A Girl Named PJ

he’s here!

July 15, 2011

Levi Benjamin
Born on July 12, 2011 at 6:05pm
8lbs 5oz, 21 inches long

Meet our little man!
I can’t believe how much I adore him already.

Today is our first day home from the hospital. I’m excited and anxious to see how we adjust to the real world (although there is nothing “real” about hosting a house full of out of town family members).

While I take some time away from my computer to bond with my new favorite person, I have a bunch of great bloggers lined up with guest posts all about pregnancy and motherhood. I’ll also pop by with updated photos of Levi. Can you believe that top was taken when he was just 4 hours old? He looks so different already!

{my photos}

40 and 2

July 11, 2011

My baby bump and I are working from bed today. It’s too uncomfortable to sit in a chair, and I’m bored of semi-reclining on the couch with my laptop. That’s been my go-to position for the last month or so. I needed a change of scenery.

The bed works because it’s easy to push aside my computer when I need to take a power nap. Of course, that’s the same reason why the bed doesn’t work for working.

Did you work up until your due date?

{self-portrait at 40 weeks, 2 days pregnant}

40 and 1

July 10, 2011

Our little man is officially overdue. I suppose I shouldn’t be terribly surprised. His daddy is typically late for things, too.

In attempt to let gravity do it’s thing, and to get out of the house for an hour, JB, my mom and I took quick trip to the farmer’s market. I must have had 7 interactions with vendors that went something like this:

Them: “Wow! When are you due?”

Me: “Yesterday.”

Them: Various comments about how hot/uncomfortable I must be.

Me: “I guess we’re trying the ‘sweat the baby out’ method.”

Them: Strange looks.

{my photos}

sitting, waiting, wishing

July 9, 2011

Today, July 9th, is my due date. Forty weeks ago I thought it might be cool to have a baby born on 7/9/11 because his birthday would be on consecutive odd numbers. But today I’m just scared, and all I can wonder is if my life going to completely change in less than 24 hours.

Over the last couple of weeks, JB and I have been talking about whether we’re “ready.” According to my husband, it doesn’t really matter; the baby is going to come when the baby wants to come. And when our little guy arrives, we’ll be as “ready” as we can be. JB doesn’t think that sitting and waiting in anticipation will make us any more prepared. All it does, he thinks, is make us feel more anxious.

For the most part, I agree. I think I’m done waiting. I’m certainly over not knowing when this is going to happen (and of people asking about it), and I’m tired of feeling uncomfortable in my own body. But I also don’t feel ready for the next step… and the step after that… and the one after that. I’m nervous for the delivery and for taking care of a newborn and for successfully raising a happy and healthy son.

Since Wednesday I’ve been experiencing new sensations — lower pelvic and back cramping, brief bouts of nausea — and I worry that I’m not taking these symptoms seriously. Am I in labor? At my doctor’s appointment on Tuesday I was already 4cm. What if I don’t realize I’m in labor until the very last second and then I give birth on the way to the hospital? (By the way, having a baby in the car is NOT an option. It’s a lease.) When do we start timing my contractions? What if I’m having cramping but no contractions? Everybody has been reassuring me that I will absolutely know when I am in labor, but I have convinced myself that I won’t. I am completely paranoid.

JB suggested we run some errands and treat the day as if it were any other instead of sitting at home and waiting for something to happen. But in the back of my mind, I will continue to wonder if our little man will be one of the elite 5% of babies who makes his entry into this world on his due date.

To be continued…

{self-portrait taken outside my house}

more pregnancy pet peeves

July 8, 2011

As we get closer to the due date, I’m finding myself feeling more and more frustrated with these sorts of remarks… especially when they come from family members:

“Requesting” that I have the baby on a certain day so that it will be more convenient for them to travel to Omaha. Not possible, sorry.

Calling to ask if I’ve had the baby yet. Um, we will tell you before we tell anybody else, don’t worry!

Asking if we can schedule the bris at a certain time so that it will be more convenient for them to attend. No.

So not only am I overwhelmed with fear about giving birth and caring for a newborn, I now have to worry about other people’s schedules.

What comments annoyed you the most as you endured the final days of your pregnancy?

For other things to not say to a pregnant woman, click here and here.