Happy Halloween!

It will probably be the topic of many future therapy sessions and I already feel like a horrible mother because of it, but Shae's first Halloween (at 18 days old) is costumeless. I know, I know... the sacrelidge! She did, however, get a bat hat and is dressed appropriately in orange and black. That's got to count for something, right?

Just cuz I love baby feets:

How come no one ever mentioned the sweating?

Postpartum life is a wonderland of hormones, bodily fluids, exhaustion, elation, frustration and little victories -- and every moment is a blessing, for sure. (Something I try to remind myself of -- sometimes outloud in a mantra-like chant -- at 3 a.m.)

Some new photos of Shae (still relatively crappy, as I have not yet pulled the trigger on a new camera):

A big day for little Shae!

Her umbilical stump fell off last night! Okay so it's a gross milestone (don't judge!), but a milestone nonetheless.

Shae says: Lookit my new belly button!

Shae likes to smile!

Happy one-week, Shae!

As a very worldly seven-day-old, Shae is doing just awesome: sleeping, eating, pooping... the whole baby shebang! Some days (and nights) are better than others, but overall little Shae is adjusting very nicely to her world at home.

I'm one week old today!

Shae took her puppies to the dog park on Saturday with Gramma and Grampa! (Okay, Shae didn't actually wake up the ENTIRE time we were at Chatfield, but it's the thought that counts).

Miscellaneous beauty shots. Sorry, Jody, for posting the photo you asked me not to take... but it's nice to see Shae with Dad every once in a while!

Home again, home again, clickety-clack!

We actually got paroled yesterday (Wednesday) mid-day, but... well... we've been a little busy. I know, I know: lame excuse!

Home has been so far so good. Got some decent sleep last night (believe it or not!), and Shae seems to be adjusting to her life with us -- and with her puppies, who can't quite figure her out. (Dax is, as expected, uber-protective especially when she fusses, and Zoey just seems quite scared of her.)

More photos...

Proof that, on occasion, I am awake (my eyes are even open here, but you'll have to take my word for it):

My "going home" ensemble:

Sleeping in my own bed:

Hey Shae!

Yeah, there's a story... but you all really only want to see photos so let's get those out of the way first:

Super-fresh:

Hanging out with dad:

Up close and personal:

Shae's birth story in a nutshell:

Jody and I went to dinner on Sunday night -- a last hurrah as "just the two of us." We decided on Italian and I enjoyed a delicious, rich fettucine Alfredo and a glass of Chianti. Yum!

Got home and hunkered down on the sofa for some Sunday night TV. I wasn't feeling entirely comfortable in THE AREA -- some sharp pains (which I attributed to her usual habit of pummeling my lower bitslate in the evening) and just general discomfort. You know, like the discomfort that comes along with being 40-weeks pregnant.

We went to bed per usual. I woke up at about 12:30 with some serious, um, gastrointestinal-area pain. I attributed it to the aforementioned rich Alfredo sauce; got up to go to the bathroom to relieve some of the pressure. Came back to bed and felt the same pain/pressure again about 5-6 minutes later. I noticed it and started to pay attention to the clock... but, really, I just thought I had to return to the toilet.

I'll zip through the next two hours: lots of time in the bathroom. The pain was starting to get serious, but even still I didn't really think it was "time." Jody got out of bed at about 2:30 and asked if everything was okay; I said that I was pretty sure that I was in labor but I didn't want to go to the hospital and get turned around and sent home, so I said we'd keep an eye on the contractions and give them another half-hour. By 3:00, I couldn't remain standing during each contraction (which were coming at about 2-3 minutes apart), so we decided enough was enough, made the call to the doctor and jumped in the car to head to the hospital.

Checked in at the emergency department (slower than molasses!) and hopped in a wheelchair to be taken up to labor & delivery. Got to the L&D triage room (standard procedure for middle-of-the-night check-in) and the on-call nurse asked me to pee in a cup (almost impossible!) and then checked my cervix.

Turns out I was 9.5 cm dilated! I was hustled down to the delivery suite ASAP. There was mention that, because I was so far long, I may have missed the window for an epidural; thank goodness Jody was insistent -- the anesthesiologist was in the room and ready to go within 5 minutes!

Post-epidural was an entirely different story: life was good! I started pushing at a little before 5 a.m.; long story short: Shae Lily Bennigsdorf popped out at 6:03 a.m., covered in slime and absolutely beautiful!

I've literally had two dozen people come in and out of this room in the time I've tried to write this, so I apologize if it's a bit disjointed. Summary statement: labor feels like poop, but when said poop is debilitatingly painful, don't ignore it!

Happy due date!

No delivery (yet), but it's worth noting that today is (estimated) due date day!

Contingency plan set: Tuesday, October 14

Well, it is all officially in Betz capable little hands: with her estimated due date rapidly approaching (Sunday, October 12, in case you don't have that one squirreled away in your noggin), we're done messing around. She has two options:

1. She can take her sweet little time and make her surprise debut on her own terms over the weekend, or


2. I have a scheduled induction for sometime on the Monday/Tuesday overnight next week... which means that our little Betz will be here sometime on Tuesday, October 14*!

*Knowing that nothing in this world is 100%, I'm totally going to be in that fraction of 1% of people who doesn't "take" to being induced... you know it's true! Haha.

I'll let you know when/if we know more... Stay tuned!

39-week Update

Well... this child is apparently quite content right where she is! No real updates to report: I'm up to a whopping 2 cm dilated (woo!), still at 50% effaced and baby is at -1 station (which just means she's dropped, for those not "in the know").

I had the inducing talk with Dr. Walsh -- pros/cons and all that. In a nutshell: I'm scheduling an induction for next week (date TBD), figuring that if Betz decides to show up on her own then that's fab, and if she doesn't then we'll just help her along! I'll report more when I know more.

Just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for your thoughts and words of encouragement in these last days before our daughter joins our family. Jody and I are very excited despite our (okay, MY) impatience. We know that we're on the precipice of a major life change -- something that is equal parts terrifying and exhilerating, confusing and clarifying. Any which way you look at it, the change is a'coming and we welcome (and relish) your continued support, encouragement, empathy, apathy, tears and laughter! We are very much looking forward to introducing you to -- OH! You thought I was going to tell you her name right there, didntchya!? OH SNAP!! :)

More soon...