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August 26, 2009

We've Been Published...

Well, we've kinda been published.  In the mommy-to-be world it's pretty neat.  ProjectNursery.com featured Maggie's nursery on their website and sent it in an email to their subscribers today.  I just wanted to brag a little. :-)

http://projectnursery.com/2009/08/real-rooms-maggies-sweet-roses/

August 24, 2009

Bliss...

Merriam Webster Dictionary defines bliss as "complete happiness."  I define bliss as the complete happiness that comes from delivering a beautiful and healthy baby girl with my wonderful husband by my side.

Here's the looooong and the short of it.  Feel free to skip details and go directly to the pictures if you prefer.

It all started on a Thursday morning, five days past our due date.  At a routine NST (non-stress test) contractions were registering six and a half minutes apart, each lasting four to five minutes long.  This was a big increase since an earlier NST Monday.  We knew I was already between 3 and 4 cms dilated so we figured delivery could be in 24 hours or less -- good news for a lady in her 10th Month of pregnancy! Alas, contractions continued and increased throughout the day.  When Jared returned from work we walked, washed the car, cleaned up the house, packed the hospital bags and prepared for possibly a middle of the night run to the hospital.  But, as with all things pregnancy little is predictable and at 4am Friday morning the contractions completely went away and I slept soundly.

Waking up Friday morning I felt fantastic...which was frustrating. Maggie wasn't moving much and neither was my uterus it appeared.  We called the doctor to inform him of the situation and went in to get checked.  Friday morning we were 3 1/2 cm dilated but another NST revealed Maggie and I were both in great health and contractions were few and far in between.   Luckily the beautiful weather couldn't allow us to dwell much.  We went for Pancakes (world's best at First Watch) and to walk the KC Zoo (leaves much to be desired).  Sporadic contractions happened throughout the day, and were usually more intense, but much to our dismay no real pattern developed.  Though Dr. Matile said we were "favorable" to deliver very soon, I fully expected we'd be waiting until our inducement appointment scheduled for Monday morning. 

Saturday morning I felt completely sore.  I figured after nearly a week of contracting my muscles were officially worn out.  I ignored what I thought might be contractions, or could just be some serious muscle spasms, and enjoyed the weather by taking a nap in the backyard and visiting a friend's house.  By the time Jared had started making dinner that evening I couldn't ignore the pain any longer and we started trying to time what might be some serious contractions.  Because the pain was more continuous rather than come and go's, highs and low, timing was a bit tricky.  After a few more symptoms which made me wonder if I was leaking water we decided to call the doctor...not our doctor because he was off this weekend.  We spoke to his partner, Dr. Moore (side note:  our only real wish for our delivery was that Dr. Matile would deliver). She advised we just go by the hospital to get checked and make sure everything was on the up and up.

THE LABOR AND DELIVERY (this is the short part)
6:30pm we visited Labor and Delivery for another NST and to get a quick check to make sure my water hadn't broke.  A couple hours and a couple test later we found out I was having 1 minute contractions, every couple minutes, was nearly 4cm dilated, and while my water hadn't broke it was leaking from somewhere. We were being admitted.

In another few hours they'd broken my water, given me an epidural, and immediately dilated to 10cms.  The doctor gave me an option to push if I wanted or I could rest for an hour and let Maggie descend on her own.  Wanting to rest, I took the waiting option.  Another hour the doctor returned and asked if i wanted to push.  Sure, why not.  We pushed through 3 contractions and Magdalene Elizabeth Flinn was delivered within minutes at 12:26am on Sunday morning.  No pain, no injuries...no cone head!   It was a miraculous experience.  Jared and I were so amazed by how quickly and wonderfully it all went.  Were we seriously just making dinner 6 hours ago in our kitchen?

I left out the one hour that wasn't so wonderful...the one hour when they broke my water and the contractions went from a pain level of 5 to 500 and never took a break.  I did remember not to yell at my husband, but I do believe a few screaming curse words directed at no one particular came out.  God bless the person who invented the epidural! God bless women who do this without one.

That's our story.  41 weeks of pregnancy, a few days of laboring on our own, a few hours laboring in the hospital and the result...pure bliss!

Magdalene "Maggie" Elizabeth Flinn
named for our maternal great grandmothers
Born Sunday, August 23, 2009 at 12:26am
8lbs 4 oz  -  19 inches
How I Handled Contractions
How Jared Handled Contractions
Our Awesome Nurse -- She is an Angel
Immediately After Being Born
The Flinn Village Officially Extended
Maggie Getting Her First Check-Up
She Entered the World Bright Eyed and Curious
We Prayed for Healthy and Strong.  God Delivered.
Daddy's Little Girl
Maggie's First Nap
Grammy Arrived Just In Time
Mommy's "Push Present" from Daddy
(Maggie Gets This When She Gets Older)
Sleeping Beauty
One Day Old
How We Told the Neighbors
(Jared's Second Surprise for Me)

August 22, 2009

Just a tease...

Lovely photo taken on Jared's new phone at our NST (non-stress test) Friday Morning.After my NST Thursday morning where I contracted during the entire test, the contractions continued and increased all day, peaking in the middle of the night to 1 - 2 mins long and 4 - 5 mins apart. To go to the hospital contractions have to be 1 min long and 5 minutes apart for 1 hour. The contractions hurt but not enough to go to L&D so Trux and I just walked around the house (poor dog is so confused as to why we were walking laps around the couch). For no reason at all, around 4am the contractions slowed down and I was able to fall asleep. When I woke up Friday morning the contractions were pretty much gone. Where they went, I have no idea. Pregnancy is so odd.
After the contractions didn't return, we went to see the doc. I'm now a good 3 1/2 cm but having less contractions. We did another NST and me and baby are doing great. So...Jared and I went to the zoo! :) We figured why waste a beautiful day if we weren't going to the hospital and it was a new place to walk. I’ve had 1min contractions sporadically since Friday morning but nothing consistent.
Maybe we'll have her this weekend still, but if we don't we'll check into St. Luke's Monday morning and doc will break my water around 9am. Even though it’s been a long week of waiting, I’m actually very grateful I’ve had this experience and my body is well on it’s way to preparing to deliver a baby. God’s unpredictedness (I think that should be a word) is awesome! Either way, we're pretty calm, not nervous (yet!) and very excited. Sometime in the next couple days we'll have a baby!! And I've officially started maternity leave. Even though there will be a couple projects that demand my attention, for the most part I'm off work until mid-November! I'm so excited to spend the fall home with our daughter!

August 11, 2009

One Delivery Down, One to Go...

Our new furniture finally arrived today. It seems like ages ago we picked it out and I can't wait for Jared to get home tonight to see it in person. Now I just have to resist any more decorating projects! It took me years to get this, so I think I can be patient for the rest.

That's one delivery down this week, now just one more to go. Monday night I thought she may be on her way...

August 11, 2009 - Is this labor??

12:33am Woke up wondering, "is this a real contraction? shoot, how long have I been having these? What the heck is this?!"

12:55am Couldn't take the hunger any longer. I'm up eating a bowl of cereal. I made it through the whole pregnancy without giving in to midnight cravings, and now here I am.

1:09am Distracted myself with Facebook as long as I could. Going to try and go back to bed. Oh, wait, maybe I'll look on Ebay.

1:15am OK, now I'm going back to bed.

Since then, I've given up trying to figure out what all these wierd things are my body is doing and am just going to assume labor will be so obvious I won't have any questions about what's going on. And in case you're wondering, I did win the baby beanie I bid for on ebay at 1:09am. I can't wait to see it on Maggie.

New Wingbacks

New Sofa

If moving furniture can put you into labor, then I should be well on my way soon.

August 10, 2009

Ways of Distraction...

Friends and family prove to be the best distractions. My other two favorite distractions are shopping and cooking (bad for wallet and waistline, but at this point who cares). This weekend I got all of them and am feeling much more at ease. Friday Jared took me for gelato (which proceeded to melt and drip all over my massive belly) and to see Julie and Julia. The movie is hilarious and was the perfect prelude to the rest of our weekend where we cooked...a lot!

Since we're in waiting mode and not making many plans, Jared spent most of Saturday smoking different meats on the Green Egg. He started with a Turkey from last season's hunt and continued with shrimp, chicken, and salmon. Luckily we had some hungry friends come over to help eat it all. I made an Almond Berry Cake which turned out much better than expected. This is where the shopping came in. Good shopping = a new tarte pan from Williams-Sonoma. Bad shopping = half an hour at Price Chopper trying to find something called "Almond Paste."

My Aunt Nancy, Cousin Shannon, and second-cousin Patrick were also in town this weekend. I got to spend a couple hours hanging with them as well, which was really nice as we don't see each other very often.

Sunday we finally opened the Cooking Light cookbook I bought in January!! And we made crab cakes with roasted veggies. Mmmmm -- though it did take another half hour at Price Chopper to find something called "Old Bay Spice." I've really got to learn my grocery store better.

The Smokin' Boys - Adam, George, and Jared
Almond Berry Cake - thanks for the pretty cake plate Sondra!
What was left of the cake.

August 7, 2009

The Waiting Game...

I hate waiting. I'm not good at it. I'm that person at the red lights chanting to myself reminders to remain patient. I'm keenly aware of this horrible trait I have, but the fact remains I am a horrible waiter.

Guess what I'm doing now? Waiting!

We're one week out from our due date with no immanent signs of Maggie making her appearance anytime soon. Our daughter seems quite comfortable in her current home, regularly moving and dancing around. And while I've loved nearly every bit of pregnancy, the waiting is wearing on me. But waiting we'll do...

At our doctor appointment today we, Maggie and I, both got a clean bill of health. Blood pressure -- great. Heart rate -- great. All is well and we couldn't ask for much more. We've been given the go-ahead to schedule an inducement for Monday, the 17th if we wish. This way it would be on the hospital schedule in case we don't have her next week. But, we'd really prefer not to be induced if at all possible so we won't schedule the appointment and pray nature takes it's course as intended. If we don't deliver by the 17th I'll be given a heart rate monitor and our doctor will let us go up until the 24th. But if she hasn't entered this world by the 24th , inducement it will be.

While we're waiting I remind myself (remember, chanting at red lights) of the upside of a later birth day:
  1. the further we get into August the more likely Mags bday will be after school starts
  2. the longer I postpone starting maternity leave, more of the beautiful fall months I'll have off work

Both good things. Now I'm on to distract myself...

August 2, 2009

We've been Robbed! And Rob'd...

My dad, Rob, came in town for a quick visit Friday. We usually only get him here for about 12 hours, as the lake seems to beckon him back quickly, but it's a nice quick catch-up and always involves a fun meal. This time around he brought the Big Green Egg and provided a quick lesson in smoking / grilling shrimp and steak. We, in turn, provided cheap wine and smores. Fair's, fair.

We were also recently robbed by another of my family members...my little sis Becca "Boo". Well, technically we opened our house willingly and gave her our furniture for her first apartment but with "Pregnancy Brain" I wake up each morning and wonder where our couch went. We've got our fingers crossed the new couch and chairs will make their arrival before Maggie decides to make her's.


Jared and I experienced something Saturday we've never experienced before -- A DAY WITH NOTHING TO DO! We had no idea how to handle such a thing. We kept asking each other, "What do we do with a day that has no plans?!" So we painted bookshevles. Luckily on Sunday our normal, more comfortable lives returned with plenty of plans and tasks.


Whoa Mama!
Rob "Dad" Voss and the Big Green Egg
We've Been Robbed
Finding Something to do on Saturday
We Think the Blue Really Brightens the Room