Very, very quick update...

He's here!! Mateo Roy was born at 10:35pm on Wednesday, February 21. My water had broken that morning around 8:35. The labor and delivery really weren't *that* bad (thank goodness for epidurals). He weighed in at 6lbs 13oz and was 20.25 inches long. I'm feeling pretty good - a bit sore. And Rafi is handling his dad responsibilities like a pro. My mom is also here helping - which is MUCH needed.

I'll write more later and post a photo!

Update...

Well, I'm still at 1cm dilated. So no change there. In addition I've got some super harsh illness (feels like bronchitis), but my doctor gave me some antibiotics, so hopefully that will clear soon. She also gave us an induction date - March 5, 2007. The date is kind of cool, we think: 03-05-07. We hope he'll decide to come on his own before then... but not until after we're both feeling better (Rafi seems to be coming down with it, too). It was funny at the doctor's office that while she had a hard time finding the heartbeat with the doppler my entire belly was jumping around and bulging in all directions. She said there's definitely no need to worry about such an active baby! :)

Lately we're just trying to get last minute things in order - nothing too strenuous. I'm trying to learn to relax - something at which I'm not very good. It seems like every time I feel even the slightest bit better I get up and do laundry, work on stuff for school, or clean, etc. I'm going to attempt to do close to nothing tomorrow in hopes of a faster recovery. Anyhow, we put some finishing touches on the nursery this weekend. Rafi painted and installed these shelves and letters and then got crazy with his artistic photography!

Still 1 cm...

Had another doctor appointment today. No further progress other than that he's moved farther down. Bummer. I'm ready to get this show on the road!

One Cm Dilated and other news...

So the dilation process has begun. Do I think he's coming any time soon? Not really. At least not for 2 weeks, I think. I'm definitely in nesting mode - cleaning everything I can, keeping the laundry up, etc. I'm pretty swamped with work lately - getting ready for maternity leave.
Speaking of work, my coworkers threw me a lovely shower! My work family was very generous, and I appreciate all their work and thoughtfulness very much. Here's a link to photos. (Yes, I realize now that wearing large polka dots is probably NOT the best thing to wear when you are 9 months pregnant!) PHOTOS

Not much else going on other than baby preparation these days. I'll update next week if there is any change. :)

Yikes!!

Well, the news from the doctor is that the baby is head down and ready to go! At this point in pregnancy (34.5 weeks) she says they won't stop labor if it happens and that there isn't really a risk of long-term problems. Rafi is in Japan for the week, so the baby better not come this week! :)

Baby Shower

A HUGE thank you goes out to Tina for orchestrating a baby shower just for us! Greg had some input, too, with his oh-so-gross diaper game, and Deanna baked a bazillion cupcakes (which I'm sure aided in my last several pound gain). We were thrilled that my Mom was able to bring my Mimi to the shower, as well. I personally think we made out like bandits! Here's a link to the photos my mom took (although for some odd reason they ended up in reverse order). http://www.flickr.com/photos/33573996@N00/

We've had a lot of fun putting our loot up in the nursery. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!!

Woo-hoo! We have a crib!

More photos and even video available here: http://www.campanas.net/NURSERY.HTM

More nursery progress...

Okay, so we still haven't received our crib or green chair, but they're coming! In the meantime, here's a link to what the nursery looks like so far. (The photo taped to the wall is the crib, by the way.) http://www.campanas.net/nursery_progress.htm Enjoy!

Nursery Progress

This'll be a quick post, but I just had to pop in to say that our nursery is not a junk room anymore!! Yay! Okay, so there's no furniture in it, and the walls aren't painted, etc., but at least we have a clean room to start with. (FYI, the nursery was our office until we moved it downstairs.)

So far we have purchased a twin bed, trundle, bedside table, comfy chair, and just yesterday we ordered the crib. Of course there is a possibility that the crib won't come in until AFTER he's born, but oh well. We have other things, too. Rafi is starting his vacation this week, and I just have one more week of work to go. So after that we can hopefully get a lot more done.

The due date is approaching fast - end of February. YIKES! I haven't taken many photos of myself pregnant (gee, wonder why), but I'll post one that I have from several weeks ago at 27 weeks. Enjoy my after-work-no-makeup face and attire. :)

20 Week Visit

Last Monday I had my 20 week appointment (I wasn't quite 20 weeks yet). I was relieved to find out that what I thought felt like thumps and punches are indeed punches and kicks! I think I skipped the bubbles/fluttering stage they always talk about. And now that I'm officially 20 weeks I can feel much more and even see it at times. Medically everything looked normal. The only scary part is that THREE TIMES the doctor said "Looks like you're going to have your hands full!" in reference to him moving around so much. She had a hard time even measuring a heartbeat because he wouldn't stay still for even 10 seconds.
Anyhow, if you'd like to see more, here's a directory with photos: campanas.net/20weeks

In other news, school keeps me extremely busy. The kids are now working on a research project about biomes, so hopefully that will afford myself and the other science teachers not only some downtime but also some time to plan way ahead. Our patio is coming along. The crew is coming to completion with that project (finally), and we're getting started on the flowerbeds this weekend. Updated photos for that will come soon. And a big thanks to my mom who spent an entire DAY catching us up on our laundry! Now THAT is worth a free dinner out!!

Here is some news....

We have concrete and owls!

The concrete has been poured! Now it sits a week to cure. Next week the crew comes back to install the roof! Then Rafi gets to work on the waterfall, and I get to work on the landscaping.




And I bought the first "outfit" since I've been pregnant. It has owls on it. When have you ever seen owls on baby clothes? Cute!

Geez we're swamped!

So right now we have loads of stuff going on. First, school is into the full swing of things. I teach 4 sections of science per day plus I teach math in an after school program. And, as always, Rafi is very busy with his work, too. Top secret, though. (wink!)

Second, we have finally begun construction on the covered patio!! Tomorrow they pour the concrete, into which we plan to put our handprints and doggy paw prints. :) It will be 550 square feet of bliss when finished! Here are some progress pictures - one before and one is laid with sand.









Third, Rafi and I are going to quickly begin our landscaping projects in the backyard once the patio is finished. We will be (finally) adding trees and flowerbeds. Most importantly, Rafi has designed a waterfall that he will build himself (maybe with some help of VERY nice friends) that will go into one of the corners of the yard. I'm very excited about this project.

Inside the house I am cleaning and painting! (Don't worry, I got an okay from my doctor to paint in a ventilated area with a mask.) I think Rafi has had enough with my painting kicks!

Lastly, I'm officially out of regular clothing. :( I've discovered that only celebrities look really great pregnant because they can afford the tailoring on their designer clothes! It's really hard to find things that fit. In the interest of full disclosure, I give you a photo of myself. Just keep in mind this is after a 9.5 hour day at work.

Morning Sickness

I thought I'd address the issue of morning sickness, since many of you seem to be asking.

No, I haven't actually thrown up yet, though I've been known to gag and heave after brushing my teeth. I haven't ever felt sick in the morning, rather have felt waves of nausea the majority of evenings - thus leading to food aversions. For a long while I liked potatoes, cereal, and cheese along with ice. Sugary sweet foods don't interest me much either, which is surprising to those who know me well. So in general I eat a small breakfast, a larger lunch, snack in early afternoon between classes, and then I eat a small dinner or none at all. I think in general this is getting better, though yesterday evening I had a huge setback.

Additionally, my thyroid disease (hypothyroidism) has forced me to work with an endocrinologist. Because of an increase in meds, I've been having heart palpitations. I am now working on decreasing my meds again so I don't constantly feel like I'm having a heart attack. Yikes!!

Okay, that's it. Just thought address the many questions I've had on how my health is. :)

12.5 Weeks

These photos don't exactly show what we saw at our 12.5 week appointment today, but they give you a general idea. Up until this point I haven't really felt that pregnant, but I guess it's starting to feel more real now! I'm officially in maternity clothes, though not thrilled about it. I've only gained about .5 to 1 pound - 2 pounds at the most, but my body sure looks bigger.
Anyhow, at the visit today we got our official EDD (estimated due date). I had bets that it would be March 3, and Rafi guessed March 1. Surprisingly it was the exact same date we were given the first doctor's visit - February 28. So it'll be a close call regarding whether this baby will be a February or March baby.
Watching the ultrasound this time was very different. Not only does this baby move, she (Rafi says he) kicks her legs out, squirms around, and even gave us a nice shot of her backside. Our doctor was surprised the baby was as big as she was. After we poked on my belly (we wanted to be entertained, darn it!), she kicked out her legs just like newborns do when they flex their feet and then flopped over to give us a perfect view of her back - spinal cord and all. It appears so far she will have very long legs (I did when I was born). Like I said, these photos don't really show much, but it's something. Oh, I just realized I never posted our first ultrasound photos!

So without further ado, click HERE and look at our kid. :-)