My friend Kennedy

This is my friend Kennedy. She's been like my big sister and looked out for me since I was born. She is great.

Hi Kennedy - thanks for watching out for me and being my friend.

I love you!

Marley

Marley - 15 months

Time flies . . .

Wow - Marley was a year in December. She just started officially walking this week. She is delightful and full of personality. What a miracle!

This is her new cheesy smile.

Marley at almost 11 months

Marley at 8 months

The cutest little girl in the world

Marley at 4 months

Oh Baby

Marley is almost 12 weeks and doing great. She was 11lb 6oz at her last well check. We went to my Mom's in New Mexico for a week and had a great time with family.

I go back to work Wednesday, which also happens to be my 40th birthday. Marley is a hell of a birthday present. It will be hard to go back to work but I am incredibly thankful my employer has a daycare on site - so she'll be close and well taken care of.

I think a lot about all of you who have gone through ART and had success, had heartbreak and are currently pregnant. My love, prayers and good wishes are with you!

I don't know how much I'll blog in the future - I'm having trouble keeping up (I admire all of you who do it regularly and manage everything else you have to do). I greatly appreciate everyone's support. Thank you for traveling with me.

Long overdue update

This is Marley in her Santa outfit.

And a picture of our friends Scott/Jennifer's baby, Halle. She was born 3 weeks before Marley and looks huge in comparison.

Holy cow - I meant to post a very long time ago but I guess it goes without saying that I've been absorbed in baby feeding, diapering, pumping, etc. The days all blur together (I know I'm preaching to the choir for the moms out there).

Where to start . . .

I got pitocin at 4:30am, OB broke my water at 8am, started having pain right away, got epidural at 8:15am and started pushing at 8:30am.

The delivery was quick but ended kind of ugly because Marley was face up (and slightly turned to the side) and got stuck on my pelvic bone. I pushed and pushed (the epidural didn't take on part of my right side and then wore off after pushing for some time) and finally the OB asked if I wanted a c-section or the forceps. He used the forceps and it hurt like hell but she was out in less than minute and it was much better than the constant pain of trying to push her out when she was stuck. It took him an hour to stitch me up and then my stitches broke about 4 days later. OB said it was better to let it heal on it's own (greater risk of infection if you re-stitch).

Marley has not been gaining weight (she's still below birth weight) so I've been supplementing every feeding with breast milk or formula and feeding and pumping every 3 hours.

I've got some hormonal weepiness but am not sure it's baby blues. This is so hard and so good at the same time.

Thanks for everyones support and all your good wishes! Sometimes I still can't believe Marley is real and here - pure blisss!

Power bill is going up, but

the stress level is going down!

Baby Soothing 101.

Sun bathing with Grandma

Karen! Taking care of that

last little bit of jaundice.

Huckleberry standing guard!

Alert and ready to protect at

a moments notice.

Merry Christmas everybody!

I will post a full report shortly.

pictures

Marley Gardner, born December 09, 2009, 10:39am, 6 lbs 13 oz, 20 & 1/2 inches!

D-Day!!!

The call came at 9:30pm...report to the hospital at 11. Talk about a "full service hotel", my very good friend and nurse anesthetist extraordinaire Celeste met us in the hallway and carried my bag to the room. She is making extra sure that I have only the very best care. Talk about "its a small world", one of my nurses, Brandi, is friends with my friend Jennifer and went to nursing school with her husband. My other nurse is Lisa and they are both wonderful. Now to the good stuff:

1:10AM - I am 2 to 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced which means no Cytotek (to thin my cervix). They will start Pitocin at 4AM and then WE ARE HAVIN' A BABY!!!

Baby Shower

Many, many thanks to Julie, Dallas, Rebecca and Jennifer who gave the shower for us!

The fire was awesome.

Max had fun barking at Ruth.

Crime scene

Yes, this is a dog's tail with a bandage on it.

It looked like a crime scene at our house this afternoon. Huck had a cut on his tail. It took Justin a while to figure out where the blood was coming from, after seeing it all over the walls/floor and on Rufus. We later determined that probably Huck and Rufus were wrestling in the bedroom and maybe Rufus cut/bit Huck's tail? We think that the scene of the crime was the bedroom because there's blood splatter going 3/4 the way up the closet doors. So, Huck went to the vet and now has a bandaged tail. It's funny.

I had an ultrasound and non-stress test this week. They estimate Marley to be 6lbs 4oz. I have lots of amniotic fluid. She's still head down. I'm still scheduled to be induced and will go to the hospital the night of Dec 8.

I'm definitely feeling bigger and my belly has maybe dropped some.

The new chest in Marley's room is great - all the baby stuff is pretty much done. I think we'll put the car seat in my car this week - wow.

Getting closer

I changed my ticker to reflect my current scheduled delivery date of December 9th (even though my official due date is December 21). Thanks Rebecca for the idea.
Sorry I haven't posted baby shower pictures - I've been working at lot trying to get ahead.
I have an ultrasound in the morning and a non-stress test and Dr. appointment on Tuesday.
We bought a "gentlemens chest" for Marley's room. It's being delivered tomorrow. Justin went crazy this weekend cleaning out, throwing away, straightening, etc. - the house looks great.
Congratulations to our friends Scott and Jennifer on the birth of their daughter, Halle on 11/19!!! She was 6lbs 8oz, 19 3/4 inches. Jennifer only pushed for 9 minutes. I hope our daughters will grow up together.

Countdown . . .

I'm having a baby! It's a little scary to say that like I know it's a sure thing - way in the back of my head is a very small thought that surely something will go wrong, this can't actually be working out the way it's supposed to.
I went to the doctor for a non-stress test today (which looked good) and found out that little Marley Baby has turned head down. Good girl Marley! I was very uncomfortable this weekend and I wonder if that's when she was moving. The Dr. said he'd like to induce after 38 weeks and before 39 weeks - so we scheduled for 12/9. I'll go to the hospital the night of 12/8.
Justin is moving his finals to 12/7 and 12/8. My mom will fly in 12/8.
Justin's Mom has finished the comforter and sheet for the crib - they look GREAT. The comforter is pink with brown polka dots with a trim that's brown with pink polka dots. She made a sheet that's pink with brown polka dots. The striped material for the dust ruffle, that was on back order, finally got shipped last week. I'll take a picture to post as soon as we have a dresser and I can move everything (that goes in the dresser) out of the crib.
We hope to get a dresser this weekend.
I will post shower pictures tomorrow night.

Baby shower bliss

Pictures and text about the baby showers to come . . .
I'm 35 weeks tomorrow. I have a non-stress test Tuesday. Next ultrasound is Monday 11/23. I think she's still breech as my ribs are still killing me. It's crazy to think that I could be delivering in 3 or 4 weeks - wow!
Justin's last final at school is 12/11. He's checking with his professors about alternatives for taking finals because if she's breech, I would deliver at 38 weeks (around 12/7).
We still haven't decided on a middle name and no dresser yet.
A great big THANK YOU to Dallas/Jon for all the great shower photos!!

Baby Marley better turn

I had a non-stress test today and saw my doctor. The test results were great. He said it wasn't likely she would turn head down, but possible. He won't do the turning procedure (whatever you call that) because I previously had an abruption. If she doesn't turn, he wants to deliver/c-section at 38 weeks. I really, really do not want a c-section but will be ok if that's the only choice. I'll have non-stress tests weekly and ultrasounds every 2 weeks.
The current project is trying to find an awesome dresser for Marley's room.

I should pinch myself

We had some serious baby shower action with a work shower on Friday and a friends/family shower on Saturday. I will post some pictures soon. The showers were awesome - thank you so much to everyone who attended and particularly to all my wonderful friends who put the showers on!!! You gals are awesome!
It is totally surreal that I'm actually having baby showers and that a baby's room is coming together - I never thought I'd be at this place. Wow.

I had an ultrasound this morning and everything looks good - placenta, amniotic fluid, movement and growth. She weighs 5 pounds 7 ounces - 55th percentile. She's currently breech and her head is in my ribs (which explains the pain in my ribs).
I have a non-stress test tomorrow and will see the doctor.

Halloween

It was pumpkin carving mania at our house this week. Rufus went crazy over the raw pumpkin and would have eaten as much as we would have let him.