Welcome Baby Corbin!

Well, it has been almost three months since Baby Angel arrived...June 24th to be exact. Corbin Cole Willoughby joined our family at exactly 4:00 PM at a whopping 9 pounds, 2.5 ounces and 22.5 inches long. While his birth story isn't as long as Paxton's (it's all relative, right?), we still wanted to remember how our sweet baby boy entered the world so as any good modern family would, we are blogging it.

Five long days past his due date, Baby Corbin decided it was time. At 4:00 in the morning I woke up feeling the first signs of contractions. I'd been having Braxton-Hicks contractions for months, but I knew these were different. It didn't take long for Brad to wake up and realize what was going on. He had been a little on edge too. Every time the Braxton-Hicks started, we'd both wonder if this was really it. I told Brad I was pretty sure this time, it was really it. We rejoiced because this happened to be the one morning (ever) that Pax decided to sleep in past 6:30. This gave us a chance to get our things together and make a plan. By the time he was up, we had showered and had our hospital bag ready to go. By about 8:00, Pax was on his way with Grandma and we were going to wait it out and see what would happen.

We started by calling our most amazing doula, Kayti Ricker. Her advice was to take it easy, cook some breakfast, and just hang out until the contractions got bad. Well, it didn't take long to realize that I was in no mood for breakfast. In fact, I wasn't even capable of cooking breakfast. Brad decided that we should go to the hospital because I was probably farther along that I thought I was. I kept protesting because I remembered going to the hospital after 24 hours of labor with Pax and being only 2 cm. I couldn't imagine that I had progressed very far after only 4 hours. So after another a call to Kayti and a call to the midwives, it was decided that we would head in. Apparently, Brad's descriptions of me during contractions (and Kayti hearing me in the background) was enough for them to decide it was time.

We drove to UCSD and made a couple calls/texts on the way. When we got there, I surprised myself by accepting the wheelchair at the emergency entrance. A little different than my entrance with Pax where I went to the parking garage and walked all the way in myself. By the time we got up to our room and Rebecca Lesser, the midwife on duty, came in to check me, I was at 5cm! I was so happy I cried. I thought "Yes! They aren't sending me home!"

From this point on, I progressed about a centimeter an hour. They checked twice along the way and things kept moving. The contractions were definitely intense and things seemed to be happening quickly. We spent the next few hours in our hospital room...no birth center room this time. With VBAC's they make you stay in the standard labor and delivery rooms because they want you to be monitored the entire time. I do have to say that the monitoring was by far, the most annoying part of the process. Every time I moved the wrong way or tripped on the cord, the nurses would have to come in and reattach everything.

Things went pretty smoothly until I was almost fully dilated. Just as it had happened during my last labor, they discovered that there was a lip of my cervix that needed to be reduced before I could dilate to 10 cm and start pushing. The midwife was finally able to remove it and I was now ready to push.

The next issue that arose was the position of the baby. While we had all thought that he was face down, it was starting to seem like he might be sunny side up (like Paxton) which is not at all ideal for delivery. Two midwives and an OB all tried to determine his position, but no joy. They even brought in an ultrasound and tried to look while I was pushing, but they still couldn't figure out exactly how he was coming out.

After pushing for well over an hour, I started to get discouraged because it didn't feel like I was making any progress at all and it was reminding me so much of my labor with Paxton where I pushed and pushed for hours. I decided that it might be time to try an epidural and I told this to Brad and Kayti. More than anything, I didn't want another cesarean and I thought if this would help, let's do it. After a conversation with the nurses, we came up with a plan. We decided that we would bring in the head midwife and have her take a look and see if she could determine if I was actually making any progress at all when I was pushing and get her feedback. From that point, if it still seemed like nothing was happening, we would try something else. Even though I was just feeling ready to be done, I agreed to have one more opinion.

As soon as the head midwife came in, things started to turn around. She had me change position a few times and the nurses had a couple tips for pushing (one of them being push for a count of 10...seems simple, but it was hugely helpful) and suddenly there was progress. I kept pushing and just as I thought Corbin was about to make his entrance, it was clear something was wrong. In seconds, the OB rushed in to assist. Apparently, Corbin's shoulder was stuck under my pubic bone, an emergency situation called shoulder dystocia. Luckily, the OB was able to manually move him and get him out. Everything happened in a matter of moments and as terrifying as it was, I am so grateful for the resources available at UCSD.

Once he was delivered (and yes, sunny side up), I saw him for only a brief moment before they whisked him to the other side of the room. In the midst of the actual delivery, the room filled with probably a dozen people. It felt like the entire pediatrics department had arrived. Because his heart rate had been dropping during the last few contractions and he came out a little blue and didn't breathe right away, they wanted to give him oxygen and make sure his color was okay. They also wanted to run some precautionary tests in the NICU so they sent him directly there. I got to see him for another few seconds before he was gone. I was incredibly disappointed that I didn't get to have skin-to-skin time with him right after birth, but I was so grateful that he was okay and that Brad would be with him.

About an hour and a half later, they decided that I was stable enough and ready to go to the NICU to see him. I had thirty minutes with him before there was a shift change and we had to go to our hospital room. Unfortunately, the results from the blood test weren't back yet so they wouldn't let Corbin come with us. I was not excited about leaving my baby again, but I was thrilled that I had been able to hold him and nurse him. Brad and I went up to our room and a couple hours later, Corbin finally joined us for good! While there had been a few hiccups in his arrival, we were so happy to have a healthy baby in our arms.

That same evening, Paxton arrived at the hospital in his new "Big Bro" shirt, along with both of his Grandmas and his Papa, to meet his new baby brother. This was one of the sweetest and most memorable moments of my entire life. He was absolutely thrilled to meet Baby Corbin and kept saying "be gentle with Baby Corbin" while he kissed him and patted him on the head.

We can't even begin to explain how much our life has changed now that we are a family of four. It is truly amazing! Everything is just more...there is more happiness, more tears, more chaos, more joy, and so much more meaning. Our lives are so much richer watching things through the eyes of our little ones. We are so blessed to have welcomed sweet Baby Corbin into our family and we can't wait to see what the future holds for him.

Our Little Helper

Even before the baby arrives, Paxton is excited to be a big brother and seeks (or invents) ways to help. Recently, he's helped search for a changing table at IKEA, pick out a big brother gift to take to the hospital, dig through boxes for itty-bitty clothes, and test out the baby's new sidecar co-sleeper. He even test fit the co-sleeper he used as an infant to see whether he'd fit and be sure it was comfy enough for Baby Angel. The verdict? Too small for Pax, plenty comfy for the newest Willoughby:



But, my favorite moment of Paxton's help so far was last week at our midwives appointment. Pax loves to hear the baby's heartbeat when we visit (on a weekly basis now), so it was extra exciting this time when he got to do it himself. He pushed the chair right up to Merrilee's, climbed up, squeezed out the cold blue gel (with a little midwife help), turned on the doppler microphone, and placed it in just the right spot to pickup the baby's heartbeat. He was very proud and mommy and daddy melted just a little. Thanks for being such a great helper, Paxton. It warms our hearts to know that your love and helping hands are ready to meet Baby Angel whenever he or she arrives.

Family Pictures

In honor of another big milestone in our family, we had some family pictures taken to remember this incredibly special time in our lives. It's not much longer that we will be a family of three and we wanted to capture some images that we can show our little one someday. Our friend, Catie, from Vuefinder Photography took some absolutely incredible pictures for us. I had an idea in my mind of what I hoped these images would reflect and she went above and beyond what I had imagined. I look at these images and I see the love in our family as it is now and the excitement that all three of us share about meeting Baby Angel. If you want to take a peek, I put an image gallery up on our Mobile Me site. Catie, thank you for making these memories come to life!

Some little gems

First of all, I wanted to post an image with Baby Angel's not-first trip to Disneyland. As we're nearing the end here, my belly seems to be growing at a ridiculously rapid rate and I thought it was worth documenting. Little one...someday you can look at these and I hope they make you smile :)

On a completely different note, some of the things that Paxton has said about Baby Angel are absolutely priceless and I have been trying to write them all down so I will never ever forget. Here are some of the little gems so far...I'm sure there will be plenty more!

"Baby Angel come out!" and "Open the door!" - Um, yes please!

"Boy" and "Baby Brother" - This one still hasn't changed...he's completely convinced!

"Baby Angel come out the bebo" - We're working on correcting this one. We just bought the National Geographic "In the Womb" DVD for him to watch. Although if he thinks the baby is coming out my belly button, it's definitely not the end of the world :)

"Baby come out the door and eat breakfast" - If Pax is serving, it will likely be pancakes or waffles. I'm sure it won't be long before Baby Angel is coming into our bedroom in the morning announcing "sugar time" just like his/her big brother.

"Baby's talking now" - This is what Pax said with his ear to my belly. I have no clue what the baby said, but maybe someday he'll tell me.

"Mommy's baby coming on Saturday" - He didn't specify which Saturday so I'm hoping that he's referring to one of the next two Saturdays. If he's right, Brad says we'll take him to Vegas.

"Baby Angel getting taller. Be a big boy like Paxton." - This was Pax's comment to my ever-growing belly. Obviously, the belly's getting bigger so Baby Angel must be getting bigger too.

Edited on 5/26 to add...

"Paxton touch Mommy's big bella" - Not a clue where this came from, but so cute.

"I love Baby Angel" - Three times this morning, Pax leaned over to hug my belly and tell his new sibling how much he loves him/her :)

"Baby Angel eat pizza in Mommy's tummy" - Pax's comment after a big pizza dinner at Blind Lady.

We're taking guesses!!!!

Keeping Baby Angel's gender a surprise has truly been a treat! We are enjoying the mystery and know that the big birthday will be that much more exciting. What has been unexpected (and definitely entertaining) has been the constant stream of guesses that we've had from our friends, family, and complete strangers. Everyone has a guess and a theory about why they're right. Everything from the way I'm carrying to the fact that I'm eating more sweets to a ring on a string. It seems like it's been about half and half guessing a boy versus a girl, but we thought it was time for a proper poll. Go ahead and record your guess and leave a comment with your theory...I'm sure we haven't heard them all yet and it will be a blast to share these with the little one someday.

Is Paxton getting a brother or a sister?

And just for fun, these were from Mother's Day. I can't wait to see what next year's picture will look like!

Our little pineapple

So according to Baby Center, we currently have a 4 pound pineapple in my belly. It's hard to believe that not too many months ago, we were talking about lentils and lima beans. Now it's also hard to believe that we will very soon be reaching watermelon and pumpkin territory. Yikes! So far, everything is progressing perfectly and our little pineapple is measuring perfectly and in exactly the right position. Not sure if it's the swimming, the acupuncture, the massage, or the fact that I'm not sitting in front of a computer 40 hours a week this time, but we were thrilled to hear that Baby Angel is right where he or she needs to be. We are looking forward to a completely natural birth this time around and according to our midwives, we shouldn't have any problems. Yay!

My Top Ten

This pregnancy has definitely been harder than the first one which I think is often the case. Other mamas I've talked to definitely agree that carrying one little one in your belly is tiring enough, but doing that while you're chasing another one around is exhausting. I feel like I've spent a lot of time complaining lately so this post is dedicated to the top ten things I'm enjoying about being pregnant this time around :)

Here goes...

1. Sharing the experience with Paxton. This is my number one for sure! It has been so much fun talking to Paxton about his new sibling and having him cuddle and kiss to my belly.
2. My walks. Last time, I was able to continue running until a few weeks before my due date, but it's been much harder with this pregnancy. I'd really been letting that bother me, but I'm starting to embrace it and realize that slowing down isn't a bad thing. I have had some of the most relaxing and peaceful walks lately. Pax, Baby Angel, and I have been enjoying springtime and it's wonderful!
3. No back aches this time. Hopefully, I didn't just jinx it
4. Not knowing if Baby Angel is a boy or a girl. It has been lots of fun keeping this a surprise and imagining what it will be like both ways. Definitely fun to do things a little differently this time.
5. Being pregnant in the spring. All the new life everywhere...baby ducks, tulips starting to blossom, green grass, wildflowers...yes, all that silliness actually makes this pregnant thing seem festive and fun :)
6. Knowing that this little one will have an amazing big brother waiting to meet him.
7. Not having to make so many decisions. Last time it seemed like we had to decide so many things like where we'd have the baby, what pediatrician we'd use, vaccines, where the baby would sleep, etc... Things are so much simpler since we invested so much energy last time.
8. Having an active baby in my belly. This little one is a kicker for sure. While sometimes it's pretty darn uncomfortable, the *constant* reminders of the new life growing inside my belly are hard to beat.
9. Swimming! I didn't get a chance to try this out last time, but it's true that swimming when you're pregnant is wonderful.
10. Knowing that when this pregnancy is over, I will be holding a sweet, new life in my arms :)

What's in a name...letters, obviously!

Over the last few months, Brad and I have been giving a lot of thought to what we want to name the newest Willoughby. In my opinion, this is one of the most important decisions you have to make as a parent. Sure there are decisions on breastfeeding, sleeping, discipline, and all that, but a name is something that will have an impact on a person every day for the rest of their life. While we still haven't decided on the top two names yet, our list has some good contenders and we are working on it. In the mean time, I have been adamant that we won't refer to this little one as Baby Willoughby 2 or the second baby or Baby #2. That just bugs me on a whole bunch of levels. So we decided that we needed a nickname for the baby and it should be something that could work for a boy or a girl. Totally lacking in creativity, we enlisted Paxton's help and he did not disappoint :)

When we asked him what we should call the baby, his first response was "letters." We have absolutely no idea where he got that, but it makes sense, I guess. A name is made up of letters, right? A few days later, he answered us with "Jo" and we thought "perfect!" Works for a boy or girl, it's cute and endearing....done! So we called the baby "Baby Jo" for a couple weeks before he changed his mind again and decided that actually it should be "Baby Angel" and this one has stuck. He now hugs my tummy and talks about Baby Angel. Occasionally, he calls the baby "camels" or "waffles," but then returns back to Baby Angel. We love it and think that it's the perfect nickname for the little angel who will be joining our family.

The littlest Willoughby is officially half-baked!

Last week we had our big ultrasound and Baby Willoughby is as perfect as can be! Lots and lots of movement and the tech managed to get an image with the mouth wide open. Apparently, this little one is already singing away. Many have asked and yes, the gender is still a surprise. The tech told us when to turn our heads and neither of us peeked. I have to say this will be one of the most amazing surprises ever :) We are having fun imagining either scenario and what it will be like for Pax to have a little brother or a little sister. He is still convinced that it's a boy and hey, he's got a 50% chance of being right. We shall see...

As we learned the last time around, the best way to celebrate the halfway mark in a pregnancy is with a taste of ooey gooey Half Baked goodness from Ben & Jerry's. So we did it again! Apparently, the baby is now the size of a carrot, but who wants to celebrate with carrots? We were slightly behind schedule and feasted at 21 weeks, but you get the idea.

The bump is back

Well...we decided that it was time to resurrect "Notes on the bump" because as many of you know, another bump has arrived! The newest addition to the Willoughby clan is due to arrive sometime around June 19th which puts me at 18 weeks pregnant. We have decided that the gender of this little one will remain a surprise until the big birthday. We have had plenty of guesses from friends and family, but we're not going to make any predictions ourselves. Pax is adamant that it's a boy, however his understanding of the concept may be slightly limited ;) He does appear to grasp that there is a baby in my belly and wants to hug and kiss it every day while he says "tummy," "baby," and "boy." We are very hopeful that he will be just as excited once his sibling arrives. We know that boy or girl, he is going to make a wonderful big brother!

A Great Big Thank You!

The last ten months have been such an exciting adventure for us and we want all of you to know how much more special you have made it! We have been absolutely overwhelmed with the kind words, gifts, showers, and offers to baby-sit. It means so much to know that our new family will be so loved and supported and we feel truly blessed that all of you will be a part of little Paxton's life!

We can't wait to share all of the stories of this part of the adventure with him so that he will know how friends and family collected books for him to read, decorated onesies for him to wear, knitted blankets and hats and socks to keep him warm, helped to stock his nursery full of amazing goodies, and shared invaluable advice on how to take extra special care of him.

We have enjoyed celebrating this part of the journey with all of you and are so excited about the new chapter that has now begun. It means so much to know that our little guy is welcomed and loved by all the people that we care so much about. We are looking forward to introducing you to him very soon!

Paxton's Birth Story

This story  is very, very long, but since Pax's entry into the world was a long one, it seems appropriate. I also wanted to document everything that happened before it starts to get blurry. Here's the short version: Paxton Densler Willoughby was born on March 29th, 2009 at 8:51 pm. Pictures are available on our flickr page.  If you're interested in all the details, read on :)

Before we became pregnant, we knew that we wanted to have a natural birth experience.  So, when we found out that we would be expecting, we decided to see the midwives at UCSD and to birth our little one at the Birth Center in the UCSD hospital. We decided that this would be the best option for us because we could labor naturally in a large room with a jacuzzi tub, shower, birthing ball, and four poster bed, yet still be seconds away from medical intervention if, for some reason, we needed it. The Birth Center is on the fourth floor and the regular labor and delivery wing is on the second floor. In the event of an emergency, we would be right where we needed to be.

We also hired a doula to be present and support us in our birth. According to DONA International, a doula is "a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth." We feel so blessed to have found our doula, Kayti Ricker, who provided all of this and much more! 

As we started to reach the end of the pregnancy, we knew that Pax needed to arrive between 37 and 42 weeks for us to be eligible to deliver in the Birth Center. We weren't sure what to expect other than the fact that he would probably be late. We were told that the average first baby arrives about 8 days late. Once we passed our due date of March 23rd, I will admit that I started getting antsy and finally hit a point where I was just done (emotionally and physically) with being pregnant.

After about two weeks of pretty frequent Braxton-Hicks contractions or "just practice" as we referred to them, I finally started to feel the real thing on Friday night (March 27th).  Not only was my belly tightening each time, but I also started to feel cramps and it was happening about every 10 minutes. We decided that the best thing to do would be to go to bed and try to get as much rest as possible. We both had a pretty restless night, but managed to get some sleep. 

By the next morning, the contractions were coming a little closer, about eight minutes apart, but they were very mild and only about 30 seconds long. We called Kayti to give her a heads up and then decided to just keep going about the day. It was incredibly exciting to think that our little man would be joining us very soon! I decided to knit a hat for him that he could wear in the hospital and we also took a walk to the post office to mail our last couple thank you notes.

At about 3:00, Kayti came over to the house and the three of us went on a walk to Morley Field to see if we could get my contractions to pick up some more. They were currently about five to six minutes apart. We walked around the tennis courts and the baseball fields and did lunges up the hill on the way back. During each contraction, Brad and Kayti massaged my shoulders, applied pressure to my hips, and provided lots of support. I'm sure that it was interesting for all the passersby to see a very pregnant woman stopping every few minutes to hug a tree or telephone pole. 

We headed back to the house and the three of us had dinner along with our friends, Chris and Ruby, who had stopped by to bring us some takeout from Zensei Sushi. At this point, my appetite was starting to wane and  the contractions were getting a bit more intense. Brad and Kayti fixed me a bath and while I relaxed, they called the midwife on duty and found out that Rita, the midwife we had seen for the last couple months, was on call. We decided that we would go ahead and make our way to the hospital. We were very excited about Rita being there for the birth.

We arrived around 10 pm and our nurse, Joanna, got us settled in. Rita checked to see how far along I had progressed and I was only 3 cm dilated. She told us that we could go home if we wanted or stay and be admitted, but that the best thing would be to walk around and keep moving. We decided to stay and then did a lap around the hospital and a set of lunges up the stairs followed by a shower. Every hour, Joanna would come and listen to the baby's heartbeat with a Dopppler and his heart was beating strong every time. At 1:30 am and after a lot of laboring, Rita came back and checked me again to find that I had only progressed to 4 cm. Because I was pretty tired at this point, we thought the best thing would be for me to try and get some amount of sleep in between contractions. I was able to find a position kneeling on the bed with my upper body draped over a birthing ball where I could sleep. My contractions slowed down and spaced out a bit and I was able to sleep on and off for about two hours. Brad and Kayti also napped which was great because we didn't realize how much more was in store for us.

At 5 am, Rita checked again and I was now 5 cm dilated...five at five. At this point, the midwives and nurses changed shifts, but Rita promised to check in later to see how things were going. We found out that Jennifer would be the next midwife on duty. Again, we were thrilled because we had met Jennifer during our pre-natal appointments and we both really liked her. We continued to labor and I will be honest, things are a bit blurry from this point. I do remember trying very hard to focus on relaxing through the contractions. The body's initial reaction to pain is tense up and I knew that I needed to do just the opposite to get things to progress. I found that many of the techniques we learned from our Birthing from Within class came in very handy, but I did not expect that the vocalizations we did during the Coyote Circle exercise to be one of my main coping techniques. I had actually thought I might be a somewhat quiet laboring woman...just one of the many things I learned about myself during this journey.

Jennifer came in after a while with Kandace, a student midwife with two weeks left in her program, who would be helping out. They checked me again and I had gained one more cm...slowly but surely, I had dilated to 6 cm which would now put me in "active labor" and they would be checking the baby's heartbeat every 30 minutes. Being 6 cm also meant that I could get in the birthing tub. They had wanted me to wait until I was 6 cm because they were afraid that if I got in any earlier, I might slow the contractions down. The warm water felt wonderful and helped me to really relax in between contractions. I continued laboring throughout the morning and afternoon using a birthing stool, birthing ball, the shower, and all sorts of support from Brad, Kayti, and Kandace. 

At some point in the afternoon, Kandace decided I could begin to push if I felt the urge. I had dilated to somewhere between 9 and 10 cm and they would now monitor the baby's heartbeat during every contraction. Never once did his heartbeat show any signs of distress. At this point, the baby was low enough that they were able to determine that his head was not quite at the right angle for birthing and there was a lip of the cervix left. This is common when the baby's head is not applying equal pressure to all parts of the cervix creating uneven dilation. With some help from Kandace during a couple contractions, we were able to get the baby through the lip and I was now completely dilated to 10 cm. I continued pushing, but only occasionally did I feel a very strong urge to bear down. Jennifer then came in to check as well and slowly they started to determine that there were a couple of issues we would need to deal with. The baby was in an acynclitic position meaning that his head was at an angle and he was also posterior or "sunny side up" and both of these things would make delivery difficult. 

I was told that I could continue to push, but that the baby would need to tuck his chin and turn his head in order to progress through the birth canal. We tried many different positions in an attempt to get him to move, but we had no idea how stubborn the little guy was going to be. In the mean time, Jennifer was communicating with the doctors on the second floor who were wanting to have me brought downstairs. The agreement was made that if I continued to make progress, I could stay upstairs. At one point, we did make a bit of progress and the midwives were even able to see a tiny bit of his head. I thought for sure we would make it, but after somewhere around seven hours of pushing and little to no progress by the little guy, the decision was made to go downstairs.

So we ended up downstairs in the labor and delivery wing and they hooked me up to the continuous fetal monitoring system. In my room, I was now joined by Brad, Kayti, Jennifer, Kandace, Elizabeth (the midwife coming in to take the next shift), two nurses, and the doctor. I have to say that I am forever grateful to have birthed at UCSD and that I feel very blessed to have been surrounded by such a wise and skilled medical team. The doctor checked me and it was very comforting to have her tell me exactly the same thing that the midwives had determined. Everyone was definitely on the same page and I had two options at this point: 1) a Cesarean birth or 2) an epidural with some time to rest and then Pitocin and possibly an assisted (forceps or vacuum) vaginal delivery. I was told that because of the position of his head, it might be very difficult to have an assisted delivery and that they would have to consult with the other doctor. While having a Cesarean birth had been one of my biggest fears during pregnancy, I was also very wary of assisted deliveries because I have always felt that there is a lot of room for error. My gut feeling was that the Cesarean would have the least risk for the baby. Brad and Jennifer both agreed. Because the Cesarean would not be an emergency procedure, I was given time to ask lots of questions and never did I feel pressured into something I didn't want or need. I truly felt treated with respect by everyone involved.

The entire procedure happened very quickly. Since Kayti is also a volunteer doula at UCSD, they allowed her to be with me during the prep for the surgery. Because I was still managing the pain from contractions, I was very glad to have her there. They gave me a spinal to numb my body from the belly down. Once the warming sensation started to flow through my legs, the contractions were gone and I felt incredibly sleepy. They then draped the blue sheet in front of me and gave me a tube with a bit of extra oxygen. As soon as everything was prepped, Brad joined us. They allowed us to bring in our own music so we were able to listen to some of our favorite songs which was wonderful.

During the procedure, Brad and Kayti stayed by my head and talked to me. As soon as Paxton was born, they told me everything that was happening. From the moment I heard the first little cry, I started crying too. Brad was able to cut Pax's umbilical cord and be near him as they gave him his 1 minute and 5 minute APGAR scores which were 8 and 9, respectively. I had to wait until the second APGAR was given and I have to say that those 5 minutes were the longest of my entire life. I could not wait to see him for the first time. As soon as possible they brought him over and I was able to have skin-to-skin contact with the little guy. It was the most joyous moment to see and touch our baby for the first time! Brad and I were able to hold him and cuddle him while they finished the procedure. 

At 8:51 pm on March 29th, 2009, Paxton Densler Willoughby joined the world....all 8 lbs, 5oz and 21 inches of him!

At this point, something very magical happened. We realized that the song playing on our iPod was "Careful Not to Draw Your Maps in Pen and Ink" by the Cobalt Season. We have always loved this song and everything that it says about letting go of your plans and just living life...how incredibly relevant in light of everything that had just happened! After months of "planning" our birth experience, we were forced to let go and take things as they happened even if they were far from what we imagined they would be. It was also very poignant that a Cobalt Season song was playing because the first time we heard the name Paxton was when they came to play at Missiongathering and brought along their son, Paxton. 

After the birth, we were able to put some more pieces together to figure out exactly what happened. We were very fortunate to have had Dr. Lisa Stellwagen, an amazing pediatrician at UCSD, check in on Pax. Very quickly after seeing him, she was able to explain to us what caused the delayed labor and the "stuck" baby. She asked if had spent a lot of time in one position in the womb and I told her that he lived almost exclusively on the right side of my belly. She said that sometimes, this can cause babies to develop torticollis which is a tightness in the neck muscles (she had just published a paper on this very condition). She showed us that his head could easily turn in one direction, but only part of the way in the other direction. His one ear was also flatter than the other and his lips pulled a little higher on one side, all symptoms of torticollis. Apparently, Pax's muscles were so tight that during labor, he wasn't able to straighten out his head and come out through the birth canal. This was what caused labor to progress so slowly and explained why he wouldn't come out even though I pushed with everything I had in me. She gave us a few exercises for his neck and we have already seen a huge improvement. Within a few weeks, it will probably not be noticeable at all.

In addition to the torticollis, Pax also had some jaundice which made for an extra long stay at the hospital. Because there was a history of severe jaundice in my family, Dr. Stellwagen decided to test his bilirubin very early at 12 hours. It was a good thing that she did because it was already high. So, they brought a special BiliBed into our room and Pax was able to sleep with the lights in our room rather than being whisked away to the NICU. He was allowed to come out to nurse, but otherwise had to stay exclusively on the lights. It was a little tough to not be able to hold him and cuddle him all the time, but I am so glad that we had him right by the bed. Between the lights and the feeding (both important to clearing the bilirubin), he was looking great by Thursday and we were all able to go home!

Now that we're home and adjusting to life without sleep, we love just staring at the little guy and learning all his squeaks and sighs.  We're so blessed to have a healthy baby and are treasuring each day of his brand new life.

The blog is updated, so he can come now

The little guy is now five days past due, so Merrilee and I have been using the time to finish all those last-minute things before he arrives. It's become a running joke: "Oh, X is done, so he can come now." Here's a list for posterity:

• I cleaned the fishbowl, so he can come now.
• Merrilee had a pedicure, so he can come now.
• We washed Fergie, so he can come now.
• My mom bought us a doggie gate to keep Fergie out of the nursery, so he can come now.
• We mailed the last thank-you note from our baby showers, so he can come now.
• I scrubbed the water fountain by the front door, so he can come now.
• The gardeners did the yard, so he can come now.
• We installed the child seat in the car, so he can come now.
• We packed our bags for the hospital, so he can come now.
• We finished the laundry, so he can come now.
• We ran the dishwasher, so he can come now.
• Merrilee gave a crash-course to her manager on her pending projects, so he can come now.
• As of this morning, I bought an iPhone timer application called "Contractions," so he can come now.

And, of course, I just posted this blog entry, so he can come now.

The nursery is ready!

The nursery is finally in a state where we can come close to calling it "done" so we took a few pictures and posted them on Flickr. We've also included a few below. We decided the theme turned out to be "Adventureland," or more specifically, "Jungle Cruise meets the Tiki Room." It's great to look around the room and see old things (France & Son 1950's teak rocker), new things (Ikea lamps), things we already owned (the Tiki Room puzzle by Shag over the crib), things that were gifted to us (the furniture from my sister), and things we never thought we'd need (the wipe warmer on top of the changing table). We think the little guy is going to love it.

Family Pictures

In honor of the big changes that are about to come our way, we decided that we needed to stop and take some time to savor things just as they are. We wanted to celebrate our family as its been over the last ten years. So a few weeks ago, we met with Carey Schumacher of San Diego Barefoot Memories at the beach in La Jolla to take some family pictures. We had a great time and we're thrilled with how the pictures turned out. We think they really reflect this special time in our lives and how excited we are about our new arrival. It's fun to imagine that the next time we take family pictures, there will be another little face in the frame. We posted some of our favorites up on Flickr.

Anticipation

We're now down to less than 4 weeks before our little guy's due date (March 23rd), and it's getting more exciting by the day. His little punches and kicks have turned into serious heaves which are visible from a few feet away. It's now very easy (and fun) to hear his heartbeat by just putting my ear to Merrilee's belly. Speaking of her belly, she has basically lost sight of her toes and occasionally solicits my help to tie her shoes for her. We're starting to book things in our calendar in April and May, and are wondering what life will be like when are family turns to 3. "Sure, we can do that on Sunday evening." "Wait, *can* we do that on Sunday evening?"

And, of course, there is his room. Our former "Green Room" is now a full fledged nursery complete with changing table, baby furniture, and a crib. We'll post more pictures of the room later, but, as a teaser, we managed to find a beautiful 1950's vintage teak rocking chair and ottoman by Ole Wanscher for Danish manufacturer France and Son at Mid-Century Design in Hillcrest. Something old, perhaps, for our new little someone on the way.

Tonight we'll be packing for the hospital. Not that we're planning to go right away, but we've been instructed to have our bags ready for when the time comes. Once they're packed, their presence will turn into yet another daily reminder of the amazing changes in store. What a blessing it is to balance our excitement to meet our little guy face to face with our desire to savor each moment of this special time.

What a difference two weeks makes

Over the last couple weeks it seems like I'm feeling more and more pregnant. Sleeping has become more difficult and getting out of bed in the morning has become next to impossible. It's amazing what an extra 20 pounds will do for you, especially when most of it is concentrated in your belly and screwing with your sense of gravity. Oh, and the charlie horses that wake me up in the middle of the night are loads of fun. Aside from the minor aches and pains though, I really can't complain. It seems like he's constantly moving around and I haven't tired of all the little kicks and punches. It's so wonderful to have these reminders of his presence throughout the day.

We decided to start taking a picture every week now that we're nearing the end. We've been told that my belly will grow to unimaginable proportions and very rapidly in the last couple months (I can't believe that is all that's left). Here are a couple of pics from weeks 29 and 31. He's definitely getting bigger. In case you're curious, that is a coconut that I'm drinking out of in the 29-week picture. We learned, courtesy of our doula, that coconut juice is a pregnancy superfood. It's a natural electrolyte replacement, full of potassium and magnesium, great for digestion, and boosts the immune system. Who knew? Since I've already been through an entire flat of coconuts from Ranch 99, I'd like to think that I'm maximizing the health benefits. I also just enjoy the novelty :)

Happy New Year!

2009 is finally here and for us and that means that the little guy will be here very soon! I've officially entered the third trimester and I can feel it, literally. He has decided that he really likes the right side of my belly and lives there almost exclusively. Lately, we have been able to identify various body parts (a foot, a hand) as he stretches himself out. He has started hiccuping every so often which apparently, is part of the process of getting him ready to breathe on his own. As of this week, he should be roughly 2 1/2 pounds and 15 inches long. 

The nesting phase has also begun at our 

house and it is in full force. We have started organizing everything from the laundry room to the kitchen pots and pans. I think there is an underlying fear that we will never, ever have time to do these things in the future so carpe diem! We have also moved in baby furniture and we're starting to get the nursery set up. Taking up residence in the nursery is our brand new stroller. A few weeks ago, our running buddies got together and presented us with the Bob! We couldn't believe how many people were a part of the gift and we are so grateful. We can't wait until we can take our little guy out for a run on Saturday morning with the crew. Until then, The Cheat has decided to keep the seat warm :)

Our little ear of corn

We are officially in our 6th month and I am beginning to wonder when I should start counting down the weeks rather than up. There are now only 16 weeks left until my due date. I'm thinking that it might be fun to make a paper chain like I did when I was kid and maybe we'll cut off one link for each week remaining until our little guy arrives. 

Yesterday we had our 24-week appointment and we were very encouraged to hear that everything is progressing perfectly! My belly is measuring at 24 cm which is dead on at 24 weeks. Basically, the measurement should be the same number of centimeters as weeks (give or take 2 cm) so he is just the right size.  We also got to hear the heartbeat again which is by far the most treasured part of every visit. Our midwife was able to feel around and find his back so she knew exactly where to put the Doppler to get it loud and strong.

Back when we first found out that we were pregnant, we signed up for weekly e-mails from Babycenter  and we always enjoy the updates on what's happening in my belly. Our favorite feature of each e-mail is the comparison of the baby to a fruit or veggie that is approximately the same size. In the past, we've referred to him as "our little fig" or "the lime" or very early on, he was "the poppy seed." At 9 weeks, we learned that he was roughly the size of a grape and he was starting to develop teeth. We developed quite the vision of a little grape with fangs in my belly. Often, our friends will ask "what is he this week?" Well, at 24 weeks, we learned that he is as long as an ear of corn (about a foot). We got such a kick out of imagining a poky little ear of corn with arms and legs that Brad searched and found the perfect graphic. I had to publish it here for posterity :)

Kick me please!

I never thought that I would actually want someone to kick me, but for the past few weeks, I have been anxiously awaiting a kick or punch from the little guy. I've felt a gurgle here and there, but nothing that I could clearly associate with the baby. The proverbial "they" claim that you should feel the baby move sometime between 16 and 20 weeks. Since I am now in the 21st week, I was starting to get a little anxious.

Well, this morning it happened! After a wonderful yoga practice at Ginseng, I was relaxing in savasana (the final relaxation pose) listening to the beautiful music the instructor had playing when I felt a clear kick in the belly! Not only could I feel him from the inside, but when I placed my hand on my belly, I could feel him from the outside too. I am convinced that he must have been performing his own series of sun salutations in utero. After class, I asked the instructor for the name of the song she played and I am trying to track down the CD because he was clearly a fan! Apparently, he has very picky taste though as I'm finding that Thomas Otten's Close to Silence is not going to be easy to find.

I rushed home after yoga and Brad got a kick too. It was definitely an exciting moment to share together! I'm sure that soon enough, I'll be so pummeled from the inside that I'll be asking for a break. For now though, it is such a treat to feel the kicks and punches from our budding little yogi.