More Photos of Miles...

I took some photos of Miles today. He is too cute!

Miles is 2 Weeks old Today!

Miles Connor Wolfson arrived at 10:28 p.m. on Tuesday April 28th. He was 7 lbs 3 ounces and 21 inches in length. My water broke at 1:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning. They started me on pitocin at 3:30 a.m. I didn't become fully dilated until 9:00 p.m. We were about 45 minutes away from having a c-section, and I really preferred not to have a c-section. One thing that helped us avoid a c-section was the fact that the labor and delivery area of the hospital was very busy that night and there were already four patients in line ahead of us for a c-section. So we would not have been able to get into an operating room until 10pm at the earliest and since I was still progressing they decided to wait a little longer and let nature take its course. As 10pm approached, the doctor and the nurses decided I could start pushing. We pushed about 30 minutes before the doctor came in and decided to use the vaccum because Mile's heart rate dropped a couple of times during the contractions. About 20 minutes later, Miles was here.

After Miles was here, we had a couple of more hurled to overcome. He wasn't eating because he didn't know how to suck or swallow. So, we practiced with him, but the combination bruising on his head from the vaccum and not eating caused him to get a fairly serious case jaundice. His bilirubin level was 28 as compared to normal being less than 11. Anything above 25 can cause serious health problems according to some things I read on the internet. He had to be on a bili-bed for 24 hours a day for 5 days. We could only hold him when feeding him and changing his diaper. We are hoping since he was at this hight level for a only short period of time he will be okay.

Here is Miles when he is about 12 hours old.





This is Miles on the day he is checking out of the hospital which was Friday. He is getting a little jaundice at this point.


Here is Miles at his second doctor's appointment on Sunday. His biliruben level dropped from 28 to 24.
This is Miles after he was able to get off the bilibed. It was his first time in the bouncy seat.

This is Miles last night after his first bath after his bellybutton and circumcision were healed.

No Miles...Yet.

Well, we are 38 weeks and 5 days today and no sign of Miles. I have went from thinking he will come early to thinking he is held up in there and someone is going to have to force him out. It seems like my best chance is this weekend to try to coax him out. Panapoly is this weekend which is an arts festival that Brandon and I like to go to. It should be 80 degrees outside. I am hoping the heat and the walking will get him thinking that maybe the grass is greener on the other side.



I went to the doctor yesterday, and he said that everything looks great but no evidence that he trying to make his way out. Brandon blames my tight pants are keeping him from making his way. It is hard to justify buying pants this late in the game. I have gained 37 pounds so far.



Sorry I still haven't taken any more photos. Like I always promise -- I'll try to take some this week or weekend.

36 Week Doctor's Appointment

Sorry, I haven't blogged lately. I keep waiting to have some photos to post, but I have officially given up having photos for this post. Hopefully, I will have some photos of the nursery soon. I keep waiting to "finish it" before taking photos. I am starting to realize that it will never been finished. The furniture is put together, the curtains are up, the room is organized, and the newborn to 3 months clothes are washed. I just don't have everything up on the walls that I want.

I am taking on the ambitious project of painting 5 canvases of various sizes in acrylic to put on his walls. A set of three will go above his changing table -- this set will be animal themed ( a alligator, a giraffe, and a hippo). I have an idea of how I want the animal themed canvases to look. I have done the free-hand outline of the animals and the background. I have begun painting the alligator one -- I just need to finish the detail work. The other two canvases I am planning to have a transportation theme. They will go on either side of the chest. These two are the least planned but one I plan to have ground transportation and the other air transportation. On all five canvases, the colors will be bold. I hope they turn out, but regardless, I am putting those to the side for now until I get the house ready for visitors and mine and Miles's bags packed. I still haven't packed my bag for the hospital!!!! I don't know what my problem is. I am hoping to do it tonight. I received Miles's diaper bag in the mail yesterday, so I am going to pack it also.

I had my last two-week interval appointment today. Now, I am on to the once-a-week appointments. At today's appointment. Miles's head was down, so chances are that it will be down when the time comes -- so I am happy. His heart was beating 125 beats per minute. I have gained 32 pounds according to the doctor. My waist has increased 11 and 3/4 inches. We are rotating doctor's right now, so each appointment seems very different. It seems hard to get consistant parameter's to record and since each doctor has a different personality it is hard to read/analyze their responses to questions -- some seem interested to answer questions and others seem put out. It makes me appreciate my doctor; however, I know the chances are he won't be there if I go into labor unscheduled.

I hope everyone is doing well.

30 Weeks and Counting...

Well, a lot of things have happened over the last week. Brandon surprised me with planning a trip to Cathedral Caverns on Valentine's Day. I love doing new things and enjoying nature. The cave was bigger than I thought it would be. We really enjoyed ourselves. I got to play with my camera settings -- trying to get good photos in low lighting. By the end of the cave tour, which took about 2 hours, I was getting fairly good. You can click on the photos below and they will enlarge. The photo in the lower right hand corner of this first group is a reflection of the cave in water. It took several tries to capture it.

The cave opening was impressive. The top photo is of the roof or ceiling of the cave entrance.

I am finally posting a belly photo. This was taken yesterday when I was exactly 30 weeks. So far, I have gained 25.4 lbs, and my waist has increased 9 inches. Miles is really starting to grow now. This morning when I woke up it was hard to get out of bed because he had stretched across my belly and was in between my ribs and hips on both sides -- it is surprising how much flexibility you loose when you can't bend at your hips because there is a baby in the way.

I made Brandon take a family photo with the CPR baby we received on Tuesday in the Parenting class. I am really glad they let us keep him. It is amazing how much force you need to put on the baby's sternum during CPR. They suggested that you offer to let baby sitters and family members try it out, so they can get familiar with the procedures. I am really glad we are taking the class because we have learned a lot in two classes.

On Wednesday evening, I took an art class at the Burrit Museum. We were supposed to paint Kandinsky's Circles. They use acrylic paint so it is non-toxic and no fumes to worry about. The clean up is soap and water. I really enjoyed the class. They supplied all the stuff, and all I had to do was show up and 2 1/2 hours later I had a "work or art" to bring home. I got a little carried away with my circles. It really doesn't look much like Kandinsky's or the art teacher's. Mine has a lot more "swirllies". I am going to try to make it back to one more class before Miles is born. The class is called My Spirited Art. You can visit the website if you are interested in going (http://www.myspiritedart.com/).

28-Week Appointment

I went to the doctor today to have my 28-week appointment. The results of the gestational diabetes test and my thyroid check were fine. They said they are both in the perfect range. I am so glad to have the last set of tests out of the way. Miles's heart was beating 154 beats per minute (this is a compromise -- I think the technician said 153 but Brandon heard 155 hence 154 since we forgot to check before leaving). The doctor says that I have gained 22 pounds so far. When I weighed and measured this morning, I had gained 26 pounds and my waist is now 36.5 inches (total increase = 8.5 inches). Miles is really moving around. I am feeling less kicks and thumps and more turning over and twisting. My belly button is pretty much flat or protruding now.

I am feeling really good so far. I really haven't had any swelling. My lower back occasionally aches but nothing unbearable. Brandon still hears about it, though.

Brandon informed me yesterday that my brain is shrinking according to his father-oriented pregnancy book he is currently reading. I looked it up on-line today and it seems that there was a study done back in 1997 by the doctors at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London. Their research suggested that the brains of pregnant women appear to shrink during late pregnancy which offers an explanation for cognitive problems some women experience. They say it can take up to 6 months to regain the brain volumne prior to pregnancy. They suggested that women don't lose brain cells just cell volumne. Well, given my mental state as of late, I believe it. I have forgotten the most basic things. I can't seem to read baking instructions correctly. It doesn't take much to confuse me these days.

I started painting wall letters yesterday to hang in Miles's room. I hope to finish tonight. Each letter is about 10 or 12 inches in height. I got two out of five letters done with some prep work done on the other three letters. I decided to use several colors from his crib blanket (each letter painted a different color) and decorate them similar to the quilted letters of the crib blanket. I tried not to be too aggresive in decorating them since it doesn't take much to make me want to throw something through a window if it isn't working out the way I want it -- I am sure Brandon is crossing his fingers hoping that they meet my standards. I'll post a picture of them when I finish -- hopefully, they won't be broken into a billion pieces.

We can't wait until the furniture comes in. We have been hesitant to put anything on the walls since the furniture isn't here. I have an idea of how I want the room to look, but I haven't got a clue how to make that idea a reality. I am hoping once the furniture comes in it will spring me into action.

I will try to post a photo of the my belly profile this week. I know I am behind on posting photos.

I hope everyone is doing well.

4D Ultrasound Photos

We had our 4D ultrasound today, and Miles cooperated. He was constantly moving, kicking, and yawning. The technician said she never had to chase a baby so much. Here are a few of the photos. They are a little more blurred than I expected. I think it is because he was moving around so much. But we were happy to see him so active. He kicked me several times in the video. Oh yeah, it is definitely a boy -- now I am convinced -- [See photo of legs for confirmation].


These photos were in chronological order from left to right, top to bottom. Also, I think if you click on the photos they should get larger.

These photos are of his hands, feet, and legs.

I am currently 27 weeks and 6 days, so I am well into my third trimester. My weight has increased dramatically over the last few days. I have gained 23 pounds so far. My waist has increased 7.5 inches. I am still feeling good. Although, by the end of the day, I feel pretty tired and at max belly capacity. My belly button now officially sticks out definitely after meals and usually after 5 o'clock. Miles gets the hiccups every evening when I go to bed, however, besides that, I sleep pretty well. He doesn't keep me up. I think he sleeps along with me at night. I run around too much during the day for him to sleep too much.

Tonight is our last birthing class. It is the big one with the birthing video and the tour of the hospital and the nusery. Brandon and I start our parenting class next Tuesday.

I should be posting again soon. My next doctor's appointment is Monday February 9th. This is the big one where I get the results for the gestational diabetes test. In order to prepare for the test tomorrow, I get to eat a large candy bar and drink a soda in 15 minutes then get my blood taken within 45 minutes after finishing the sweets. I think my sweets of choice are going to be a snickers bar and a sunkist orange soda.

I hope everything is going well for everyone... wish me luck on the diabetes test.