Sleepy time

Ben has been wonderful, waking up early with Oliver and allowing me to get a couple more hours of sleep in the morning. It's the greatest gift he's given me in the past days. Love you bear!
As a result, my two little men do some catch up in the afternoons :)

Oliver, week 3

Oli's getting big! Put on 24 ounces in 10 days (the usual for babies is 1 ounce/day). So the doctor says that Steph is producing and providing milk very well. He's greedy for milk and really the only time he gets grumpy is when he eats too fast and coughs or chokes on milk. His weight is ~75th percentile, Height ~75th percentile, and head circumference ~90th percentile! BIG head....Steph thinks due to all the fish oil.

What this also means is that there won't be any "nipple confusion" when introducing either a pacifier or bottle: Soooo.....we've begun to do both. The bottle is a way to give Steph some time to herself, I have for a couple mornings taken care of Oli while Steph has caught up on sleep.

The pacifier.....well I have interesting feelings about the pacifier. I used one way too long....I wonder if my TMJ is a result. But Oliver is always using Steph as a pacifier, so we gave in, and he LOVES it. We'll try and limit its use in frequency and duration....but for now he is calmer for it.

Here's a video of Oliver's first pacifier. Documented!

External Womb!

We got a gift for Oli yesterday. He loves it (tentatively). I don't think it will be used regularly until the weather cools due to the close contact it creates, but this winter it will be great to have. Oliver loves to be held, and this give him that feeling while freeing up our hands. I was walking around the house with him in it yesterday and he was snoring. This "Maya Wrap" is made in Guatemala, and the pattern is the same used by the local Mayan women there. 

Oliver's first adventure!

The heat has driven us crazy! We had to wake up before the sun today to beat the heat and experience the outside world. After a strategic feeding, we jumped into the pre-cooled corolla and headed for a little walk at Lady Bird Lake. Oliver loved it. He winked at joggers and handled the first ride in his stroller like a pro!

Here's a few pics of our adventures. Pardon the effects, I'm getting into a camera effects app on my phone.

Happy 1 week Oliver!

It has been exactly one week since Oliver came to this world. Time has flown by and I can't get over the fact that he is in our lives now. I look at him and I am in awe with the miracle that life is; how a little human being can be so sophisticated and perfect coming from the microscopic world.
Anyways philosophy and tears aside, Oliver had a nice bath today, which he is not his favorite pastime yet... but he looks incredibly cute in his hooded towel. :)

Resemblance?

Oliver

Steph

Ben

Open your eyes

Oliver soaking a little sun through the window this morning while Ben is making breakfast.

First trip out

First trip out took Oli to the pediatrician for his check up. He had a great time. Everyone was very nice to him and complemented his hair. He apparently has been efficient at his baby duties because he's over his birth weight already. Birth weight was 7lbs 12oz, and today he was 7-14. "phenomenal" was the word used by the doctor more than once. Usually it takes 2 weeks to get back to birth weight, Oliver took only 4 days.

A quick public service announcement: We've passed on the link to this blog to many people recently, and I wanted to let everyone know that we won't be offended if you decided to unsubscribe to it because Steph and I become those obsessive parents talking about their kid all the time. We set up this blog to share with close family and friends, but mainly for a documentation tool for our family...sort of like a scrap album. You've been warned.

Home Home Home

Its been very emotional being home with Oliver. Steph and I both teared up quite a bit walking through the front door with him for the first time. Its been surreal since. There hasn't been much sleep for us parents because this little bitty human has complete control over us. He's just so damn cute! Eating and sleeping. Eating and sleeping. Eating and sleeping.

I saw my little sister Catie today. She is 15 years old experiencing Oliver's appearance into this world. I was 15 when Catie was born.

Here is a pic of Steph's two tired men.

Oliver Matisse Day 2

ok, I know this is a lot of pics, but that's why we set up this blog! So we create an online photo and experience album. More will come.

Birth Story

Here is a little video of Oliver and I that Steph did this morning (sorry its sideways). It will give you an idea of him and our little room at the hospital. Its been great here, everyone is extremely nice and knowledgeable. We are soaking up advice and enjoying the pampering. Tomorrow we are home.

Also, here is the birth story by our Doula, Stephanie Scott. She was great to have at our side, and we were surprised to get this a bit later after the birth. Of course I'm a bit emotional about the whole thing, but I think its a great story and told well.

Here it is:

The Calmest Birth I’ve Ever Seen – Oliver Matisse’s Story

Oliver Matisse is the first baby I’ve seen born who made more of a fuss than his mama.

Stephanie is a yoga instructor – in fact she just completed her certification in prenatal

yoga! She was blessed with a quick birth, and she really made it look easy. I’m including

the precise times in this birth story because I’m still amazed at how fast this first baby

was born and how gently his parents welcomed him to the world.

Stephanie’s husband Ben called around 4:30 am to say that Stephanie’s water had broken

around an hour ago, and her labor was progressing quickly. She’d had Braxton-Hicks

contractions pretty regularly for the past week, but this was much different. Stephanie

and Ben were doing great for the moment, but they wanted me to know they might need

me soon.

Ben called back a couple of hours later with an update – contractions were already 3-5

minutes apart! He had called the doctor when the contractions were 7 minutes apart and

the doctor said they could come on into the hospital, but Stephanie and Ben decided to

wait. Stephanie’s ideal labor would be to show up at the hospital ready to push, so they

wanted to labor at home as long as possible. I stayed on the phone through a couple of

contractions and could hear Stephanie doing her deep yoga breathing in the bathtub. She

sounded great – her breathing was deep and regular, and she was talking easily between

contractions.

I offered to come over – Ben said he’d check with Stephanie and get back to me. A

couple of minutes later, at 6:20, he texted to say they were ready for me. Then he texted

again in another half hour, just as I was leaving – contractions were regular and 4 minutes

apart, lasting about a minute. I arrived at their house at 7:10, said hello, and stood by

for a contraction or two. Stephanie’s contractions were obviously very strong and close

together, and she was trembling and breathing deeply as she leaned against the bathroom

sink. I tried the double-hip squeeze, but she didn’t like it – she was doing great on her

own. I was only there a few minutes before I followed them out the door – we were

already headed to the hospital!

Stephanie was so strong and in control. Instead of parking at the door, we parked in the

regular hospital parking lot, and she held Ben’s hand or walked slowly with his arms

around her from the car to the hospital. A couple of people offered her a wheelchair, but

she refused; she just kept walking slowly and steadily, pausing every couple of minutes

to lean on Ben during a contraction. We got to the hospital around 8:00 am. As we got

settled in the room, she just continued her calm yoga breathing and then spoke fairly

normally between contractions. She did not seem like a woman in transition – so I was

amazed to hear the nurse, Katie, say she was fully dilated. Stephanie had achieved her

goal of laboring at home as long as possible!

Stephanie stayed focused throughout all the questions, the heplock, and the admission

process. Ben was right by her face, quietly helping her focus her breathing and reminding

her how great she was doing. I tried some low back massage and counterpressure, but

Stephanie didn’t like it. Eventually I found a long, flowing rhythm that she enjoyed on

her shoulders and legs that seemed to help ease her trembling and felt relaxing during

contractions.

Although Stephanie was fully dilated, she didn’t feel a strong urge to push yet. At

8:40 am Dr. Eng did a cervical check and found that the baby was still pretty high, at 0

station. So Dr. Eng suggested that Stephanie labor down for a while – in other words,

try to breathe through the contractions without spending extra energy pushing. This way

Stephanie could rest for as long as possible and not have to push as long. Stephanie tried

a lot of different positions – she used the squat bar, leaned onto the birth ball on the bed

in hands and knees, sidelying, and even lying on her back – she was so far in laborland

that she appeared deeply asleep between contractions with that one.

Ben didn’t leave Stephanie’s side except to get her water. He even sat on the bed behind

Stephanie so that she could lean back onto his chest while he wrapped his arms around

her. He was a wonderful support person. He kept humming “You Are My Sunshine”

under his breath and whispering to Stephanie – each time it seemed to help her get more

focused and relaxed. With the lights turned low and the two of them snuggling on the

bed, the feeling in the room was of quiet tenderness and serenity – it was lovely.

Around 9:00 am Stephanie was feeling cold, so she got under some warm blankets and

I stepped out to microwave a couple of hot packs. Stephanie practiced a few different

methods of pushing: with and without a count, upright and lying down. At 9:37 Katie

did a cervical check and found that the baby had moved down lower to +1 or +2 station.

By 10:00 am, Stephanie was looking at the top of her baby’s head in the mirror as she

pushed. She eased him out at 10:23 am, and Dr. Eng placed him, squalling, right onto

Stephanie’s stomach. I could not believe such a fast birth could be so serene!

The nurse stamped Oliver Matisse’s feet on his birth certificate and into his baby book

while Stephanie held him on her belly and delivered the placenta. It only took a few

minutes for Stephanie to get Oliver Matisse latched on and nursing. She tried a couple of

different positions that he didn’t like at first – and he made his disapproval known with

some feisty noises of protest. But once he was latched, he sounded like he was purring!

Once the placenta was born, Ben did some placenta prints – he stamped the placenta onto

a sheet of paper, getting an image that resembles a tree.

Ben is a biologist and artist whose artwork uses the same method as that of placenta

prints – but with entire animals! Check out his beautiful work at his website,

inkedanimal.com.

Stephanie and Ben, you guys really made my job easy. I’ll always remember this as one

of the sweetest, gentlest, and most creative births I’ve attended. Much love and congrats

to you both, and to future artist Oliver Matisse!

Stephanie Scott

www.GetBabied.com

Oliver

Whoa, its 2:53pm, and I am tired! I don't know where Steph's power comes from, but she rockstarred the birth. 6 hours from broken water to the birth of Oliver. The nurses all said that they've never seen a woman in labor that was so controlled and graceful. I am so truely grateful for such a wonderful and powerful woman to share my life with and to have a family with. Thank you Steph! You are my hero.

We're at the Central Saint Davids in Austin, resting. Steph is breastfeeding and we might try to get some rest soon. Oliver is behaving nicely now. When he was born he had to test 0ut his lungs and let the whole hospital know that he had arrived! I changed his first, well my first with him, diaper just a few minutes ago, and he didn't mind at all.

More to come soon. With a video.

Ben

39 weeks

Here is the 39 week belly.
Today we're officially starting into the 40th week.

• 3 cm dilated
• Braxton hicks every 10 min
• baby still moving a lot
• just waiting patiently...

Hot Hot

What a wonderful summer to be pregnant!

Gecko

On Saturday, my close friends came to my house for a blessing way.
Blessing way, also known as a Mother's Blessing, originated from the Navajo people, although the practice of celebrating pregnancy and birth transcends almost all human cultures.  Unlike the traditional baby shower, which is usually focused on the baby and baby gifts, a Blessing way is an opportunity for women to come together to offer support to the mother and to share positive energy to help prepare her for labor and childbirth.

Some of the activities involved getting my feet massaged with cornmeal, singing songs and playing percussion... Ben came home in the middle of it and probably wondered what these wild women were doing! :)

My friend Betsy who led the ceremony had asked everyone to bring a small bead or trinket that symbolizes their wish for me during labor and birth.  They created this birthing necklace or bracelet one at a time, using the bead they had brought as they each shared the meaning of the bead and encouraging words. The goal is to have the necklace with me during labor and feel supported.

Betsy also brought some candles and gave one to each one of us. When I go into labor, I will notify them and they will lit the candle in their home.

Per the gecko in the prenatal yoga teacher training story, Vanessa brought some henna for these ladies to draw a gecko on my belly. Here is the art!