After dropping the dogs off at day care, we continued to monitor my progress.  I took a shower and ate a little breakfast.  We proceeded to watch a little tv while we waited for things to happen.  After about an hour, we headed to Laurel Park to do a little walking.  We spent a good two hours walking around the mall, running into Gina Bennetts while there and also grabbing lunch.  Mike enjoyed coney dogs while I just snacked on some cheese fries as I really didn’t have an appetite.  Little did I know that this would be my last meal until 2:30am.

As my contractions strengthen, we called the doctors office to see what we should do.  They told us to head into the hospital and that they would call the doctor on call to let him know we were heading in.  Since I didn’t have my hospital bag with me, we headed home first.  It was around 1:30 or 2pm when we arrived at the hospital.  I was nervous that they would send me home as my contractions were still somewhat irregular, but after checking me out they decided to admit me.

After settling in my room, we met our first nurse Julie.  She was very up beat and keep the mood light.  After monitoring my contractions for a little while, they figured out that the external monitors weren’t working well as it kept shifting on me, so Dr. Johnson put the internal ones as well as breaking my water.  I’m not going to lie, the breaking of my water was one of the most uncomfortable things I’ve experienced, but it didn’t compare to the first contraction that I had once it had been broken.  The pain associated with my contractions moving forward is what helped me decide to have an epidural.  At this point there was a nursing shift change and Liz stayed with us from this point through the delivery.

I was now 4cm dilated, which meant I still had a way to go.  Although I was okay with the unknown time frame as I felt an immediate relief once the epidural kicked in.  I could still feel the pressure, but the pain was gone.   What was interesting is that depending on my position, Baby Minton’s heart rate would vary.  At one point I could only lay on my left side as laying on my back or right side slowed the heart rate dramatically.

Around 9pm the doctor decided to start a pitocin drip and around 11pm they turned down the epidural in hopes that I would feel like pushing.  Never having gone through labor before, I was prepared for the pain but I didn’t realize how hard it was going to be.  I pushed 5 or 6 times before Dr. Johnson decided to use the forceps to help deliver Baby Minton.  Unfortunately the umbilical cord was wrapped around his arm as well as his body, so time was not something we could afford. 

The actual pushing started just after 11:30 and at 11:59pm on August 4th Logan Quinn Mintonwas welcomed into the world.  Mike assisted the doctor by helping hold his head during the delivery and then cutting the cord.  They immediately put the baby on my chest and felt a sense of relief as he was absolutely perfect with a full head of dark hair.

After they cleaned up the baby Mike was able to hold him for a few minutes while the doctor sewed me up.  Thankfully I didn’t have to have an episiotomy, but I did end up with a few stitches.  After spending a little time with the baby, we invited my Mom, Dad and Michale in to meet Logan.  They stayed for approximately an hour before heading home around 2:30am. 

We finally got to sleep around 3:30, although it didn’t really matter as they woke me up every hour following the deliver to check my vitals as well as Logan’s.  I figure we got about 3 hours of sleep that night.  Not much…but it was enough.

The next day, we spent time getting to know our little man.  We also had a handful of visitors including my Grandma and Mom, Steve, Missy and the girls as well as Patti and Jim and last, but not least, Jen.

We decided that it made sense to have Mike go back to the house to get a good night sleep.  I thought I was going to get some sleep too, but Logan was a little fussy.  Michelle was our night nurse and she was fantastic.  Very helpful, especially as I was still technically learning to breastfeed my son.  Around 2am I finally fell a sleep and was back up before 6am.  Oh well, I guess it was good training for the late night feedings that would soon be my reality.

The next morning Mike arrived at the hospital around 8:30.  We knew that they were going to send us home, but we needed to wait for Logan to get circumcised first.  Dr. Winslow performed the procedure and by 2pm we were out the door!  On our way home I wondered how I would adjust to having a newborn to take care of. 

The good news is that both Mike and I have adapted well and neither of us can imagine our lives without our little bubba.

Heading to the OB to see Dr. Johnson this morning.  Not sure what they are going to do today, but they told me that I should plan on being there for 40+ minutes.  I’m hoping that I come home with some good news.  If I’m still dilated to only 1cm, it’s going to be a long two weeks!

I really shouldn’t be complaining as my pregnancy has been relatively easy so far.  I didn’t have morning sickness and I haven’t had any chronic back pains or weight issues, but within the last two weeks I’ve definitely started to slow down.

One because my belly has gotten bigger and Two because by the end of the day my feet and ankles start to swell up.  Mike’s been good about rubbing them for me, but they get sore and throb after a long day.  I know I should be better about keeping them elevated, but there still so much left to do…like pack my hospital bag!

My due date is less than 5 days away, but I have a feeling that Baby Minton isn’t ready to make make his grand debut just yet.

This week at my OB appointment Dr. Johnson did an internal exam to see whether my cervix has started ripening.  Unfortunately there were no changes from last week, it was still hard and I am only dilated to 1cm.  At this point, if I go past my due date, I will go in for some fetal testing (probably a sonogram)  to ensure that it’s safe to continue the pregnancy.  If I don’t go into labor on your own, they may decide to induce labor once I reach one and two weeks overdue.

So what’s Baby Minton up to this week? He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it’s likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon.

I’m heading out to my 38 week OB appointment today.  I have a feeling that they’ll tell me to sit tight and continue waiting, but you never know.  With only 10 days left until my due date, I’m hoping Baby Minton decides that he’s ready to make his grand appearance!

Also, we have finished our birthing classes which gave us a great overview of what to expect as we prepare to head to the hospital.  What is driving me crazy is that I have no idea when that will be!  I’d like to deliver near (or on!) my due date, but as my OB back in Denver would say…only 5% of women deliver on their due date so good luck with that.

At this point I think I’m more excited then nervous.  I can’t wait to see what Baby Minton looks like.  Is he going to have brown eyes like me?  What color hair is he going to have and how much?  I guess we’ll have to wait and see…

So you want to know where home is?  Well, we have moved in with my parents temporarily.  Not something I’d have expected that I’d be doing at 35 years of age, but thankfully they welcomed us, our two dogs and our two cats to move into their basement while we look for a home.  I’m not sure, but I think the pending arrival of Baby Minton probably helped us get in!

What else is new?  Well after Mike drove two – that’s right.  Not one but TWO Budget Trucks from Denver to Livonia, we’ve stored all of our belongs in a storage unit and tried to settle in and prepare for our little one to arrive.  Here’s a short list of the things we’ve been busy doing:

*Found a new OB and took a tour of the hospital – we’ll be delivering at St. Mary Mercy Hospital in Livonia

*We’re taking birthing classes at Troy Beaumont Hospital (I know it’s a hike but we late in getting registered and that’s the only hospital that had openings!)

*We’ve purchased all of the must-have baby items including the pack n’ play, stroller and swing

*Mike is helping my Dad finish a bathroom in the basement – the toliet is already operational which makes midnight bathroom runs much easier!

*We’ve spent two weekends out at the cottage with my Grandma – she is extremely excited to have us home

*We’re both working full-time still, although I’m preparing to go on maternity leave as of my due date which is Aug 2nd

There’s lots of other stuff that’s going on too as relocating is a full time endeavor when you’re trying to change addresses, order checks, move bank accounts, etc.  So are you wondering if it’s worth it? 

ABSOLUTELY! 

Even though it was tough packing up and leaving Denver, the love and support we are getting from our friends and family here in Michigan was worth all the sore backs from packing, Mike’s two cross-country drives and any money we spent to relocate.  And if you think we appreciate it now, just wait until our little peanut arrives.  That’s when it’s really going to be evident that we made the right decision in choosing to move back to Michigan.

I’m not nervous about preterm labor, but in the event you are 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.

Special thank you’s go out to my parents for coordinating and hosting such a wonderful event.  I couldn’t have asked for anything more.  Also, thank you to my mother-in-law Patti for helping host the event.  The love and support that Mike and I get from our families is unbelievable and we wouldn’t be where we are today without them!

Also, a BIG thank you goes out to Sara who flew in from Colorado to help me celebrate this special day.  I’m hoping that those of you who attended the shower were lucky enough to meet her as she is one of my dearest friends.  We met shortly after I moved to Denver and quickly became friends.  We have a special bond that will last a lifetime.  So thank you Sara for being there…it meant so much to me!

Here’s some pictures from the party courtesy of Sara:

I think the answer to the questions is…YES!

Here’s some of the content of the article:

If the urge to clean and organize hasn’t hit yet, chances are it will soon! Nesting is nature’s way of making room for your new life. Don’t be surprised if you’re compelled to clean out closets, rearrange cabinets, and trash the clutter. Soon you’ll have diapers, toys, and blankets to mess things up again!

While we’re working to finish up the basement, I’ve started to purge, donate or sell things we haven’t used since we moved to Colorado. Since we’ve been here almost three years and many of the boxes/Rubbermaid tubs have never been opened, it’s time for that stuff to find a new home!

Also, I must say that I’ve enjoyed listing things on craigslist. I have sold a few items thus far and while I’m never going to make a million bucks, it never hurts to put a couple of extra bucks back in your pocket!