Baby Mason's First Days!

Welcome to the world Baby Mason!  

Mason John Card

Born February 9th at 7:02pm

7lbs, 10oz.  21 inches

Labor of Love

41 Weeks!

So it was almost a week past my due date, and I was starting to think he’d never want to come out.  Ryan and I tried one final attempt at getting him out: SPICY food!  We cleared out the Mexican aisle at the grocery store and endured a spicy hot taco feast!  I also ate some jalapeno olive things, those were HOTTT !  That night I spent every hour up for bathroom breaks and just felt like crap.  At 5AM I was awake and starting my journey of labor.  I downloaded a Labor & Contractions application for my iPhone – and by 11am they were about 3 minutes apart, lasting over a minute each.  THANKFULLY Ryan headed home in time to bring me to the hospital.  After a few hours at the hospital, and only 2cm dilated they sent us home.  So after being sent home around 3pm – that’s when intense active labor started.  Right after leaving the hospital I got sick on the side of the road 3 times and could barely even talk..hello painful contractions!  By the time we got home, the contractions were non-stop and I was still getting sick.  Ry made me call the doctor and they said to head back to the hospital.  We got back there around 5:30pm and through some confusion of a few nurses – was forgotten & left in the room for 40 MINUTES!  Once they finally got there, I was already 7-8cm.  

Contraction Application

They rushed me into a delivery room and within 15 minutes was FULLY dilated.  No drugs allowed at that point and it was time to GO !  I gave birth on a “birthing stool” and Ryan was really involved, holding me from behind.  After 7 or so pushes – our little man was out !  I literally got to pull him up onto us…sounds a little crazy, but it was so amazing !!!  Everything turned out perfect and little Mason John arrive on February 9^th at 7:02pm.  He was 7lbs, 10oz and 21”.  The journey to motherhood was really fascinating and for me, was a great pregnancy.  The labor was tiring, but we were thankful for a quick  and HEALTHY delivery .  Welcome Baby Mason!!!  To all…meet our little man, perfect in a bijillion million ways !!!

Overdone...

Stick a fork in me..i'm DONE !! Well i thought i had roasted this turkey long enough, but i guess he's not ready.  We're at about 5 days overdue and he still shows no sign of coming out.  I knew he'd be a late baby, but didn't think this late...i fear that i'll start losing my patience.  Yesterday i "nested" with the best of them and moved around all my living room furniture, lifted up his pack 'n play over the baby gate and just went crazy.  We thought that was a sure sign he was about to come out. But when we both woke up this morning...the closest thing we had to a delivery was a dream of one.

Our last family photo before our FULL HOUSE !!

So we hear there's a full moon tomorrow..does that mean BABY ??!!  i would be a very happy mommy is so :-) until then...we wait.  Mason, we know you are worth it !!! however..if you don't come out soon - we may have to start charging rent.

over cooked,
mama j

Happy Due Date...

What's in a due date anyways?  a big disappointment!?  haha.  I've actually "known" from the beginning that my son would not arrive early..more like fashionably late.  I mean can we blame him for not wanting to share HIS day with a small furry critter?  I mean have you seen a groundhog?  not the cutest being around.  While 2-2-12 would have been a fun date (easy to remember)...i'm still happy we made it to the February month - and i'm sure he'll rock the socks off any day from here on out.  It's safe to say he'll be born before the 16th (the 42 week mark, that i'm told they won't allow you to go past). So i thought it'd be fun to share some AQUARIUS traits.  From what i've gathered...an Aquarius is original and they really  "march to the beat of their own drum," while also being pretty darn intelligent.  Here are some of the horoscope junkies' take on the A's (born Jan 20 - Feb 18).

• Aquarius children are quite social and attracted to diversity and new experiences.
• Pursuing their own freedom and individuality are among their primary needs.
• The Aquarian child needs parents who encourage his or her need to be different.
• Although likely to be intelligent-even brilliant - he or she does not fit a prescribed image. Their curiosity is stronger than any other characteristic.
• He can be rebellious in nature, resisting commands and rules. However, he will easily come to sensible conclusions when allowed to think things through.
• Your little Aquarius might like unusual foods that other kids won't even try -- think hot peppers, strong cheeses, raw oysters, and the like.    
• Your Aquarius child may surprise you with his inventiveness, interests and life choices, but if you can stay open to the ways his mind works, you're likely to find he's a genius in his own right. 

happily due,

mama j

Making Room....

So there's not much room left in this 40 week belly of mine...but there's certainly ROOM made here for our little man to arrive.  Last night we finished a couple of room details, trying to prepare for Mason's arrival.  We still have a couple more things to finish..but here's what we have so far!

There's 2 days until the 2-2 due date we've been so anxiously awaiting, and it seems he's REALLY cozy in there.  I don't think he has any plans of arriving early, so we may have some time to finish up some last minute things.  Either way - we have PLENTY of room waiting for him to occupy.

Making a Nest,
mama j

Meet the GRANDS!

Mason, this one's for you.  Lets just say you have the lucky role of being the FIRST grandchild on both sides.  Not that every Grandchild isn't spoiled to pieces...but i have to imagine that you will have an EXTRA big dose. So expect lots of Grandparent visits, kisses, hugs and adventures.  Here's a quick look into your awesome arsenal of Grands..and some of the things you can look forward too.  

Grammy

Meet Grammy.  She’s fun-loving and one of the nicest people you’ll meet.  She’s a “pleaser” and will probably have a hard time saying NO to you.  She is known to have the best snack cupboard around.  So you can be sure she’ll have your favorite drinks and treats on-hand.  She may not have raised any boys, but she’s athletic and her dream job was to be a Phys Ed teacher.  She plans on lots of sleepovers with you and already has a crib ready for your visits.

Grampy

Meet Grampy. He’s been waiting for this boy for a long time.  He has many hunting and fishing trips planned for you….as soon as you can walk.  Grampy is a jokester and will keep you laughing, whether it be his slightly corny jokes (the best kind) or killer dance moves.  I don’t think there will ever be a dull moment when you hang with him. If you ever want to track animal prints in the woods or learn about nature’s finest, just ask Grampy. He’ll take you on any outdoor adventure you can imagine. 

Nani

Meet Nani.  She knows boys…raising 3 of her own.  She will know how to stock the toy chest full of the best boy toys.  She’s been planning adventures already for your weekly play dates.  She’ll be watching you once a week, while mommy & daddy do the working thing. Nani loves to read, and will have some great stories to read with you. She also makes a delicious homemade Mac n’ Cheese (one of your Daddy’s favorites) ! She’s a sweetheart and will have plenty of activities awaiting your arrival.

Papi

Meet Papi. He is no stranger to raising boys as well. He is kind-natured and a hard worker.  He is also the inspiration behind your Daddy’s love for the Yankees.  Of course I’d like to think you have a chance to like any team you want – but there’s a strong force pointing you in New York’s direction.  Papi will be sharing many sports games with you, so look forward to sports marathons with him.  Look for him in the stands, because he’ll be cheering you on at all your sports game.

Feelin' Grand,

mama j

Clock is ticking....

Sibling's helping stock the dresser!

The countdown is officially 1 week and 3 days… or 10 days if you want me to do the math J I have decided that I should probably get this “hospital bag” packed and ready to go.  I plan on doing that shortly…right after the NAP I could really use right now.  I’ve caught some winter blues – and have limited ability to breathe out of my nose, which I  imagine wouldn’t be a good thing if I went into labor.  I need FULL access to my deep breaths – through the nose & mouth. 

38 weeks !

So while i’ve been laying low trying to beat this bug, we’ve started washing all of babies ‘itty bitty clothes.  These little clothes are SOOOOOO tiny and I can’ even believe soon they will be fitting on our little man.  Now we’re really getting excited! There’s still some chores to be done before baby arrives, but our guess is that he wont be here on time.  There is actually a Baby Pool on Facebook right now, guessing the date & weight of Baby M. Let’s just say that not many people think I’ll be coming early.  (is that a foreshadowing of his mother’s usual tardiness).  If you’d like to contribute & don’t see the invite on Facebook,..please feel free to leave your guesses below.   Sorry I  don’t have anything profound to contribute this week, and I blame that on “baby brain.”  However, we did go to the doctor this past Friday and on her internal examine, she informed us that she “tickled the top of his head.”  That was one wild thing to hear…he’s getting closer and closer to this outside world of ours J

Counting down,

mama j

37 week-a-roos...

It's the 37 week reveal and yes that's a baby..not a 20lb watermelon. Mmmm..speaking of fruit -it's been a major craving of mine the past week or so. Oranges and frozen raspberries, if you really want to narrow down the nighttime favorite.  Ryan has been the best fruit salad chef and i'm really going to miss the "on-command" service he's perfected.

With less than 3 weeks to go, I'm still feeling great without any major discomforts.  I've been sleeping fine, besides the frequent bathroom breaks during the night.  The only pain this week has been the realization that this baby is about to make his entrance into the world - and he's not going to be delivered by a stork.  Why do they trick you as a child..making it look so magical and pain-free.  Ignorance is bliss.

This week we had a nice little snowstorm to bring in the winter blues. And while i retreated to warmth, shelter and reality TV to pass the time, my Uncle John was out shoveling and coming up with clever little riddles to help brighten the blues.  So here goes his riddle....(answer will be at the bottom of the post ....so don't scroll down right away for the answer if you want to really stimulate those brain cells.)

Q.  The day after MJ's arrival is the only day in his entire life he won't be able to use this popular saying. What is it?  (Of course you have to suspend reality and assume he'll be fully conversational by day 2, but when you think about it, not really much of a stretch when Jamie is your Mom)


Hint: Even if MJ catches someone the next day trying to pull some shenanaghins, he won't be able to reply with this line...


feeling fruity,
mama j






Answer: "I wasn't born yesterday!!"

Back in the day...

So at yesterday's appointment, everything still looks "normal" and healthy.  Baby M's butt was up top and his head down low - so he's positioned like a good little boy. She also said (just from feeling him) that he doesn’t feel like a big boy, probably in the 6lb range right now. I’m still not sure how she determines this, and whether I trust the “feel” judgment.

Lately i’ve been so ridiculously anxious to meet Baby MJ - see what he looks like, count all his little toes & fingers…and basically just smother him with love.  So to help manage my excitement, i thought it'd be fun to track down our baby pictures from the good ol’ 80s.  Turns out we were both little chunky monkeys weighing in the mid 8lbs.  I put some of our baby stats with the pictures. Maybe Mason isn’t  as small as predicted…if he’s anything like his parents J
 

Ryan James Card

August 6^th, 1983

7:20pm

8lbs 6oz – 20”long

2 days early

 

Jamie Laura Adams

September 4^th, 1984

4:20am

8lbs 6oz – 21”long

5 days late

baby fever,
mama j

Time Flies...

So with only 4 weeks left, i thought it'd be fun to see a quick timeline of how much i've changed.  Because honestly, i feel like i haven't been pregnant that long - yet looking back i cannot remember being that tiny! hehe .  What a journey it's been and Mason must agree, because i just saw my stomach jump side to side. I think i'll miss that feeling when it's all over. So lets take a look back and see some belly morphing photos. The human body is one profound stretching machine, and lets hope it quickly remembers how to shrink back into place :-)

Click on the collage above to see it GROW!

Stretchin' it,
mama j