Penelope Predictions

Here are the answers and winners to the Penelope Parrish Predictions game that was played at my Ohio baby shower:

Date: October 18
winners- Aunt Judy and Jenay Parrish both guessed Oct 18
someone also guessed the correct date, but didn't sign their paper

Time: 9:09 am
winners-  Arielle Miller with a guess of 8 am and Nancy Wires with a guess of 10:32 am

Weight: 7 inches and 2 oz.
winner- Deb Kyle and Melissa Carver were right on the money!

Length: 19 inches
winners- Jenay Parrish, my mama, Aunt Judy and Nanny Thompson all guessed 19 inches

Hair color: brown
winners- Heather Flickinger, Lizzz Lawrentz, Lisa Bantz, Aunt Suzie, Shawna Parrish, Nancy Wires, Shala Parrish, Katy Barrett, Melissa Carver, Aunt Judy and my mama all said brown or dark.

Amount of hair: lots!
winners- My mama, Aunt Judy, Katy Barrett, Shala Parrish, Lisa Bantz, Lizzz Lawrentz, Faith Stiteler, Arielle Miller, Deb Kyle. 

The overall winner is Aunt Judy.  She was off on the time by 5 hours and weight by 2 oz.  She was right on everything else! 

1 week old

She was really one week old yesterday when this picture was taken, but I'm just now posting about it.

 

 

I don't know if it feels like it has been more than a week or less than a week.  Kind of both actually.  I only look about 12 weeks pregnant now (picture makes me look bigger) and Josh said I looked about 6 months pregnant after she was born.  Crazy how fast my tummy can go down, but thank goodness.  I think we are starting to get into the rhythm of things.  For the first few days she would sleep all day and be up all night.  Now she wakes up about twice a night.  If we are lucky, she will go right back to sleep.  The problem is she is being held alllll day long.  Between Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Faith, she doesn't get set down.  I have to tell people to put her down when she is sleeping, but of course that is when everyone wants to hold her.  So she has trouble sleeping on her own at night and sleeps on my chest a lot.

 

So, her birth story...

 

I woke up Thursday the 18th around 330 am knowingly having contractions.  The whole pregnancy I was wondering if I was having Braxton Hicks contractions or she was just moving.  I had about 3 contractions before it really woke me up and I realized what was going on.  So I went to the living room to start to time them.  I remember the hospital said the contractions needed to be 5 minutes apart for 1 minute long for at least an hour.  Well, when I started timing them, they were 3-5 minutes apart and about a minute long.  At 4 am I went in the bedroom and said, "Josh, will you sit with me in the living room for a while?"  He said, "Yeah.....why?"  Haha, then I told him I was having contractions.  I stopped keeping track after an hour because I knew I was definitely in labor and could go to the hospital at anytime.  My midwife told me since I didn't want an epidural to stay at home as long as possible.  But at 5am, I told Josh I wanted to go to the hospital and we started packing up the truck.  It was about a 15 minute drive there and since it was so early, there was no traffic.  We arrive at the hospital about 6 am.  I told Josh to leave the bags in the truck until we were sure I was going to be admitted and checking into a room. 

We go up to labor and delivery and enter the exam room where they took my blood and hooked up monitors to check her heartrate and my contractions.  The nurse said I was 6 centimeters dialated.  That surprised me.  They said I wasn't leaving the hospital without a baby.  Shortly after that, my water broke.  It wasn't what I expected because it's like my water broke multiple times.  I'm told it is kind of like bubbles popping or air pockets so that's why it "broke" a few times.  They decided to move me to the delivery room at this time and they nurse was so confused how to since my water was breaking.  But we got there and my midwife, Gail, arrived shortly after.  She started the Jacuzzi for me so I could get in and relax a little.  (They don't do water births though.)  

She checked me again since my water had broken and I was 8 centimeters now.  It was probably just before 7 am.  The contractions started to become really painful.  A little while later I was at 10 centimeters and my Jacuzzi was still filling up.  Gail suggested that I not get in because it might be hard to get me out. 

At 10 centimeters, I was in a lot of pain and told Josh I wanted the epidural but Gail suggested I start pushing and might not have time to get the epidural since I was progressing so quickly.  At 730 am, 4 hours after waking up with contractions, I started to push. I felt like I wasn't making and progress.  After about 30 minutes, Josh said he saw hair.  I didn't understand why they couldn't pull her out at that point.  I remember saying many times that she wasn't going to fit and that I couldn't do it.  I felt like I had no energy left to push.  After about an hour and a half, I knew I was almost done.  The nurses were getting their tools and instruments ready.  Finally, she crowned, which was such a strange feeling and with the next push, I could see her full head of hair. She was facing the ground.  Then I pushed the rest of her out which was more difficult that I thought.  I was thinking once the head came out, the rest would basically slide out.  Nope.  So she was out and they threw her on my belly.  Her umbillical cord was short so she couldn't reach my chest.  I couldn't see her face, just the back of her head.  After Josh cut the cord, they put her on my shoulder and I still couldn't really see her face.  The nurse asked if we wanted her to take some pictures.  Well all of our things were still in the truck, including 2 cameras and a camcorder, and all we had were our cell phones.  Not smart phones or even good cameras.  Then they took her to be weighed.  I guessed 8 lbs and 6 oz. but the nurse was right on the money by guessing 7 lbs and 2 oz.  She was 19 inches long and I was surprised she was so small even though she was 4 days early.  I was born at 8'2'' and Josh was 8'6'' I think.  So while Penelope and I were getting taken care of, Josh was texting and sending pictures to everyone. 

After things calmed down and we got to snuggle, she was taken to the nursery to get warmed up because her temperature was a little low.  Then I waddled down to the recovery room where I would stay for the next two days and she came to join us shortly after.  And Josh eventually went to the car and brought up the bags. 

 

And there you have it.  If you actually read everything and made it this far, I will reward you with a video that was taken a few hours ago of the beautiful baby. 

 

     

 

She's here!

Born October 18 at 9:09 am.  7 lbs. 2 oz. 19 inches. Labor was 5 1/2 hours long.
Who does she look like?

Baby Penelope!

Joshua

Me


 

I will post her birth story later!   

39 weeks 1 day

Annie banannie!

Reaver was jealous so we had to take his picture too.

HUGE belly!

How appropriate.  She's a pumpkin!  Which reminds me that I still haven't bought any yet.  I usually try to find a pumpkin patch and make a day out of it but this year I might just head to grocery store.  Anyways, back to baby...

Only one week until her due date!  I have a doctors appointment tomorrow and I really hope they say I'm dilated at least a little.  I want to see some progress!  I haven't felt like myself if months with this belly so I can't wait to see it gone.  It's really inconvenient.  Plus, I really only have a few things that fit anymore.  AND I can't wait to see her!  I'm not even nervous about labor anymore.  I'm looking forward to it. I know that will most likely not be the case once it's happening, but as of now, I can't wait. 

My mom, dad and sister are coming out on the 21st and leaving on the 30th.  Then Josh's sister will be here Nov 5-12.  I hope I don't get too overwhelmed with a new baby and so many visitors so soon. 

Been having a lot of pelvic bone pain that I mentioned last week.  Yesterday was the worst by far. I felt like I could barely walk and was just waddling around very slowly.  It still hurts today, but not like yesterday.  Hopefully that means she is dropping and getting in position.  I mentioned it to a nurse last week and she was just like, "yeah, that will happen the further along you get."  So that's awesome.

Pretty sure I have everything ready for her arrival!  Just haven't scrubbed the stroller yet and I really don't want to.  I don't think we will be using it immediately though.  I tell her everyday, "Penelope, time to come out!"  I hope tomorrow we will have a better idea of how long she is going to take.  Today is Josh's prediction but less than four hours of the day left and no contractions.   I still think she is going to stay in there as long as possible.  Really don't want to be induced though.  Hoping this is my last chalkboard update, but who knows!

 How far along? 39 weeks
Maternity clothes? yeppers
Sleep: can hardly sleep with a blanket; it's so hot.  get up at least once a night.
Best moment this week: pretty uneventful week honestly.
Miss Anything? a lot of things
Movement: yes
Food cravings: pancakes and grilled cheese
Anything making you queasy or sick: the smell of cigar smoke or black and milds
Have you started to show yet: i'd say so
Gender: girly girl
Labor Signs: nope!
Belly Button in or out? out, since like, week 10.
Wedding rings on or off? on, but hard to get off
Happy or Moody most of the time: anxious!
Looking forward to: her birth! 

Nursery!

Time for the big nursery reveal!

 

 

 

Bought the curtains at Walmart.  My mom made the valence from left over bumper material. She also made all the bedding. My friend Manda helped me make the pom poms and my sister helped me hang them.

 

The crib and mattress were $40 but Josh probably spent close to $100 on hardware and spraypaint so we should have just bought it new.  Such a hassle. The baby gate underneath was free. 

 

 

The Bumbo was $10 and the bouncer was a gift from my mother-in-law.

 

Changing table was $15.  Top shelf is diapers, wipes/wipe warmer and receiving blankets. Bottom shelf is burp cloths, a bucket of hair bows and crib sheets. 

 

The dresser was $30 I think.  We bought new handles.  I sanded and painted the dresser and painted the handles yellow.  I paid $8 for the lamp from Dollar General and re-did the shade with extra fabric.  The little clock on the table is from WalMart and lights up pink. 

 

My breast pump is the black bag on the ground and I snagged it almost new from a girl on base for $40!  It's a double electric Ameda. Retails for $200.

 

 

The bench is filled with blankets and toys. Bench was free.  The giant measuring stick was a gift from Josh's co-worker.

 

I did splurge a little and spend $40 on the shelves.  But it looks so cute!

 

 

Josh's rocking chair from his grandma.  Someone is making me a seat cushion that matches the valence and bumper. 

 

Closet!  A few clothes hanging up.  My diaper cake on the shelf and the storage bin in filled with bibs, socks and shoes.  The floor gym is also being stored in there for now.

 

Organized chaos.  Diapers and wipes to last us a while!

 

This is the random stuff that doesn't have a place yet.  The pile has gotten a lot smaller!

 

 

We also have a swing that is in the living room, high chair in the dining room and pack n play/bassinet in our bedroom.  All for free!

We are still thinking of rearranging the room and putting the changing table in front of the window and centering the crib.  Then putting the rocking chair in the corner where the changing table is.

 

So there you go!  That is Penelope's room and how you do a nursery on a budget.  Everyone says that babies are so expensive but we haven't seen it yet.  Obviously we don't have a baby yet but all the supplies and preparation haven't broken our bank.   A DIY nursery will save you a lot of money and keep your eye out for deals from friends, family and yard sales! 

 

 

38 weeks and 2 days

A mini watermelon I'm guessing

38 weeks, I can hardly believe it!  Anywhere between like a day and 3 weeks, Penelope will be here.  Thank goodness!  My belly is starting to hang out of everything, even my maternity shirts.  It's getting cold out, so hopefully I will be able to start wearing my regular long-sleeves again.  I'm not planning on fitting back into my jeans anytime soon.  No high expectations there. 

 

Nothing too surprising at my appointment this morning.  My belly didn't get any bigger so the nurse said she may be dropping. =]  They also said I could get my membranes stripped next week if I wanted to jump start my labor.  I did some research online and seems like after they are stripped you can go into labor in as little as 6 hours or it won't work at all.  Seriously considering it.  Josh and I already started to talk about natural ways to jump start labor, like caster oil.  I said that I heard it was pretty gross but he said he would do it with me if I did.  He is so sweet.  Not going to start trying things until I get closer to the 22nd, or after.  This month I also gave up caring about my weight so it would be great for her to get here so I can start losing it instead of gaining it.  It's really crazy how easy I gain weight while I'm pregnant, but I was not like that at all before.  My diet hasn't changed that much.

 

Remember this picture? (Pubic Symphysis Diastasis). It's becoming very painful.  Especially in the morning when I first wake up or when I've been sitting for a while.  When I am on the couch and trying to move around, I sometimes push off with my legs.  It almost feels like my bone is going to snap it hurts so bad.  It's hard to even stand on one foot to put my pants on.  I hope it doesn't get worst as she gains more weight, but it probably will.  That's the only thing that is really bothering me right now.  Other than the giant belly that runs into everything and prevents me from bending over without grunting. 

 

A few days ago there was a group of women doing car seat inspections on base to make sure you installed them correctly and everything.  We took the car seat my mom had bought for us and one given to us.  The one given to us had expired so they gave us a new one.  That was pretty cool since we just traded it.  They said it was state funded so whatever.  They were really excited about the car seat my mom bought for us.  It is a really nice car seat and will last a long time.  I'm keeping that one in my Jeep and we are putting the free one in Josh truck.  I have to keep it on the passanger side because I have move the front seats up so much so it fits.  The women were driving Josh nuts though.  I think because they said we needed either a rolled up towel or foam noodle under the front to keep it secure and Josh put a towel under it and they said they needed a noodle. I don't know. Plus they didn't really inspect it as much as they just wanted the expiration date off of it.   

 

     

 

Last week we had our first labor and delivery class at the hospital.  Josh came home the day before and said he had to work from 2-10pm that night so he wouldn't be able to go.  I was so upset and didn't want to go by myself.  I did cry about it a little since I'm an over-emotional pregnant lady.  But the next morning he found someone willing to cover part of his shift so he could go with me!  I'm so glad because we got a tour of the hospital and everything.  It was very informative and we learned a lot.  Next class is tomorrow and they said we are going to play with forceps and other birthing tools.  Fun stuff. 

 

We made our final Target trip so I now officially have everything I need!  Well, almost everything.  Someone gave me a diaper pail and hopefully my mom will have it in her possession when she comes down in 2 weeks.  I'm so close to having everything ready.  I could be all done in a day if I wanted but I don't work that fast.  Tomorrow we'll see how much I get done.  Hope I get that burst of energy I keep reading about!  

 



How far along? 38 weeks
Maternity clothes? oh yeah
Sleep: counting the days to sleep on my belly!
Best moment this week: labor and delivery class last week
Miss Anything? being able to have a drink with Josh
Movement: yep
Food cravings: chicken quesadilla
Anything making you queasy or sick: the smell of cigar smoke or black and milds
Have you started to show yet: just a little...
Gender: girly girl
Labor Signs: nope!
Belly Button in or out? out, since like, week 10.
Wedding rings on or off? on, but hard to get off
Happy or Moody most of the time: i think happy
Looking forward to: part two of labor classes



Diaper Pails

So I need opinions on diaper pails.  Someone gave me a Diaper Genie but it looks confusing and I don't like that I have to get special bags. I want a pail that I can just use with regular kitchen bags.  Josh is convinced that any and all diaper pails smell awful and are a huge waste of money, but I think it is unrealistic not to have one because I can't imagine going outside to throw a diaper away everytime I change it.  Especially right after I change her and she is still on the changing table, I would have to sit the dirty diaper on the dresser or something until I get her off the table and to somewhere I can leave her for a minute while I go outside.  I just can't picture myself doing that 15 times a day.  Especially in the winter.  It will be much easier to just drop it in a pail next to the changing table and change the bag every few days. Reading customer reviews is so confusing because all the five-stars say, "it's great! doesn't smell at all!" and all the one stars say, "don't waste your money, smells terrible."  Ugh, I don't know who to believe! 


I want to make sure I get one that honestly locks in the odor because I don't want to be wrong in the Josh vs. Sara Diaper Debate.


So what kind does everyone use and what kind is the best?

Hospital bag & diaper bag

Alright, so with 19 days to go, I finally have my hospital bag and diaper bag all ready. 

Here is what I packed in my hospital bag:

• Clothes for me (sweats and a t-shirt, I'm assuming I will wear shoes and a jacket there so I won't need to pack any)
• Clothes for Penelope (dress with cardigan, socks, mittens and headband)
• Nursing tank-top
• Swaddling blanket  (I know they provide one, but it will be nice to wrap her up in a cute one)
• Make-up and hair things
• Shampoo and deodorant
• "Hospital Survival Kits"  that my sister made for each of us.  Things like magazines, snacks, notebook, chapstick, Advil....
• Hard candy
• Disposable camera (just in case I forget to grab my digital camera in all the excitement)
• Camcorder with extra batteries
• Boppy
• Pillow and blanket for Josh
• Kindle for Josh
• 2 dvds (have to remember to grab by laptop on my way out the door)

I think that is it.  I have it all packed and ready to go.  Like I said, I just need to grab my camera and laptop because I'm obviously not going to pack it now)  I still have to put the carseat in the car too.
Anyone have suggestions of what else I might need?  I heard the hospital provides a lot, like diapers, pacifier, cap, mama goods and so on. 

So here is my diaper bag and what I have it stuffed with....

• 4 diapers
• Wipes
• Burp cloth
• Swaddling blanket
• Nursing cover
• A onesie
• Pacifier
• Toy
• Mittens
• Diaper ointment
• Disposable bags
• Pacifier wipes

What am I forgetting that I should add?  It comes with a changing pad.  

37 weeks 1 day

Josh was eating an apple when he took the picture and Reaver sat himself down right in front of the chalkboard.

It's October!  Baby will be born THIS month!  No more saying, "I'm due OCTOBER 22" now I can just say on the 22nd.  At this point "full-term" is a scary term.  If I went into labor right now, I would be freaking out for more reason than one.  Everything in the nursery still needs washed.  Clothes, sheets, blankets, towels...  Even the stroller, carrier and bumbo needs a good scrub.  I have a pile baby things that don't have a home yet.  Not to mention I still have 2 weeks of class left.  Cutting it close!  I plan to buckle down in the nursery today then I might finally be able to take pictures so everyone can see!  Josh told me last week that I should take pictures and post them because "it's a good looking nursery."  Glad he likes it since it was my design =]

Had an appointment on Friday and my midwife told me that my cervix, and Penelope, are still pretty high.  Which is normal for how far along I am.  To me, that means I still have a few weeks and she's not coming early.  Penelope is so high and my belly is so hard that it is becoming very difficult to do certain things.  I feel like I always have to be reclined and can't bend over at all.  For that reason, I wish she would drop a little.  But I can still feel her wiggling way down low.  She still has her big head resting on my pelvic bone.  I usually feel the pressure after sitting for a while then standing up to walk around.  That's when I start to waddle.

I have appointments every week from here on out.  Wednesday is my next one.  We also have part one of our labor class Wednesday also.  Josh and I had an in depth conversation about epidural the other night and I'm not going to get one unless totally necessary.  Anyone have a natural birth recently that would like to offer some advice? 

We went to a Bundles for Babies class on base last week also.  I was given the impression it was an infant care class so I was thinking we would learn how to swaddle or even practice changing a diaper.  But nope.  It was all Power point.  They spoke about budgeting for a baby, dental for babies and someone from the pediatrics office stopped by.  It was useful information, but I was expecting something different, so I was kind of disappointed. 

I just finished reading Jenny McCarthy's Belly Laughs that I got as a shower gift.  It was a quick read and refreshing.  It's nice to hear that a Playmate got stretch marks and gained 60 pounds during her pregnancy.  I also have her second book, Baby Laughs.  I'm not going to start reading that one for a while so I will actually be able to relate to what she is talking about.  I think I'm going to pass this on to a pregnant friend.  I would recommend it pregnant women.  It's great.          

 

Almost forgot!  Josh's co-worker through him a Diaper Party/Keg Party this weekend.  So we got a few more packs of diapers and baby gifts.  Since I have gotten pregnant, I have hated going to parties since I can't drink.  But this party wasn't bad.  There were just as many women there as there were men so it was better than I expected.  I actually wasn't planning on going at all since it was Josh's party and he wasn't really invited to my baby shower.  But it started at 4 pm and I had nothing else to do besides hang around the house.  It's a good thing I went because I was kind of expected to be there and almost everyone else brought their wives.  So, no more parties. Four was probably too many anyways.  Final trip to Target next weekend and we should have everything!

 

 

How far along? 37 weeks
Maternity clothes? that's all i fit into and even some of the maternity shirts are getting too short!
Sleep: my hips hurt in the middle of the night from sleeping on my side for hours.
Best moment this week: got to spend a lot of time with josh this week so that's always nice.
Miss Anything? feeling healthy instead of weak and fat
Movement: a lot!
Food cravings: it's still brownies
Anything making you queasy or sick: the smell of cigar smoke or black and milds
Have you started to show yet: yes
Gender: girly girl
Labor Signs: braxton hicks, i think.
Belly Button in or out? out, since like, week 10.
Wedding rings on or off? on, but really tight
Happy or Moody most of the time: i 'm starting to get really mad at little things, mostly when something falls and i have to pick it up since bending over is difficult
Looking forward to: finishing the nursery and starting labor classes.