Growing Our Family Tree: January 2010

Our little bundle of love is finally here!!! It's still a little hard to wrap my head around, but he's PERFECT! I am sooo in love! He is such a blessing! After my last post, on his due date, Joe and I went out to our favorite sushi bar and I decided to try the spicy food theory to encourage labor to start. I had a Mexican Roll with sliced jalapenos (with the seeds) on top and LOTS of wasabi! I even ate a few pea sized bites of extra wasabi for good measure! Afterward, we decided to go pick up a couple of movies and we got Gamer and The Invention of Lying. We came home and put in Gamer and I sat down on my birth ball to watch it. Just after that, at around 8:00 I noticed that I was having some contractions. Like I mentioned in my last post, I had given up a little bit of hope so I just figured they were more Braxton Hicks and kind of ignored them. After the movie we went to bed and I thought, if these are real, I had better get some sleep so I can have this baby tomorrow! Yeah right!! I laid down for 30 seconds and knew

that I wasn't going to be able to get comfortable enough to sleep. So Joe got back out of bed with me and we put in the second movie. I think I made it through 10 minutes and I knew that my contractions were real! They were getting much more intense and we started timing them. They were coming very close together but each one would only last 30-45 seconds. I paced around while Joe watched the movie and eventually got sick with one of the contractions and tossed my sushi! Ewwwww!!! I guess the baby really didn't want anymore of that spice! I couldn't believe it was working and it was finally going to happen!!! After the movie, Joe napped for a little bi

t and I tried to relax through the contractions but it was hard because I didn't know how far along I was in labor and what to expect from my body. I started feeling some pressure and different feelings so I fed the dog and put my mini cupcakes by the door and got ready to go! We left for the hospital around 4:30AM. Of course I took a water bottle and was trying to keep myself hydrated but shortly into our ride I was regretting it! I told Joe I hoped that I didn't get sick again and no more did I get the word "no" out when he asked if he needed to pull over that all of the water I'd been drinking came up all over my sweater and my pillow! Aww....

I had to go into the hospital in just my bra and coat! So much for being cozy! Since it was still nighttime, we checked in through the emergency room. We were told that Labor and Delivery was really busy with a delivery and an
emergency C-section, so they put me in a wheelchair and sat us on a bench, in a hallway, outside the locked doors of L&D. WHAT?!?!? SERIOUSLY.... Oh my was that crappy!! We were right outside the nursery window and everytime they would wheel a crying baby by my contractions would get more intense. That suuuuucked. Needless to say, I was po'd and tired by the time they got us into a room at 6:30. I was feeling a lot of pain by this point and was anxious to see how my body had progressed! We gave the

nurse a copy of our birth plan and settled into our room. My doctor was not on call that night so Dr. Tran would be overseeing our care. I hadn't ever met her but I didn't really expect that the baby would come on my doctor's shift anyhow! The nurse came back and told us that Dr. Tran did not approve of everything on our birth plan and wanted us to be monitored continuously and kept on IV fluids as well as confined to bed after my water broke. It sounded awful! Then when the nurse checked me, I was only dilated to almost 5! Oh my goodness!! After laboring all night I expected to be a little farther along! I was very disheartened and EXTREMELY close to throwing

our plans for a natural birth out the window. Thank the Lord for our doula Tera!!!! She arrived shortly after we did and totally saved the day! I'm not kidding, after she arrived, my labor experience did a 180! The daytime nurse came on and was AMAZING! She said that she knew the doctor and, even though she said she wanted us to be in bed and hooked up to an IV and monitors, she would talk to her and monitor us intermittently and put in a hep-lock and allow us to move freely! The best news ever! She even moved us to a giant, beautiful birthing suite right across from the nurses station!

My day was made!! Things were looking bright and, even though the contractions were still painful, I was managing them with Tera and Joe's help and in a super good mood! Kalah was there to support us and I was on top of the world! We were finally going to meet our baby boy!!!

The timing was incredibly meaningful for our family. I spoke to my mom and Grandma while I was in transition just before pushing. I knew what was going on at the other end of the line, but I didn't know the extent of the effect Hunter was having until later. While I spoke with my Grandma, she was standing at the back of the

hearse where they were loading the body of my Dad's oldest brother. He was a strong and handsome man who was the life of the party and very dedicated to our family. I am so sorry that I wasn't able to be there to say goodbye and I don't think it's really sunk in that I won't ever see him again... He was so full of life and brought so much humor and fun to holidays and family gatherings. I am really going to miss him.

Dr. Yang came in and asked the nurse if she should scrub in. She acted kind of like she had never participated in a natural birth and wasn't sure if she should! I was really thankful that she did! She told me that the baby's heart rate was decreasing and I would need to be aggressive in getting him out. I think it took 4 contractions for him to be birthed and he was born at 1:35 in the afternoon! He had a nuchal cord so the doctor cut it right away and I was able to reach down and touch his ear while she was suctioning him! She laid him on
my chest and it was the most amazing moment I have ever

experienced. He wasn't crying, but he was wide eyed and looking right at me! They took him to the warmer and gave him some oxygen and cleared the fluid from his belly. I didn't get him back for probably another 20 minutes. He was blue from the cord and it took a little while for him to pink up! He looked just like his daddy except his daddy had turned green! Haha! We concluded that it was from the lack of sleep or food and having a Monster and all of the excitement. Luckily after a little time out, he was just fine!

If anyone is still reading, this is my only journal

so I don't want to leave anything out!!

While Hunter was in the warmer, the doctor had more work to do on me! Luckily I didn't have an episiotomy or tear in that area, however, I did tear inside so I had to have stitches. Kalah handed me the phone with Mom on the other end and I told her that they were sewing up my vagina. She thought that was hilarious and when she passed the phone to my dad I heard her tell my cousin and they were laughing so loud! I'm glad to have been some entertainment for them and I had so many endorphins flowing that I didn't care! I felt like I was on drugs and my voice sounded funny to me! Later I was surprised that I had a sore throat. I think it was from the breathing I did through the contractions. Labor was manageable and I knew that birth would hurt, but holy smokes! I had NO idea!! Wow- that was crazy! Luckily that part didn't last long, but I was feeling it the whole next week!

After Hunter had regained some color, they put him inside my gown for skin to skin and didn't take him from me

again!! He was so cuddly and felt so good and was so perfect- 6 pounds 13 ounces and 20 inches! It was hard to believe! I was so thankful to have such wonderful support throughout the whole process. Kalah was awesome at sending out updates and Hunter was born just as the funeral procession was pulling up to the cemetary. When everyone got there, they all cheered, hugged, and cried. While one family member was buried, another was just entering the world! My uncle Michael was the one who suggested the name Hunter so in a way, it's our little tribute to him and we'll always remember him!

After Mike suggested the name, we immediately

put it at the top of our short list and it seemed like all signs pointed to it in the months that we had to think about it! We went to an Angels game and we were telling Kalah about the name that my uncle liked and fireworks started going off! The jumbotron announced that Torii Hunter had hit a grand slam! It was a sign!! They didn't seem to stop after that! Even the brand of the fan in the nursery is Hunter!

After he was born, we moved to a different room for the night. We were exhausted! Hunter was too and we all slept really well! Daddy probably crashed

the hardest but we were really comfy sharing the hospital bed! Hunter nursed about an hour after birth, but after that, he was more intrested in sleeping. I wasn't worried but the pediatrician was! She wouldn't let us go home the next day because he hadn't eaten very much! Grrr... we were so mad! Mom and Dad were going to be here and we wanted so badly to go home! He also had an irregular heart rate after birth that had regulated by the next morning and she thought that they should keep an eye on it for another day. Well, we couldn't argue so Grandma and Grandpa Bolton got to meet him for the first time in the hospital!

Aunt Joyce also came to visit and brought Hunter a new outfit and a digital photo keychain! I brought several outfits for him to wear, but they were too big! Luckily, I had one outfit that was for "up to 7lbs." that fit very well! He weighed 6lbs. 8oz. when we left the hospital.

The next week Grandma and Grandpa were here and we stayed pretty busy!! They took Hunter for walks, we went to Shabu, we took him shopping, we strolled Old Town Temecula, and he slept through it all! He is the best baby! We are really getting broken in easy! He doesn't really cry unless it's time to eat and I'm not immediately available.

We even had a feeding in public that, with the help of the Hooter Hider, went perfectly! I am so glad that my parents were able to come and stay with us and bond with their new grandson! Papa Tom and Grandma Patty also came and spent Hunter's 1 week birthday with us! Tosha and cousin Noah visited that week and so did all of the neighbors and the Lambertz family!

Hunter is soooo adorable!!! Pictures really can't do him justice! He has beautiful skin and lots of light hair!

I love the little cowlick he has at the front of his hairline and am looking forward to seeing how it grows out! He has the sweetest voice and makes some really funny sounds! His butt makes the funniest sounds though! Haha! He's kinda gassy! He hiccups a lot too. He did in the womb also and had the hiccups just right before he was born! At his first pediatrician's appointment he had passed his birthweight and weighed 7lbs. 1oz.! The doctor was very impressed and said he was perfect! We took him back a week later to have him weighed again and he is up to 7lbs. 12oz.!! Wow!
The lactation consultant said it could take 2 weeks to get back to birthweight

and he's passed it by nearly a whole pound!! He's loving the boobie! It's funny now that they made us stay in the hospital to make sure he would eat! He has little points on his ears that we think may have come from me since Kalah has them too. He's getting so strong and is very alert. I am having a hard time seeing myself in him, but I think he might have my eyes and my big feet! He's changing everyday so time will tell! His eyes are still dark so I'm excited to see what color they are.

If anyone made it all the way through this, thanks! :) We're looking so forward to this new life together!!

We made it!!! Our due date is today, Friday, January 22, 2010! Our baby has been growing for 40 weeks and is officially supposed to be "done". So am I so I am hoping that the little guy will evacuate soon! Haha! We had an appointment Tuesday and when I woke up that morning, I was kind of thinking that he would come that day because I was having low back pain and cramping. We were dilated 3cm and 60% effaced, but he was still station -2. I woke up Wednesday feeling worse than Tuesday and thought that it would surely be the day... the day wore on and the pain wore off so I went to the gym and walked a brisk hour on the treadmill. Thursday I woke up with lots of low back pain and thought for sure it was the day... same as the day before though so I went back to the gym. As expected, today came and still no baby! I am losing faith in my "feeling" so I'm no longer expecting him to come today, but I can't lie, I still have a little hope! I am feeling so much worse today than I have. Serious pains! Too bad they're not consistent. He has really been jabbing me hard today too so it seems like he's ready to stretch out. Where's the problem?!? :) Just kidding, I knew that he would be late, I am just getting really anxious. April and I went and got pedicures today. I got the super deluxe with the gift certificate that she got me and blue polish on my fingers and toes. It was so nice but I was really hoping that during the massage she would maybe hit a pressure point and help this labor start! It's been a few hours now though and so far not feeling any different. Joe and I are going to celebrate the day and go out for sushi tonight! Yummy!!! We haven't had it since Mom and Dad left after Christmas so it sounds really good! It will be nice to get out of the house and get my mind off of this baby. It's been raining for 6 days straight now so I've had a lot of time to drive myself crazy! Mom and Dad will be back on Sunday so maybe he's just waiting for them to get here. All I know is that I am super excited and whether he comes tonight or in a week, it's not much longer! My next post will definitely contain baby pictures!!!