Most of the nice or indifferent comments come from men.
Nonetheless, yes, I am still here. And not only that, but I'm not even due until the 21st. Trust me, I am looking forward to not being here (and being home with my baby) more than you are looking forward to seeing me gone. Oh, and when I come back, be sure to tell me how great I look!

Labor or not?

I guess the most frustrating part of the process is waiting for labor to start as if I'm expecting the big bang or something. I woke up with a little discomfort in my back, and cramping in my abdomen. I am feeling nauseous and would love to go back to sleep. Dapo went back to bed after comforting me through the pain I was feeling. But, I could be feeling the lightening, or it could be labor. I guess if it were labor I would know it. Or so I think. The thing that had me concerned is that I could not feel the baby as much today as I focused on whether or not what I was feeling lined up with what the books say to look for. If need be, I can call my Dr. tomorrow and either present at the hospital to be checked, or go into his office.
We prayed for Godly wisdom to help us discern between true and false labor, altough I am not able to put any kind of a tag on anything I'm feeling. The main thing is that I'm going to look for something to happen consistently, and when it does, that's how I'll know.
We don't want to wait too long to determine labor symptoms, as my mom has at least an 8 hr commute ahead of her, depending on what time of the day I call her. Delta has five flights scheduled out of PDX headed to ATL (the most common hub for flying into HSV). Those times are 6 am, 730 am, 1130 am, 2 pm, and 10 pm. We also do not want to issue a five alarm alert, either, and have her sit around and twiddle her thumbs while her quarterly taxes sit unfiled at work.
At the appointed time, the Lord will take him from my womb. As the Bible says in the 71st Psalm, "By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother's womb."

4 cm

Today I saw Dr. Rushing again. My stats were the norm: gained 3 lbs, blood pressure 114/76. My strep test came back negative. The baby's heartbeat was in the 140's. My uterus measured at 37 cm and I said, "37? Last week I was at 38!" I was a little discouraged to hear I had gone backwards. Dr. Rushing said that the baby had dropped and his head was in the pelvis, so that is why I would measure smaller. He asked if I had any questions, and I said I would like to know if he could tell how big the baby is. He felt around and said, "I'd say a little over 7 lbs." To which Dapo responded, that's how big I was when I was born! He looked so proud, but I had to let him know that as long as the baby is inside of me he will keep growing 1/2 lb a week. Mum Eso probably didn't have as much ice cream as I did...
So then Dr. Rushing checks me. And, it is a little uncomfortable, and last time it was not uncomfortable. When he checked me he said, "oh, yeah, he's dropped a lot". He said you are dialated, too. I said, I am not surprised to hear that since I was cramping for most of the weekend. (Dapo, however, was shocked. Oops, I should have shared that bit of intuition I had with him). I asked him what I was dialated to? 1? Maybe 2? FOUR he says. Wow. I wanted to start crying I was overcome with knowing that the baby was so close to coming to be held in my arms. I said it's not time to call my mom yet, though? And he said no.
I asked if the baby was going to come early and he said "probably". Then he said come back and see me in a week, "if you make it till then."
So I called my mom and told her she needs to get a little suitcase together, just to be ready to come early. Evidently she has a big week at work next week (I do, too) so she wanted him to wait until after the 15th, so she can fill her quarterly taxes. I think that the 14th would be a good day to be born; 07.14.07, but he'll be born at the appointed time.

Dropping

Today was an interesting day, with only a few hours of sleep last night to work with. I had cramping from the time I woke up (7am) to around the time I took a nap (2pm). I called my mom and I said I think he might be dropping, but I haven't felt him drop. She said, well it's not a rubber ball, you know, you won't feel him DROP. Evidently the cramping is him being ready to be ready to be born.
The ladies at church are giving me a hard time about jumping during the praise and worship. The baby is already dropping, so I don't know what is to worry about.
I feel like I have to pee so badly (more than usual) but when I go to go there is just trickles. But the pressure feels like it feels when you haven't been able to go all day.
Today is July 1st and it is exciting for the calendar to be on the same month as the baby is due. Dapo and I both think the baby might come a little early. I have felt like a ton of bricks are laying on me as I try to get out of bed...I am just so heavy and carrying the weight is beginning to wear on me. I have started having a little heartburn at night, also. I've been taking Tums at bedtime and that usually staves it off.
I guess we will see at our next Dr. visit on Tuesday pm if there is anything exciting going on with me, other than I am closer to having the baby.
Till then.

Three Weeks and Counting

So we have only 21 days left before the arrival of Baby Eso...
My parents have (finally) purchased their tickets and will be here on Friday, July 20th. As my other post states, my largest complaint is the water retention. It is not just my ankles, but up into my calves, my hands, arms and face.
I have started to get a little heart burn at night, and have had a lot more backaches. Usually I am able to move my back around and get it to pop, relieving the pressure. Dapo has been wonderful about giving me backrubs and massage.
I am working again, so I don't know if it is the added activity during the day or just the impending birth but I have become a lot more tired. I would go to bed by 9 each night if I could be home and fed by then. Work is really good about letting me go home when I feel tired, but on Mondays and Wednesdays (church) and Thursdays (childbirth class) we have activities in town which keep me here even though I could go. And, it is too far to go there and back.
My belly button has not popped out yet, although it seems to be threatening to do so any day now.
I have given up trying to monitor my diet this week. I will meal plan this weekend and go grocery shopping for perhaps a better scale reading next Dr. visit.
Dapo and I bought a little CRV this week. It is used, a 1998 in fact. We traded in the Purple Truck, aka my 1995 Civic. We needed something I could drive which has A/C, and 4 doors for the baby. We called the same guy (Dwight) who sold us our Accord last year and he gave us a good deal on it. Dapo has been driving it this week, but it will be used by me in a limited role as I'll be working from home and will I just need something cool that I can get the baby into and out of.
I guess that is all for now. Stay tuned for another post coming up on Tuesday.

Sleeping

Oh, the irony. For whatever reason, Dapo has not been snoring as much lately (thank you, Jesus). I am just now starting to get good sleep, with about 3-4 hour blocks during the night. I have only had to wake up once or occassionally twice to use the restroom. I am still drinking the same amounts of fluid, so I wonder if the retained water is reducing my need to urinate during the night? Whatever the cause, I am glad to be back to sleep (I haven't slept through the night since February 2005), just in time for the baby to be born!

Water retention

This is just one for the records...I am retaining water, even though I am endeavoring to do all the "right" things like abstain from salt, drink water, etc. It occured to me that dear people who are trying to make me feel less horrible about gaining 12 lbs in 4 weeks (vs. the first 12 I gained in the first 32 weeks) are just not using good logic. They say it is because I am retaining water. Yes, I am, but do you know what 12 pounds of water looks like? It is the equivilant of 1.5 gallons of water.

So then they say, oh, well, the baby is growing. Yes, and if the baby just gained 12 pounds, I would like a special ribbon or award. Especially if I have a vaginal birth.

Again??

After having a poor weigh-in last week I dreamt that I gained 60 lbs the next visit, and I just got of the scale as if I had expected it to be so. At the last checkup my Doctor suggested my rapid gain was due to water retention, growth of the baby, etc. I suggested it was ice cream. I started being very cognizant about the types of food I was eating, refusing pickles, packaged foods, and even ice cream. Dr. Rushing even mentioned that it might flutctate to where I gain 6 and then lose a few with the water. SO imagine my surprise when I get to the Doctor today and have gained another 5.5 lbs. Ay yi yi. I gained 12 lbs the entire pregnancy up until the 12 lbs these last four weeks.

In other news, my blood pressure was up a little, coming in at 130/84. I saw another Doctor from the rotation today, who measured my uterus at 38 cm. I am 36 1/2 weeks along, so that is bigger than how far along I am. Although, I am pretty sure about the date of my last period, I cannot be certain about when the baby will be born. I do know that if I go all 40 wks I will be able to make it. The Dr. today suggested there is nothing to be concerned about unless I gain more like 10 lbs. I'm not worried, but I did call my mom and tell her to buy her plane tickets, though.

Six Pounds?!?!

I had my first bi-weekly checkup last Tuesday the 12th. When I stepped on the scale I had gained SIX pounds in two weeks. Quite an "accomplishment" since the largest of all of my other weigh-ins to date was 3 pounds. And that was in four weeks. I doubled the gain in half the time. That's .5 lbs a day...what on earth was I eating?? LEAD??

The good news is that everything else measured out fine. My blood pressure was good at 114/74. That was a relief since I had been seeing spots, someone mentioned my bp might be up. I am retaining a bit of water (sadly, I don't think six pounds' worth) and so Dr. Rushing advised me to go swimming. Evidently the water suctions the water out of your body. I went swimming and I still feel bloated, but not as bad.

Dreams - strange and vivid

I have had some of the strangest dreams in my last trimester. I had odd dreams in my first trimester, usually consisting of a food type. However, the dreams I have been having lately are just bizzare. I'm not sure if it's the ice cream or my hormones.

Recently I have dreamt that I was pulled over by a police officer who approached my car, gun drawn. So, to be fair, I drew my weapon as well, and pointed it at him. I guess I felt threatened? Anyhow, he told me to lower the gun so I did. When I rolled down my window he told me I was under arrest for an unregistered gun, and I was going to jail. Well, I obviously had a weapon, so I couldn't tell him I didn't. BUT, I knew for a fact it was registered and I spent the majority of the dream trying to prove it was so I didn't go to jail. I called Dapo and told him to go down to the registration office and look through the papers, because it was probably sitting on someone's desk. The dream ended before I ever made it to jail or proved I was right.

I have really been feeling the baby full force, kicking for his life it seems at times. Perhaps that is why I dreamt that his foot came out of my neck. It was so strange that everyone else was so nonchalant about the fact an infant's foot was sticking out and I was the only one befuddled by it.

The other night I had a dream that Tim Bales and my friend Angela from high school (who dated in high school and have long since been broken up) were visiting. Sometimes people in your dreams are representing someone, but it isn't really them. But, this really was how they both really look, except that Tim had gained weight in his face and Angela looked just the same but older. I haven't seen or spoken to either of them in over ten years. Where we were trying to get to was up a perpendicular highway. So they offered to drive me, but I chose instead to drive with a lady from church named Linda. When I got in the car I realized she was stoned, and wished I had gone with them. When we got to the point in the road that we needed to turn back she made the turn okay and then I was able to settle down. We got to a hotel where the elevators didn't quite work right. You would push a button and it would not go to that floor. Sometimes the door would open and I would see other people from church.

In a separate dream I rear-ended Opal (a lady from church)'s car. I think that her entrance into my dream was prompted by Pastor having her share her testimony on Wednesday night. After I rear-ended her I felt so bad, but there was no time to waste, because a tornado had come by and we had to help clean up. Pastor Mark was seen driving the mini van to a hotel to drop off his dry cleaning. Pastor Rhonda was going around smiling, Belinda was there facilitating the installation of the windows of the new church building which had been blown out by the tornado. Lots of cameos were made by other church members as well.

In general, I have dreamt a lot about hotels, elevators, tornadoes and people that I know from a LONG time ago (Shelly Sloop...when last did I see her? 1988?) as well as people I've just met (at least three dreams of late involving church members from AL) and any possible mix of inbetween (family, friends).

Childbirth Classes

Yesterday Dapo and I began our childbirth classes at Crestwood Memorial Hospital. However, we plan to have the baby at Huntsville Hospital, but their childbirth classes were full when we tried to register. The classes are a mixture of childbirth education as well as birthing techniques from Lamaze and Bradley. I really enjoyed learning the Bradley technique since it involved me on a pillow relaxing while Dapo massaged the small of my back. I kidded that we need to practice that one a lot.

Part of the class was introducing ourselves and listing a malady we have faced during our pregnancy. I really have been very fortunate in that I have six weeks to go (!) and my largest complaint to date is swollen ankles. I also had PPPPPs (pups) for about a week somewhere in the 26-28 week range when I started really growing. They are itchy bumps in your stretch marks. It was cured by hydrocortizone cream and cocoa butter. Looking back, I would have been using the cocoa butter every day had I known. As all the other women listed things like leg cramps, backaches, heartburn, indigestion, insomnia, constipation, painful joints, etc. I realize how fortunate I have been, and what a good baby I must have! God is so good to me.

Another Dr. Visit

Today we had another visit to the OB, Dr. DeLisle. He "checked" me and my cervix is closed, which is good. My stats were also good; blood pressure 120/74, I gained 2.5 lbs (a shocker considering I was sure I had gained 5 lbs.), and my uterus measured at 32 cm. The baby's heartbeat was a cool 155 and took a long time to find. This is because the child is rolled up into a ball underneath my ribs like a rolly polly. I've told Dapo that I feel like the baby is laying sideways across my abdomen. The nurse confirmed my suspicions as she spent quite some time trying to get him to let us hear his heartbeat, and then at the conclusion saying, "well, he is definitely not head first". He still has a couple of weeks to get that way, so I'm not worrying about it.

Evidently the kicking and punching I feel when I lay on my left side is no cause for concern and feeling the baby move is a positive occurance, even if it feels like he is fighting for his life. There also seems to be a slight hope left that the clarity reduction in my eyesight may be a result of the membranes being swollen due to pregnancy. If so, then I should regain some of my vision after delivery. Otherwise, it'll be a trip to the optomitrist for momma.

We go back and see our regular doctor, Dr. Rushing, on June 11th.

Two More Months

I am beginning to get excited about the soon coming birth of our baby boy. He has grown so much and I think I have gained at least five pounds this time. I've been craving fruit and yogurt, and ice cream sometimes, but not as much. I am not able to eat as much at each sitting, because the baby just seems to be taking up ALL the room in my abdomen. So I'm back to smaller meals more often. Taking deep breaths are a luxury.

Sleeping is becoming a little more challenging. When I lay on my left side (which is what is recommended) the baby kicks like a freestyle swimmer until I turn onto my right side. Then, he pretty much stops kicking. I wonder if he might be laying sideways since I feel a big hard spot on my right side and the kicking on my left side. I figure the big spot is a head or bottom and the kicking is either hands or feet. Although, sometimes I feel him kick on my bladder or bowels, so maybe he is just flipping and turning. Sometimes I can see entire body parts move across my stomach. It is really a sight to behold. Last night I dreamt that a foot came out of my neck, and it was only me who was bewildered that such an event could occur. It was so vivid I could see the toes, heel, everything, only it did not break the skin. Everyone that I showed the protruding foot to just was like, yeah? so what? How bizzare.

I am VERY thankful that I've not experienced any of the symptoms most pregnant women complain of...heartburn, indigestion, constipation, hemorrhoids, etc. I've only had heartburn a couple of times at night. Nothing a couple of Tums couldn't take care of. The baby does lay on my back sometimes, but it doesn't HURT, it is just uncomfortable. Usually I can bend forward and my back will pop or the baby will move. My bladder feels like it is the size of a penny. I can go to the bathroom, sit down, and need to go again. It doesn't help that Mr. Funny Guy kicks my bladder. Interesting to note, though, that when I speak to him to move because he is hurting me or I can't breathe, he is obedient to do so. Now we know the baby takes after Dapo!

My last four week appointment is this Thursday, and then I begin go every other week until week 36. I will be 33 weeks on Friday the 1st. Now we begin counting in weeks towards July 21st. Throughout my pregnancy, I've been comparing notes with my mom who remembers her first baby (36 years ago). My brother, Dan, was her first child and was a boy as well. My entire pregnancy has been a lot like hers was in every way. Evidently he was 8 lbs and was born ON his due date. I was 10 lbs 12 oz. and was a month overdue. So, I'm glad to be carrying a boy. All of this is important to note, as I live 2,000 miles away from my mom and even further from Dapo's mom. My mom wants to come and be here when the baby is born. It takes a good 7 hrs to fly here from PDX, so if I go into labor before my due date she and my dad may not land until after the baby is born.

Well, I still have a ways to go. Stay tuned for the next Doctor's report.

Graduation

We just returned from Salt Lake City to attend the commencement ceremony for Dapo at the U of U! It was a short trip, but we really enjoyed seeing our family and friends who took the time to come and celebrate with him. We enjoyed our time there as well, but we were busy! A special thanks to Mom & Dad Zintz for making the trip from WA to celebrate with both Dapo and Kunle! We have bunches of pix to post, so check back soon for info on that.

Dr's appt.

We had another Doctor's visit on May 2nd. We saw a different Dr. who I liked a lot also, Dr. Wheeler. My blood glucose screen test came back at 131 and they like them to be under 140. I also had gained two more pounds, for a total of 10.5. My blood pressure was "textbook" (his words, not mine), I think it was 110/70. They measured my uterus at 28 inches, which is also where I should be at. Evidently, you should grow one inch for each week along you are. It is hard to imagine my stomach growing ANOTHER 12 inches! Everything is looking good, progressing as it should be.

Old Emails #8

This email is sent to an ex-colleague of mine in Oregon on 3/7/07:

"Quite honestly, I could send you a picture of my belly, but right now I'm not really showing. I promise that I'll try to remember (operative word here is remember) to send you one when you can actually tell there's a baby. I've only gained 5.4 lbs in my 20 weeks, and three of them were between wks 12-16. Trust me, it is not because I'm not eating...I eat several times a day, pretty much everything in sight. But, I've switched from bad calories to good ones so I'm sure that there is an exchange of weight occuring."

Old Emails #7

The following email was sent to everyone who asked me to email them when we found out what we were having. It was sent on March 6th, 2007, entitled "Feeling Blue?":

"Well I am…BABY blue that is. Yep! I’m writing to let you know that our little bundle of joy is a boy! And, our little boy is a bundle of joy, too.
Dapo is beaming with pride and I am just elated to see the heart beat again and have the suspense be over. The Dr. showed us our little boy’s head, legs, arms, spine…and everything looks good!
We give thanks to God, from whom all good and perfect gifts come.
Love,Dapo, Kari & Junior Eso"

Old Emails #6

This email was written to a friend of mine in Washington on 1/29/07"

"I AM starting to show I'm pregnant. I am 16 weeks, and had to buy maternity clothes because I could just not fit into regular jeans, etc any more. But, once I did they were so much more comfortable.

I'm excited because I have a Dr. appt. tomorrow and then the next visit we find out the sex."

Old Emails #5

This email was written to a friend of mine in Oregon on 1/17/07:

" I thought you would enjoy hearing the news. I'm due on July 21st. We will find out the baby's sex for sure, but have to wait about another month. I am a little spacey, switching words around, using wrong words, not remembering things, etc. I'm assured this is because of the hormones and not because I'm losing my mind and/or going crazy.

I think of you because I've been having LOTS of straaaange dreams, tornadoes in some, old friends in others, and of course I am eating in lots of them! It reminds me of my Phase 1 dieting days. I have really not had any of the bummer symptoms, I've been eating good, and feel good. The only thing is I am not exercising. I have no excuse."

Old Emails #4

This email is not really an email about my pregnancy, but it captures a snapshot in time. It was circulated at the beginning of 2007:

1. Last movie you saw in 2006? The Holiday. Not my favorite.

2. What you were doing when it turned 2007? Sleeping.

3. Did you get a New Years kiss? Not until the morning.

4. What time did you go to bed? 10:45...hey, I tried, but it was midnight somewhere.

5. What did you do on New Years Eve? Hung out with Dapo at home.

6. What was the best thing from 2006? There were lots of wonderful things, but the best has to be finding out I'm having a healthy baby in 07.

8. What are you most looking forward to in 2007? Being a mom.

9. Any trips planned for 2007? Dapo and I are going to drive to the Florida panhandle for our 2nd anniversary in March. We're flying to Utah for his graduation ceremony in May.

10. Goals/Wishes for the New Year? That my friends and family would prosper and be in good health, even as their souls prosper.

Old Emails #3

This email is written to my brother-in-law's girlfriend, On 1/5/7:

"We had a wonderful Christmas, presumably our last "quiet" one. I hope yours was good as well.
No, we have not found out if we are having a boy or a girl, but it will only be ONE baby. Dapo's mom and sisters want twins. Not this time anyhow. Yes, Dapo is happy to be a daddy. Baba omo mi, in Yoruba, my baby's father. We had our 2nd visit this week, and got to see the baby on ultrasound and watch it's heart beat."

What I wrote reminds me...when our Doctor was doing the ultrasound on 1/4, he was being very thorough and looking behind the image he saw on the screen. When he told us there was only one baby, I looked away from the screen to Dapo and Dr. Rushing said, "oh, no, wait a minute". I whipped my head back to the screen as he said, "I am just kidding." Oh boy, this guys a comedian!

Old Emails #2

This email is written to a cousin of mine in Washington on December 27, 2006:

"I heard you were @ Dan & Jody's on Christmas...and heard the news, eh? I was actually going to write you after Christmas and tell you, but wanted my bro to know first. I guess Aunt Charlene & Uncle Joe accidentally found out from my mom and dad because they had planned to tell them and I said are you kidding, they can't know before Dan. So, I told my mom that and my dad didn't get the message. Oh, well. We are excited, and I am due on 07/21/07. Perhaps he or she will come early, like 2 weeks and it can be born on 07/07/07."

I now no longer wish for the baby to be born early just to have a "perfect" birthday. I want him to be born after a full term, fully prepared for this world.

Also, the story is I had called right before my aunt & uncle showed up at my folks'. My parents had planned on announcing the news, until I said the above to my mom. But, my mom didn't get a chance to tell my dad because by the time she got off the phone they were already there. My dad says, "so are we going to tell them?" and my mom says "well, we can't anymore", and it didn't take too much detective work for my aunt and uncle to figure it out.

Old Emails #1

This is a snippet from an old email, when I wasn't sure I was pregnant or not. I had taken one pregnancy test which said "no" (it was the 2nd of a 2-pack, and the first was 10 months earlier) and I had called my OB/GYN to say, what can I do to know? The RN suggested I could go have blood drawn, or wait a few days to take another test. I sent Dapo to Dan's to buy a First Response test, which I actually took on Friday night (November 17, 2006). This email was written to a very intuitive and assertively curious friend of mine at work, on Monday the 20th (after the test)...

"I am sorry I didn't call you yesterday...I didn't go to the hospital for the blood draw. I am just TOO busy. The movers are here now and I am trapped into this corner of the apt. After we are done with the movers all day Dapo I have dentist/thesis appointments tomorrow and then we have to clean and then we drive across country and then I get on a plane and then and then and then. As you can see I'm feeling a little stress. I made an appt. w/ my obgyn for next week. We'll do a blood test at that time. I definitely feel some symptoms and not others, so it could just be stress. i.e. I seem to be sensitive to smells, headaches, peeing, but my breasts aren't sore, no morning sickness, etc. But, I talked to Dapo and he doesn't want us to talk about it until we're ready to announce it...if anything needs announced."

Is that his name?

For those of you who might be wondering, I refer to the baby as "junior", but he will not be Oladapo Olufemi Temitayo Eso, II. I call him junior because I can tell while he is yet not fully formed, that he is so much like his father. I know that he will have some of my characteristics and only my good ones, at that (slim pickins, eh?). But just going by my aversions and cravings I had I know that he really has Dapo's taste. His name will also not be Junior anything, it's just something I call him, and right now he doesn't have a name. Dapo makes a great point, that he wants his son to become greater than he is, so he would never give him a name to say you are a smaller version of me.

So, what are we naming him, then? Initially, Dapo and I discussed giving him an English first name with traditional Yoruba names to follow, since an English name in America would be easier on all involved. But, then we found a Scripture in Proverbs 22:1 which reads, "a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold". So, we began to pray about the names we were thinking of.

Dapo came up with the name Ayomide (eye-yo-me-day), which is "joy came to me". I like it because I've been so full of joy the entire pregnancy, and feel like he will be a bundle of joy. It has also been said that joy and melody will be in our house. People at church have said that he is going to come out singing and dancing. I am relieved no one has said playing the piano, because that would require a piano to be born, also.

I was online researching Yoruba names and their meanings, and came across Olujimi (oh-loo-gee-me). I ran it by Dapo and initially he didn't like it because I didn't pronounce it right, and what he heard meant something else. It means "God's gift". I think literally it means God gave me. We both like it for obvious reason. Okay, so Olujimi is a mouth full. I realize that, and just as Dapo's full name is Oladapo, Olujimi would go by Jimi. And, as Dapo says, that should be easy enough for the "the" Amercians. I also like Jimi because my dad's name is James, but he goes by Jim. And many of his friends call him Jimmy. So, it would be as though we were giving him a namesake, albeit coincidentally. I pictured me chasing him in diapers around the house when I found the name, so I was elated when Dapo agreed it would be a good one.

Alright, so it would seem that Olujimi Ayomide Eso (eh-show) would be enough and we would stop there, right? Evidently, in my limited understanding of the Yoruba culture, the grandparents of the child also have an opportunity to give the baby a name. The concept is to give the child many names so that they have lots of options to choose from when they grow old enough to pick their given names. So, my parents passed on the name game, and his parents gladly accepted. They came up with many names, but the one we liked was Toluwani (toe-loo-wah-knee), which means "this belongs to God".

So, there you have it. The name we've chosen for him is Olujimi Ayomide Toluwani Eso.

Cravings

Early in the pregnancy I had cravings for chicken, bacon and cheese. I also had aversions to sweets and fats. In addition, I craved apples. That's when I actually suspected Jr. was in fact "junior", as Dapo doesn't like sweets at all. I could not eat packaged candy or potato chips or anything like that. I also ate a lot of salad and pears.

In the second trimester I regained my appetite for most sweets and would have mozerella sticks and chocolate milkshakes from Arby's for a snack. I also got even more hungry than I had been in the previous trimester and found myself eating constantly. I really enjoyed peanut butter on almost everything. In the 2nd 1/2 of the 2nd trimester a craving came for jalepenos/cayenne pepper/chiles/anything with heat. You are all probably thinking "that poor baby!". I would not have eaten those things if I thought he objected. I never had so much as a hint of any indigestion, heartburn, or other associated maladies. I thank God for that! I also enjoyed a good pickle and ice cream. Once my feet became so swollen they were more like "legkles" (no, not cankles, legkles) I had to taper off my salt intake...which meant pickles in moderation, which meant baby dills.

Now entering my third trimester I find myself free from cravings or aversions, and focusing on having fun again with cooking. We set up our BBQ in the backyard and I have really enjoyed cooking that way. I am able to cook seafood for Dapo without smelling up the house! We've been delighting ourselves with lots of veggies, meat and water. We are doing our best to eat well and I appreciate Dapo being so supportive of me in that regard.

I've gained only 8.5 lbs at last weigh in at 24 weeks. I feel like I am now making up for lost time, though, and expect to see another 3 or 4 lbs tomorrow. Until then!

Catch up

This post is to catch all of us up. With our recent move, we are far away from all the curious people of our lives, and what better way to update everyone at once than a blog.

I'm currently in the last trimester of my first pregnancy, at 28 weeks. At our twenty week visit my husband, Dapo, and I learned that we are having a boy. That excited us both. We didn't care either way, but are excited to have a baby boy join our family.

I have had a very good pregnancy, thanks to God for that. I did not have any morning sickness. I basically ate, peed and slept for the first 12 weeks. Right around then we told our family and friends the good news. We got our first glimpse of Jr. at the Dr's for our 11 week visit. They could not find the heartbeat (most likely thanks to my "insulation"), so they took us to ultrasound. We saw another ultrasound at 16 weeks. We found out the sex on the 20th week. We heard the heart beat for the first time at 24 weeks. That was pretty cool, too, but I like seeing the baby better. His heart beat was 153, and I thought, "the Kid has good rhythm". Not surprising!

I started feeling Jr. kick after the 16 week visit. The RN had just asked me at that morning's visit if I had been feeling the baby move, and I said I didn't think so. She didn't seem concerned, so I wasn't either. Then, I had no more walked in to my house and sat down at the desk when I felt his first movement. It felt like a cross between a muscle twitch and a vein sliding over a bone. I know that's gross, but that's how I can describe it. Now it feels like a MLS match inside. Goooooooooooooooooal!

Tomorrow I have another visit, and begin "rotations" with the other three Doctors. Every two weeks for the next two months I will have a visit. We are trying to decide whether or not to have the 3D ultrasound. I almost think I want to be surprised to see what he looks like. I have dreamt he has Dapo's nose and lips, but he probably has Dapo's everything.

We only have three months until we get to find out, anyhow!