Opening the Mail

We had the post office hold our mail while we were in MN. I managed to get through about half the stack so far.

We got the insurance/doctor bill notification. With dread, I open it up...YIKES! Babies cost a lot in those 48 hours! Oh, wait....phew...the insurance covered most of it....

Oh, wait! Here's a refund from Chase Mortgage Co. because of an overage in our escrow. Maybe that will cover the amount we will owe the hospital.... $0.04. Yep. That's right. 4 measly little cents. Why? Why send 4 MEASLY LITTLE CENTS. Gosh. Got my hopes up. Oh well.

Viv is adjusting back to FL life quite well. She is working on eating more at each meal and eating less often. She is down to a feeding before bed, one at night and one in the (very early) morning.

At 1 month, she is very alert, verbal and well adjusted. She seems to be very particular---likes things "just so". I have recently found that she enjoys the swing, even though we think it swings way too fast. She can roll over from her back to her side. She enjoys baths in her tub, but not so much if we give her one in a sink. She is NOT a nuk girl right now, but will take it when she is cuddling before bed sometimes.

It's Been Awhile!

We're back in FL...our trip went well, all things considered. We enjoyed seeing our family and many friends while there....guess that was Edith's plan, bringing us all together.

It is almost 11:00 and I think the little munchkin is awake in her crib....more later!

Sad News

Our grandma Edith passed away today (Sat.). She has been living with alzheimer's for quite some time now and we believe that she is in heaven with grandpa with all of her precious memories back. We will miss her dearly but know that she is happy now with the rest of her family and know that we will see her again when our time on earth is done.

On that same note, we will be in Minnesota on Monday. We're not sure when we will be returning to Florida. We'll be staying up north for awhile at least--maybe a week or two.

It is times like this when we remember how fragile and precious life is. If you haven't told someone you love them or haven't visited someone as much as you should, take the time---you never know how much time God has planned for you.

We love you all!

New Pictures!

What a weekend!

We had an eventful weekend here....

My first day alone with Viv was on Friday---it went ok...we're still getting used to things here. She had her 2 week checkup...Dr. Kayaleh said she looks great, weighs 9lbs. 80z. (yikes!), grew 2 inches and is in the 90th percentile for weight, height and head circumference. She's very well proportioned! I think she's a little fussier than she should be...perhaps excess gas or something, but doc said everything looked normal!

We had 8th grade awards night on Friday night at school. Viv and I went with Adam to that. He had to present some art awards.

Saturday was a long day for me. I don't know how single moms do it. Adam was at Busch Gardens ALL day with the 8th graders. It is an end of the year trip for them and Adam got blessed with chaperone duty. So, off her went at 6:30am and didn't get back until after 7:00. But, he had fun and we survived.

THE BEST THING THOUGH, WAS THAT EVEN THOUGH HE WAS WIPED OUT AFTER A DAY OF CHASING KIDS THROUGH THE PARK AND IN 93 DEGREE HEAT, HE STAYED UP WITH VIVIAN ALL NIGHT SO THAT I COULD SLEEP FOR MULTIPLE CONSECUTIVE HOURS! WHAT A GUY!

Sunday...well, we planned on going to church, but we couldn't quite get out the door on time. Sorry, God. We tried. Viv and I went to the annual church picnic this afternoon. Adam stayed behind to get the rest of his grading done. (Last week of school is this week!)

When I got home, Adam and I spent some time trying to figure out how to soothe a fussy baby. Don't get me wrong...she doesn't have colic, but just seems really unhappy when she's awake. She cries often and straightens out her body in frustration. Can't quite figure this out.

Need Ideas....

1. Viv has her days and nights mixed up. Not cool for mommy.

2. She also seems to have an un-ladylike problem....gas? poops? Who knows? Lots of grunting and getting mad in the face....

Otherwise, she remains as cute as ever. And strong...I think she'll be rolling over in no time, seeing as though she likes being on her tummy so much! (If only she could tummy sleep right now, we'd be in heaven!)

Girls, you know who you are, have fun on your girls only weekend! Give your guys extra hugs and kisses for staying with the kids!

More pics...sorry, didn't take the time to rotate!

Sleep....IT IS NOT OVERRATED!

I don't know how I will do it...Adam is back at work, so he's not getting up through the night. My mom leaves tomorrow, so she won't be up with Viv in the morning. When am I going to sleep??? I'm feeling pretty anxious about the prospect of being left alone with Viv. Pretty scared, actually. I'm not sure I know what to do!

Also, does anybody know if a baby can eat too much? Don't they stop when they are full? She eats....ALL THE TIME! If you've read past blog entries, you will know that eating has been a rough area so far---combination of breastmilk and formula. I'm afraid she'll gain weight too fast. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Happy Mother's Day!

To all of you mothers, mothers-to-be, godmothers, grandmothers....HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Take some time to pamper yourself, enjoy your children, call YOUR mother, think of your mom.

The Birth Story

Ok, ok....found some time to write my story....

Tuesday, May 2, 8:00pm

Contractions are getting stronger and we're excitedly anticipating the arrival of Baby Girl Rosenbaum. At this point, I knew I was dilated to a 4, at least, and contractions were coming every 6-7 minutes. This continued on throughout the night, sometimes closer together. I didn't find that this was unmanageable at all--in fact, I was getting an awful lot done around the house (because sleep wasn't happening any time soon).

Wednesday, May 3, 4:00am

Wow! Contractions are getting closer together--4 minutes apart and lasting longer. I knew that I needed to get antibiotics, so it was about time to go to the hospital. SO--I took a shower, packed my bag, woke up Adam and told him to get ready. We still weren't in a big hurry, I know this whole labor thing could take forever. He showered, shaved, etc. and we were off. We stopped at the gas station and then headed to school to drop off Adam's lesson plans for the week. On to Celebration Hospital we went....

8:00am

They checked me--yes, contractions were coming pretty strongly and they figured I was progressing well. Nope. 4 cm. Yikes. So, we got checked in. What was nice is that all my monitors were cordless and I didn't have to have them much, so I was free to move about the hospital. We walked....and walked.....and walked....enjoyed the gardens, checked the lunch menu, etc. Eventually I had to get an IV so I had to get to the room...and drag a pole around with me for the rest of the time. (yuck).

Morning, afternoon and night were quickly passing by. The length of time was certainly taking its toll on my tolerance level...exhaustion was setting in. I was focusing a lot more and concentrating on breathing that baby down. Around 9:00pm on Wed. night, contractions were very intense, but I wasn't dilating any further. My labor seemed to have stalled out at only 6cm dilation. We didn't have any progression... Truthfully, at this point, I was exhausted and couldn't stop shaking. I'm not sure where the shaking thing came from...

Around 11:30pm, they administered the dreaded epidural---I was still 6cm. Adam helped me make the decision that it be done, nausea or not, I was too exhausted to continue. (I had been awake for 42 hours, laboring for 27 at this point). The epidural hurt worse than anything I could have imagined and I absolutely hated losing feeling in the lower half of my body. Luckily though, I didn't throw up (although I was VERY dizzy).

Thursday, May 4, 2006

Once I was able to relax a little more and stop shaking, I progressed from a 6 to a 10 in 2.5 hours. I started pushing at 2:15am....pushed for a half hour, and out she came. All 8lbs. 13 oz. of her. I was extremely happy that I could feel her coming out---wasn't totally numb after all---and knew when and how to push. The doctor was surprised that she came out so quickly with the epi, but I wasn't. I knew what to do and did it. And she is beautiful. What a miracle and a joy.

All in all, it wasn't an ideal natural labor/delivery for me--I continued to be dizzy for a few days. I really feel that the hypnobirthing helped me stay focused for the first 27 hours, but pure exhaustion set in. I think I could have done it completely natural if labor had been shorter. It wasn't the pain/pressure at all.

Eating Issues...Resolved...

Viv went to the doctor on Tuesday for her first checkup. Doc was concerned that she was losing too much weight (she was down to 8lbs. 3oz.). It turns out that I don't produce enough milk, partly due to anemia. So, we're currently having to supplement with formula in addition to milk---not an ideal situation, but at least she's not crying from hunger. I'm still pumping in the meantime so she's getting as much milk as I can give her. We had a nightmare few days of constant crying (which we feel HORRIBLE about) before we all figured out what was going on. Most thought she was just a fussy/colicky baby. In actuality, she's such a mellow, peaceful baby so far...

We went back to the doctor today for a weight check---all is better, she gained 5 oz. back!

We're lovin' every minute of being with her and learning all about her. She's so vibrant and alert--tracks us pretty well with her eyes and LOVES her hands. She always has them up by her face and likes to suck on them as well. Her current favorite thing to do is sleep on daddy's chest during her morning nap. (I think that is his favorite thing too!). She sleeps well during the night and is a content little bug during the day. We couldn't be happier!

More pictures and a quick update!

Here's a quick update while Vivi Voo is sleeping on daddy (her favorite place!).
We got home on Saturday afternoon--they debated keeping her longer because of jaundice, but then checked her again and her levels had dropped :). Friday and Saturday night were both rough---she was super fussy and rightfully so...so many peaceful months with mom and then BAM!--lights, sounds, environments like never before!

Sunday night was GREAT! She fed at 9:00pm, 12:30am and 4:45am...otherwise, she slept soundly all night...yea! Now, if we could only be so blessed as to have that happen again!

Feeding has been a challenge, to say the least. Our girl is such a little drama queen...quite feisty...I DON'T HAVE A CLUE WHERE SHE GETS THOSE BEHAVIORS! :) If she doesn't get milk immediately, it is all over! She howls like a banshee and it is tough to calm her after that. She's learning though...

She's a great sleeper so far and makes the best facial expressions. She's very curious and seems to have good hand-eye coordination (Adam is happy because she tends to favor her right hand over left....whatever....left handed people are cool too, gosh!)

She's HERE!

Introducing VIVIAN JADE ROSENBAUM!
8 lbs. 13 oz.
20" long
Born on May 4, 2006
2:45am

We're off!

Hey everyone! It is about 5:30am in FL and Baby Rosenbaum decided that May 3rd is a fine day for a birthday. (At least we hope baby picked the 3rd and not the 4th!)

Anyways, we're probably going to head to the hospital in an hour or two---we need to stop for gas and stop at school first if possible. We may not leave that soon, but as far as I can tell, things are moving along well! Yippee!

Funny side note: I finally woke Adam up at 5:10....told him no rush, but if he wants to shower/shave etc. then he should get up. So, in a slightly frazzled state of half-sleep/half-awakeness, he goes into the bathroom, puts ON deoderant, then gets in the shower. Poor guy. I think I wanted some company...otherwise he probably could sleep a little longer.

Anyways, updates coming soon! Have a GREAT day! :)

Pictures from Leu Gardens

According to the professionals...

My due date is officially here on Monday......

Since baby (and mom) is quite comfortable, we're headed off to Leu Gardens on Monday morning.... daddy has to work anyways and it is a good chance to get some walking in.....lots of it! (Besides that, it is FREE ADMISSION on Mondays, which rocks!) It is going to be a high of 83 degrees tomorrow....a delightful day for walking in the park!

Checkup

My doctor's appt. this morning went as well as expected. I met with Dr. Crider today (which I was glad to do to get a different opinion from Dr. Marcantel---although we like them both). At first, they were concerned that my blood pressure had spiked. Last time it was 120/70, today they measured 144/78----but then we took it again and it was only 122/70. Nothing bad!

Dr. Crider was very honest about his feelings on induction. He feels that there is no medical reason to induce next week, however he is concerned if we DON'T have the baby next week. So, he HIGHLY recommended going ahead and scheduling an induction for the beginning of the following week. This would allow me to go past my due date and give baby a chance to come naturally, while not getting into "medical issues" of a too big baby. He feels that my chances of having to have a C-section would increase dramatically if we let the baby get too big. If we waited until next week's appt. to schedule, I'd be WAY overdue and baby would be 10+lbs.

After listening to his reasons, I made up my mind to let him schedule an induction for the week of May8-12, but I let him pick the date. I still don't necessarily believe in the whole "playing God" thing of inducing, but then, I don't want to have to have a C-Section either. I think we have a good, middle-of-the-road compromise!

He did "separate" or "strip" the membranes when he did the exam today. It is a simple way to perhaps speed up the labor process a little. Basically, stripping the membranes can be described as separating the amniotic sac (bag of waters) from the cervix, thus releasing prostaglandins into the blood stream. It isn't painful, just lots of pressure. Sorry, might be too much info for some, but I find it interesting. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't! Depends completely on if baby "feels like cooperating"!

People have asked about names.....boy's name is picked, girl's name is still on the table.

Have a sunny, Florida day!

39+ weeks!

Time has gone by way too quickly! We've enjoyed this pregnancy every step of the way and consider ourselves so lucky to have a healthy baby growing so well inside.

I'm really feeling great still--albeit my anxiety over having a LARGE baby. I've slept better these past couple of nights than I have for months. Swelling has gone down a little as well...although it isn't as bad as some, it can be annoying!

Today was my first official day off of work. It was bittersweet leaving on Friday, not knowing what is in store for me next year, but the R&R is wonderful! I slept in this morning, did some housework and ran some errands. Got a lot accomplished!

Next Dr's. appt. is on Thursday morning....we'll keep you all posted on any changing events!

Pictures

To Induce or Not to Induce?

We had our 38 week checkup today and the doc is already talking about scheduling an induction if baby doesn't come next week. According to them, baby is already topping out close to 8lbs.... Thanks, Adam's genes. Geez.

I'm not sure how I feel about induction. My instincts say, "NO WAY!" I don't want to "schedule" baby's birthday. I think some things should be left in God's hands. I also REALLY want to have the natural birth. But, on the other hand, I also don't want a gazillion lb. baby that looks like a 3 month old. I know, I know, as long as baby is healthy....

On other fronts, I can't have a med free delivery as previously planned. Bummer. I'm not adjusting well to that right now, because I was totally psyched to have a completely natural delivery. I have to have an IV for 2 reasons....one....my heart murmur. If I were to have to have an emergency C-section, I'd have to have the meds ahead of time. Also, I tested positive to Group B Strep so I have to have antibiotics for that as well. Hope they can find my veins. That's always the biggest drama.

Not much else---ultrasound looked good...baby is in the correct position (Yea!)
Still 1-2cm dilated but more than 75% effaced.
BP is 120/70
Baby's heart rate is steady and strong, but slowing down a little which indicates a larger sized baby. (Didn't know that one!)

Last day of work is on Friday---looking forward to some time w/o 170 kids so I can prepare mentally for 1 of our own.


CONGRATULATIONS TO SCOTT AND KATHY ON THE NEWS THAT THEY ARE EXPECTING!

ALSO, CONGRATULATIONS TO NATE AND BROOKE AS THEY FOUND OUT THEY ARE HAVING IDENTICAL TWINS! WOW!

In other news, Katie Holmes, Brooke Shields, Gweneth Paltrow, Gwen Stefani, Angelina Jolie and I are all due within 1 day of each other. Oh, but Katie and Brooke had their babies yesterday. Both girls.... "Suni" and "Something else really weird".


Taking thoughts....if the option comes up next Thursday, do we schedule an induction or not?