Milestones: Maya's first week and losing the stump

Maya is one week old today. While Amy and I might have to celebrate keeping her alive so far with a couple of mimosas or something, Maya rang in her first week by losing her umbilical stump! Looks like she might have an outie. (or she is horribly malnourished)

The scary thing is that we can't find said stump anywhere.

I wonder if these two know anything about it.

Happy first week birthday Maya!

Gratuitously cute pics: Maya's first week

Mad Baby

FOOT!

Sleepins

"Whatchu talking bout willis?"

Fozzie checking in on his sleeping girls

"West SIYED, YO!"

Is an outfit like this really necessary? She looks like a midget abominable snowman that rolled in some cotton candy

Isn't she pretty. Pretty. In. Pink

Ok the pink is getting ridiculous. She looks like some awful pink rapper.

Dogs and Maya on her crazy cute chair from Grandma

I had to slide a picture of goose in there. She's still pretty frickin cute. :-)

Lessons Learned: Always pack an extra outfit

So Amy and I are first time parents with Maya. Maya has no problem pointing out areas of our parenting that need help.  What we learned last Monday... always pack an extra outfit, diaper and stuff. In fact pack that diaper bag that we had listed on 5 registries or something like that. Also be sure to bring said packed diaper back wherever you take baby. Even if it is only a few minutes away.

So we live 1.9 miles away from Maya's Doctor. We had a follow up, weigh-in appointment for her on Monday, March 19. They said the appointment wouldn't take more than 5 minutes. We knew Maya was doing well so we figured in, out, easy-peasy. 

I should mention that 99% of the times I've changed Maya's diaper she has "done her business" while I'm changing her. I should have thought of that when they want to weigh a naked baby.

Nurse: "Let's get her naked, including pampers off."

Me: "Ok" (does as told)

Maya: (pees over everything. Diaper, Maya, Outfit, Blanket, Dr. Table and Daddy.)

Me: (as I'm handing crazy Maya to nurse) "Um. Do you have an extra diaper?"

Result: Angry baby having to sit in car seat with only diaper on.

(Before you go off calling child services, yes we did have a pee-free blanket so she didn't freeze to death while outside)

Well played Maya, well played. We won't do that again. (at least in our heart of hearts we really won't want to)

Birth Story: Acupuncture to the rescue

Maya's due date was March 7, 2012. There was a lot going on in early 2012 for our families and to say this date was eagerly anticipated is a gross understatement.  We'll get into the other aspects of Maya's birth story later but this post will focus on the frantic few days before her actual birth.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Amy had a Dr. appointment. We had been walking, eating spicy food and Amy even gulped down a tablespoon of castor oil trying to get this baby moving prior to this appointment. The previous weekend provided us with a few contractions that we thought for sure we would be on our way by the time this appointment hit. We went to the appointment and nuthin. She was dilated and effaced the same, for the past two weeks. At this point we are pretty convinced it's a hysterical pregnancy and nothing is going to happen. ever.

Our Dr. talked to us about induction but we didn't want to go that route, at least not yet. Nevertheless we set the induction date for Thursday, March 15. sigh.

We had been talking to friends about alternate, natural ways of inducing labor and most of them just seemed like old wives tales. Most common advice was "the baby will come when she is ready and not before." Thanks. That helps. The one treatment that seemed to have more positive results was acupuncture. There wasn't any definite "yes this works" type of information out there but there were no negative reports and there seemed no risk of danger.

Tuesday afternoon, I (Ed aka Daddy) talk to a good friend of ours (Megan) and she recommends Josie Zhuo. Amy and I figure, why not, it can't hurt can it?

I call Josie and explain our situation.  She responds quickly and says she would like to get two sessions in for this. I'm thinking ok, it's Tuesday afternoon now and they want to induce on Thursday morning, how is this going to work. I make the appointment for Amy at 3 PM. It's 1:55 PM. I have five minutes (I'm at work and have a 2 PM meeting) to call Amy, make sure she wants to go, give her all the info and make sure she can get there within the hour.

Amy calls me around 3:45. She made it to the appointment and says she has second one tomorrow at 3:30. So far, it was a good experience. Both of us are still very skeptical about this working.

Amy picks me up from work at 3:00 PM the next day, we get there and I'm floored. The place is a little scary and it definitely doesn't give off this "welcome" type vibe. If anyone knows Amy, you would be impressed that she didn't just drive by once she saw it.

We walk in... Skepticism is rising.

Once I meet Josie all my ingorant preconceptions are gone. She couldn't be any more sweet, caring and genuine. I feel bad for feeling apprehensive about the legit nature of the place. Josie explains that the session will take 45 minutes and that I'm welcome to come back for the last 15. I figure I'll walk around and find something to get into for a half hour.

I decide to hop into Chocolita for a cup of joe or something. This cafe is a few blocks from Four Seasons and I had to pass several bars on the way there.  For those of you that know me, please stand back up. It's a shock I know. I figured it was bad taste to head back to the healing clinic reeking of IPA.

As I'm about to order I hear this song. (Jonsi, Boy Lilikoi)

 

Now this is odd. Amy and I have been both playing music for Maya in the womb. I played this Jonsi song for her almost daily for the last few months. This was the first song that Amy noticed her move in the womb to. We called it "baby dancing." We call this "Her song."

At this point I think it has to be a sign. I explain this to the girl working behind the counter and she's excited to be a part of it. I feel the need to buy more than just a mocha from this place and decide to get the girls (Amy and her mother) some chocolates to preserve this moment.

I head back to the clinic to check on Amy and Maya.

Again, those of you that know Amy should be impressed. Very impressed.

 

As we get in the car and start the ride home the mood is completely different for us. The drive there was tense and emotional. You could feel the past few weeks of stress in every move we made. I could tell Amy was relaxed and positive now, after her acupuncture treatment. If nothing else we thought, the acupuncture was a great experience.

Amy had her first real contraction on highway 99 as we entered the Alaskan Way Viaduct. It was 5:11 PM, Wednesday March 14.

Maya would be born in just over 9 hours.

Day 3: What. in. The. Hell.

This life is proving to be pretty strange for sweet Maya. A miserible Dr. Visit, losing weight, snow, some supplemental formula and all kinds of "activity" during diaper changes with daddy. Lets sleep tonight and see what tomorrow brings.