I'm a Mommy!

HYRUM DYLAN MALTBY

April 22, 2011

21.5" long, 7 lbs

Hyrum looks just like his Daddy... even has the same hair-cut!

 My baby made it here a whole week and two days early. He's just perfect. I'm SO GLAD he has hair! Tons of DARK hair! That's what I wanted. I suppose I got lucky. :) He has my hitch-hiker thumbs and stubby fingers, Dylan's nose and face (excuse the "conehead"), and a few features all his own. 

We love him very much.

Birth Details follow if you want to read more. More pictures too.

Meanwhile, here's some Bach

Only Japanese people would build something like this, I swear. Pretty cool though. 

Anyway. I've been totally in labor-- not false labor, the REAL DEAL-- and then it slowed down. Lather, rinse, repeat: totally in labor "get yourself to the hospital now" labor... oh wait... your contractions just quit... since last Friday at midnight. My mom changed her plane ticket to get here early and now we're sitting here waiting.

I'm told this is very unusual for a first-time mom. There was no way that I should be 80% effaced and dilated to a four at 37 weeks, let alone have contractions every 2 to 3 minutes that last 2 to 3 minutes apiece, so I guess this is all unusual. Yippee.

I didn't mind waiting the full 40 weeks or even MORE for my baby; personally, I wanted him to stay inside and bake as long as possible. But now my Mom's here and the clock is ticking until she leaves, and I loathe being the "oh wait, sorry to upset everyone's life, but it stopped" girl. Ah well. At least I wasn't one of those panicked people who went to the hospital with braxton hicks-- these are, at least, real contractions.

So for now I just feel like my line is I'm going to free the genie. ...Anytime.  *sigh*

Keep you posted. --R

Photo Proof

A HUGE thank you to Heather for throwing me a baby shower Saturday. Another HUGE thank you to Heather for then taking some pictures of me so I can a) fondly remember my happy pregnant days, and b) show photo proof to the dozens of you who've been begging for a glimpse of my belly :) .

I never can get a good face-angle in pictures (I don't say this because I'm pregnant, I've thought this my whole life) but the rest of me looks pretty good. If I do say so myself.

The Baby Bag

Behold the Eddie Bauer messenger I bought at TJMAXX.

If the bag had come in an awesome color I'd have taken it but this was it.  Usually I'm the girl with a brightly colored purse, so the utilitarian look will be a change for me, but function was more important to me than color.
 

What I most wanted:

1. Easy storage for and access to: keys, wallet, and cell phone. 

2. Lots of pockets to hold things so they don't jumble into a mess. 

3. A bag I wouldn't be embarrassed to carry everywhere. 

4. Durable + easy to clean. Also won't start to look old. 

Everything I thought I might eventually have to stash in a diaper bag-- extra clothes, blankets, books, toys, snacks, changing kit*, meds, burp cloth, water bottle, etc.-- I brought to the store with me so I could really tell how a bag would suit my needs. Hands down this was the most functional and attractive choice.

 Why this particular bag:

1. My stuff has it's own section! I won't have to dig for my keys or phone and I can get to them with one hand. Most importantly, my clutch-wallet fits without a squeeze.

2. Changing system fits into it's own outside zipper pocket! Sweet. 

3. Dylan is pleased he won't be embarrassed to carry it. 

4. Slim! Even with all the junk inside! Half the diaper bags I saw resemble clunky luggage even before they're packed-- this does not.

5. Classy construction: the zippers glide open, it's lightweight, there's a very comfy shoulder strap AND a trim handle for easy pick-up, and it doesn't look cheap. 

6. With everything inside there was plenty of room to spare, and it was very organized.

Finally I found a diaper bag to suit MY needs. There was much rejoicing.

*I have a sensational all-in-one changing pad that holds diapers, wipes, and ointments, so I wasn't looking for a bag that came with that extra stuff (plus if it comes with a bag it's usually flimsy). While not intended to be a "diaper bag," the bag I chose is sort of like this one from Chicco, except better. And mine didn't cost $60.

Recommended Baby Gear

My sisters are my trusty sources of modern-gadget mom knowledge. They recommend stuff that I wouldn't have thought to get. Like the baberoo necksaver. Self-explanatory, it's designed to prevent your child from looking like Nearly-Headless-Nick.

Seems sort of silly to get a neck pillow for a baby, doesn't it? But then I think of how many hours they spend asleep in a carseat or stroller and it seems less silly. I know MY neck hurts if I fall asleep in the car (or tour bus!) with my head lolling around with every bump in the road.

Today TJMAXX had them for 50% off. I bought one.  :)

3rd Trimester Begins!

Today I'm 28 weeks, which means I've started the third stage of pregnancy. (Cue Card Reads: Applause!) Hooraaaaay. 

Recently I stumbled across a Dozen Eggs Bake Shoppe, which makes the most beautiful frosted creations. So cute! I am now inspired. My favorites are the little frosted onesie cookies.

20 Weeks! I'm halfway through!

Over the hump!

 Today is "over-the-hump" day for pregnant lady me; my baby is halfway done cookin' in the oven. But the hooray that follows such a milestone is accompanied by other thoughts, disbelieving that's it? and panicked  I only have 20 weeks left? carrying most of the weight. 

Nine months have never seemed so long, but now that I'm really enjoying my pregnancy I want it to last a little longer. Baby kicks are the best thing ever! I look forward to them every day.

The PouchMiss

 

I'm having a dither of a time trying to find a diaper bag I'd be willing to pay for. The decent ones (that aren't even that great) cost $70-ish+, which I think is obscene.  PouchMiss ($39) is a tote with all the pockets and storage you could dream of; all it requires is a big purse to stash it in. Pretty nifty: it holds all this, and you can switch out what purse you have to carry. Hmm. I'm considering.

All I need to do now is inherit my sister Melissa's knack for finding ridiculously awesome purses for cheap.

Do I have to eat?

Is this what pregnant stick figures look like?

I've never wanted to eat food less in my entire life; I've also never wanted to eat less food in my entire life. I have to eat to avoid nausea (still, though I'm supposed to be out of the nausea stage,) but even when I do eat, I hardly ever want to. Crazy change for the girl who would eat 1/2 a cheesecake in one sitting--if given the chance.

Honestly, I don't know how people get themselves into trouble "eating for two." Every time Dylan and I go out somewhere to eat, I can stomach just 12 bites before I'm full. I've gained 1.5lbs in what tomorrow will be 17 weeks of pregnancy (the average by now is 6lbs). More than that, I just NEVER WANT TO EAT. Nothing sounds good. Nothing satisfies. Eating is just another chore.

At least I'm still looking forward to Thanksgiving. 

Well, that was scary.

Sunday night Dylan and I had to break a dinner appointment; we drove to Lehi (a few cities away) but then had to turn around and go home because I felt very sick and had pains. Not thinking that it was anything unusual, we just made our apologies and Dylan took me home to rest. 

When we got home, I discovered that I was bleeding profusely. As I am 13 weeks pregnant I instantly started to panic. It's not uncommon to "spot" bleed during pregnancy--I knew this-- but bright red blood in copious amounts is not good. A little later I started leaking fluid (sorry for the graphic descriptions). Fluid loss is a really bad sign. I tried not to panic, but after losing a ton of fluid I was pretty confident that I was having a miscarriage.

Background: I am allergic to my own pregnancy hormones, which is one reason I've been so sick. Weird, right? I'm allergic to my baby! Haha. Anyway. I'm taking meds to hopefully build an immunity, so Monday morning I went in to get my hormone levels checked-- make sure everything was okay on my end-- and the concerned MD asked to do a "doppler," or to check for a fetal heartbeat. 

He found one! Yay! I hadn't heard it before and it was such a relief to know my baby was still there and safe. The Doc had several hypotheses about what had caused the issue, but since a strong heartbeat is present, he ruled out the dangerous ones. Dylan and I are so happy everything's okay.

Some Mornings Are Better Than Others

 

Frequently I coax myself into eating. "Come on, Rachel, just one piece of toast. You can do it, just one bite. Good--now swallow--swallow, okay now one more bite..."

I feel sick and don't want to eat, but if I don't eat I'll feel even more sick. Everyday I mostly sit at home resting, and forcing myself to eat every hour and a half. If I give in and don't eat on that schedule... life is very unpleasant.

Yesterday wasn't so bad. Today... it's just one piece of toast.

Ah, Make-up! How I love thee.

It's been five days since Monday. That's five days since I've been well enough to leave the house, shower, eat, or sit up without the company of "Mr.Bowl."  This morning I finally got to scrub my disgusting hair. Yaaaaay, cleanliness! Five days has got to be a record for me, cause my hair is nasty greasy (no thanks to genes from my Dad's side). And guess what! Today I got to put on make-up. :) So nice to see my familiar face. 

Though clean, I remain at home whiling away the hours with Fablehaven and trying to eat something every hour or so. Though yesterday I could manage nothing but small sips of 7UP and a 1/4 cup of quinoa, today I swallowed Cilantro-Lime-Rice from a mex restaurant. I liiiiiive!

Yes, I refer to morning sickness. Psh! I had to visit a doctor for severe dehydration two weeks ago and it took 6 1/2 hours in his office for an IV drip to complete. Sheesh! Did you know that when you're really dehydrated your veins take extra-extra-long to absorb liquid? Jiminy, what torture. This kid had better be cute. ;)  

Baby Maltby

Coming Spring 2011

Silly me, I almost forgot to tell you! Dylan and I are thrilled that I'm pregnant. We're so excited!