Wednesday, June 27, 2007
My First Weeks
Mommy got some flowers from Daddy and Nana and a pretty pink bow with a rattle that declared me a GIRL! Also, Mommy and Daddy decided to collect items for a time capsule to which a poem and various other items were contributed. I can't wait to open it someday!
Mommy and Daddy slept in the hospital bed for a couple of nights and while it was a bit uncomfortable, they will always enjoy the memory. The nurses liked to sneak Daddy drinks and treats since technically, Mommy was the only one getting meals. Daddy is a charmer!
I got my first sponge bath Friday night and didn't cry much, but my feet and hands turned blue real fast since I didn't have enough body fat to keep me warm. I also got my stump cleaned.
I was happy I got to go home from the hospital on Saturday the 14th because my bilirubin was a bit elevated and the nurses talked about keeping me another night. Apparently breastfed babies process bilirubin a bit more slowly since the milk doesn't come in immediately.
On leaving the hospital, Mommy and Daddy drove me to Briar Creek Barnes and Noble to pick up a copy of Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, a story about a little mouse named Chrysanthemum. Then, we all drove home and found Granny and Grandpa had been doing yet more shopping for me. This time, they purchased a nursing chair for Mommy and me!
I slept quite a bit in the first weeks, giving Mommy and Daddy plenty of time to get organized and write my birth story. Mommy also contemplated how special and precious I am and wanted to share with me her favorite poem by Robert Frost:
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay
-Robert Frost
While the poem may seem sad, Mommy and Daddy both think that if you cherish the moment, you tend not to regret the forward nature of time and wish for its reversal. So Mommy and Daddy like to encourage me not to take a moment for granted and to enjoy life to the fullest.
Mommy also reflects that the tinier children are, the tinier their problems. So many new parents talk about the pains of not getting enough sleep and while the tiny tasks are many, it's so nice to be able to make a positive change in the life of a small child because it is simply possible. As children grow, simple remedies aren't always possible. Some people say, "little children, little problems... big children, big problems". My parents don't agree with this wholeheartedly, but they do love the fact that I am such an easy, joyful baby! They also hope that they don't always struggle to come to the rescue because I will have to make my own mistakes in life to learn from them!
My First 30 Minutes
Aside from the ultrasounds of me when I lived in Bellyworld, these are the first two real photographs of me. The first shows me being pulled into the light of day by Dr. Duncan who watches as I take my first breaths of air in the second.
Daddy cut the umbilical cord that tied me to Bellyworld and Dr. Duncan passed me off to a neonatal nurse. I recognized Mommy's voice when she called out for me, "Come here, sweetie pie!" She held me to her heart and gave me a hug, but the nurse grabbed me and took me into a side room.
Daddy stood with Granny and both watched closesly as I got my lungs suctioned. It was not very fun, but it helped me breathe. I weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and measured 20.25 inches long. That put me in the 75th percentile for height and 50th percentile for weight.
The nurse pulled a little trick on me first though and put me in a scull cap that made me look a silly. Mommy and Daddy love some of the first photographs of me and for that reason, I guess I love them, too! Granny took all the pictures to capture those fabulous moments. I'm glad she did, too, because not many kids remember their first minutes of life and I was able to have mine memorialized through photography.
After scoring a five-minute APGAR of 8 and getting wiped down, diapered, and swaddled tightly, I spent a few minutes in Daddy's arms. He looked pleased to see me safe and sound. He brought me back over to Mommy who was being cared for by Dr. Duncan and obstetric nurse, Cindy. Grandpa looked on as Mommy and Daddy shared views of me.
Granny grabbed me and snuggled me close. I sure hope I am as pretty as she is when I grow up. Her smile made me feel welcome in the world and I knew she loved me at first sight.
Mommy held me for a few minutes! She sure was joyful that I turned out to be a beautiful, healthy baby! I am happy that everyone was so thrilled to see me.
Cindy took Mommy away from me to the bathroom and I got taken to the nursery. Mommy would later be transported by in a wheelchair with a Teddy Bear in her lap and a congratulatory card in hand. She looked at me through the window and smiled. Daddy and Granny and Grandpa were there, smiling also.
Mommy said I was due on April 13th by her recollections and April 15th by the doctor's calculations. I'm not very superstitious so I'm happy I wasn't born on Friday the 13th and even happier I avoided a Tax Day birth! Funny how nobody guessed correctly that I'd be born early on Thursday the 12th!
My Stay at Durham Regional
I "roomed in" with Mommy, which means that I could sleep on her lap or get taken back to the nursery to get changed any time. At night, Mommy and Daddy both slept in the hospital bed. I don't know how they managed to fit! Mommy was offered the option of an early hospital discharge, but she wanted to stay so that we could get our breastfeeding relationship well underway with the help of the nurses on staff, who were really very nice! Teresa Hobbs was particularly helpful in that regard and we benefited greatly from her interventions.
I got my first sponge bath in the hospital. A nurse demonstrated the process and bathed me near the sink. My hair was shampood and my body wiped down. My stump was swabbed. My feet turned blue by the end, but I got swaddled quickly. Mommy later learned how to diaper and swaddle me.
My Birth Story (Mommy's Perspective)
Medical appointment at Durham Obstetrics and Gynecology revealed cervix to be 50% effaced and undilated with openning positioned towards spine. Started carrying a powder pink bath matt around with me. Typically, a woman's water breaks in the middle stages of labor after contractions start. But about 10-20% of the time, it happens earlier and I didn't want to leave a mess in a public place or in the new car.
Cleaned like crazy since Robert's family would be coming over to celebrate Easter. They had planned a get-together at Eno Park but the temperature was unseasonably cold. After everyone left at 7PM, started having a bloody show, followed by mild menstrual cramps. This development remained in the background of the primary source of entertainment - a televised story of the re-release of a baby otter by an Australian animal lover.
MONDAY 9APRIL
Cramps turned into mild, irregular contractions that were easy to talk through in the wee hours of the morning Monday, but nonetheless awoke me and contributed to an urge to stretch out on my back. Told Robert I might have the baby sometime in the next 48 hours.
Feeling anticipation of the looming labor, couldn't go back to sleep so got up early and packed bags for the hospital using a checklist I'd prepared one month prior. I packed my camara and it's spare battery, laptop and chord, toiletries, clothes for me, Robert, and baby, and some guides on labor and delivery. There were three bags, one for each of us, and stored them in the trunk of the Camry.
Called parents around 7:30 AM and announced symptoms had begun. Robert called his family as well. Everyone seemed excited and wanted to be kept informed.
Medical appointment at 9:30 AM revealed cervix was 75% effaced and 1.5 cm dilated with the cervical openning still positioned towards spine. Contractions went away and became sparse while at work, but returned and gained strength on returning home. They remained irregular.
TUESDAY 10APRIL
Another early morning due to stronger contractions and another full day at work since they were not regular and disappeared upon sitting down at my desk. On returning home, the contractions returned and gained more strength, but certainly did not seem strong enough to pause speech.
WEDNESDAY 11APRIL
At 2:30AM, paged Doctor on-call. Dr. Cole answered, a Harvard grad. Told her my contractions were 8-20 minutes apart, but that I was not in great enough pain to huff and puff through them, but they had awoken me. She told me to stay home until I was "sucking air" through the contractions. Went back to bed, but could not sleep.
Went to work at 9AM and left at 10:45AM for another checkup. Cervix was 90% effaced, but only dilated 1cm. Gains had been made in position of the cervical openning towards the front, however. Called parents and told them I was NOT in labor, and advised not to come down any time soon. Little did I know, however, that Dad knew the baby would make up her mind and greet the world after a few days of shyness. They secretly departed from Charleston a few hours after my call.
Returned to work and reported to friends I was in "false (prodromal) labor". Felt embarrassed that I might appear to be a hypochondriac. Contractions came every now and then and one was quite strong during the day, such that I had to resist the urge to grunt or pause my speech. Had strange desire to pack my stuff and get things wrapped up at work that evenning. Stayed 30 minutes late. On leaving, coworker Wanda offered to help carry out the armload of personal items towering in my arms. I didn't want someone sitting in my chair over the next weeks looking at a bunch of personal paraphanalia. She told me the baby was on it's way because it was clear I was "nesting" (getting everything in order). Her estimate - the next 24 hours!
Checked voicemail and learned my parents were on their way. They left me a message that got cut off during their journey through Big Walker Tunnel in Virginia. I stopped breathing momentarily after learning they would be in Durham later that night! I had no idea they were on their way - my contractions immediately returned, more powerful than ever. I had no problems driving through them, however.
Contractions occurred regularly almost every 10 minutes from that point on (6:30 PM). Went shopping for the next three hours. Wanted to get some food for my parents, cat litter, and collect mail from the post office. I remember having a contraction in Costco that kept me in a standstill. Drug a cat tower around Petsmart and placed it in the back seat with some help. Figured the cats would want to be high in their towers when the "invader" arrived. Picked up six heavy bags of cat litter at Wal-mart and carried them through the house into the garage. Put the grocieries and laundry away and then, sat down to watch the recording of an American Idol Vote-off show. It had been dark for over an hour.
Robert was still working in Rougemont and arrived just before my mom and dad at 10:30 PM. My contractions were coming every 8 minutes and were strong enough that I couldn't really sit through them. I replayed the the Vote-off show since I wanted everyone to see an awesome performance by J-Lo (Jennifer Lopez). Then we watched a Dancing with the Stars show recorded the previous evenning. We had alot of fun and it was exciting to think that the contractions were no longer sporadic.
I got up several times and walked into the other room to manage them. Something about pain, it just feels appropriate to process it in private sometimes. I had heard contractions started in a woman's back and then, moved forward. Mine started at my pubic bone and moved up and around such that there was a sudden initial urge to stand and arch my back, and then, lean forward over my knees. I would lean over my furniture to get through the contraction, some 40 seconds long. It was like someone was tying my muscles together like show laces and I remember even feeling tension in my hip abductors It felt good to pound the pinky- and/or thumb-sides of my fists against the sides of my hips rhythmically.
THURSDAY 12APRIL
LABOR AT HOME:
The contractions were never regular, but by 1AM, they were occurring every 3.5-6.5 minutes and not real painful. I dialed the on-call service at 1:30AM and was so happy when Dr. Duncan returned my call. He was my gynecologist and I had good rapport with him. The contractions were still somehwat irregular and I was so calm that I didn’t get the feeling from Dr. Duncan that I should be rushing off to the hospital. I asked him for some endpoints and he agreed that I should stay home until the contractions were regular and about three minutes apart. He advised me to take a warm bath and hydrate.
Mom and Robert went to bed around 1:45 AM and I went to the bathroom and took my warm bath. I noticed quite of bit of clear mucous on wiping and after taking my bath, there was quite a bit more. I was frankly surprised by the amount.
The bath didn’t ease the contractions; by the time I dressed for bed, I realized there was no way I could lie down. The contractions had become really uncomfortable and were occurring over shorter intervals. I began feeling really anxious and not wanting to wake anyone up. I kind of whimpered to myself over the odd possibility that it might be psychosomatic. I kept my stopwatch in hand and kept a mental note of the interval between contractions (every 2-4 minutes).
It really frustrated me to think that I might be imagining it all and that I could arrive at the hospital only to be sent back home. After pacing back and forth between the bed and bathroom, I told Robert (who was snoring loudly as he was really, really, really exhausted) that we needed to go. He said Ok and fell back to sleep. I let him through 2-3 more contractions and then, asserted again, we need to go.
Mind you, for the last two to three days, I was losing my mucous plug. It appeared as a clear mucousy membrane and tended to follow long periods of contractions. I lost quite a bit during the early hours of the 12th. Point is, I didn’t know whether it would be best to stay home or go to the hospital so I really didn’t urge Robert as hard as I could to get up. I let some more time pass.
At about 3AM, I told Robert we had to go NOW. He snored a bit through my warning and I asserted myself again twice and then, got irritated and said, COME ON LET'S GO!!! I guess by that time, I knew we had to leave and he could hear it in my voice. But I’m glad we didn’t leave earlier in retrospect.
Nervous about what to expect and simultaneously utterly frustrated with the possibility that the contractions might just stop any moment, I felt anxious and consequently remained speechless. I didn't think I could drive because the pain made me too stiff and distracted me too much, but my backseat driving urges were in full-swing even though I wasn’t so motivated to verbalize my irritation over Robert taking the scenic route. In all fairness, we were both exhausted from lack of sleep the nights before.
Like I said, I had packed all my bags Monday morning and placed them in the trunk of the car. But by the time we got to the hospital (five minutes away), I was on the verge of tears, and only wanted my insurance card. I just wanted to get in there into what I perceived to be a realm of safety and assurance. On walking towards the entrance, I stopped in the parking lot, hugged Robert and started to half-cry. By the end of the hug, I could feel a warm trickle down my leg. It was my water breaking. I actually thought I might be urinating myself as I recalled childhood memories of losing control of my bladder when frightened. It was only a few tablespoons though and didn't even make it to my sock.
LABOR AT DURHAM REGIONAL:
We entered the ER at about 4AM and walked passed a couple of nurses who directed us to the Admissions Coordinator. He wanted to put me in a wheelchair but I begged him to let me walk - I couldn't sit down - it didn't feel right (physically). When we got to the room, I took off my clothes, peed, and told Robert that there was quite a bit of bright red blood. I was alarmed, but the nurses reassured both of us that it was normal, and that my water had broken.
Robert was taking care of the admissions paperwork in the hallway when I got hooked up to the monitor, and every 2-3 minutes, I had a contraction. It was apparent on the screen --- I felt so much relief knowing I wasn't imagining them. I felt really unsure of myself, but the nurses told me I was doing really well. I was so confused by the heavy rectal pressure that I asked them repeatedly if that was normal and they assured me it was.
I didn't mind the hospital garb, a thin, blue and white gown with ties on one side. I was just happy my backside was not exposed. My hair was pulled back in a pony tail which was pretty much status quo for me. In my birth plan, I had positively reflected on the idea of a shower or a bath, but I just wanted to stand in the birthing room and wobble back and forth.
The nurse asked me to lie on the bed so she could assess my cervical status. I just couldn't - I tried, but I couldn't. I needed to stand but the pelvic exam would give some good information. I managed to lie down and was relieved to be 4 cm dilated and 100% effaced. At the same time, I had hoped I’d be a bit more dilated on admission. We were told to expect an hour for each cm --- in other words, we might not have the baby until like 10:30AM (6 MORE HOURS)! Neither of us were thrilled.
I was offered pain medication. The nurse told me it might help me relax. I was compelled to decline, but since I was in a fight-or-flight mode with several hours to go before delivery, the idea became tempting. I asked about the types of pain medication and the potential impact on the baby. They suggested Stadol (a narcotic that would wear off in about two hours and would help both mom and baby sleep) and an epidural. I looked at Robert. I knew I was betraying my wishes when I asked what he thought because in asking him for permission, I enacted a push-back dialog we had rehearsed a few times. We didn’t want to use pain medication, so Robert was reluctant to respond.
I went with the Stadol and it helped me stay reclined which thereby enabled me to sleep between contractions. We would decide on the epidural later but both really wanted to avoid it, especially after the nurses informed that it wouldn’t really help with the rectal pressure. Since we didn't refuse it, I had to have an IV access established.
Robert took off to the vending machine, only to come back from a twenty minute trek to McDonald's. I was amused. He ate and pulled out a book. I wasn’t talking much and it seemed I was either alternating glances between the wall clock and the stomach monitor or just lying there with my eyes shut. I didn't fall asleep but I was able to relax. The contractions were painful but not quite as disturbing.
I asked Robert to call my mom and dad at about 5AM. They needed their rest too so we hadn’t encouraged them to come along earlier. They arrived at about 5:30 AM. I remember feeling so excited when Robert made the call, knowing they would soon be there to cheer me on. They brought a camara and a ton of love and physical carressing. I was so glad they were there!
Dr. Duncan finally arrived at 6:15 AM. As he was doing the pelvic exam, I told him how happy I was that he was delivering the baby because I knew he was a terrific doctor. He appreciated the feedback and announced I was dilated 6 cm. He offered an epidural and I. Robert pushed back as I had asked him to. Robert was interrupted and informed that I was entering the Transition Phase, certainly an intense stage of labor. Dr. Duncan said that if I wanted the epidural, I should get it. Robert was just trying to discourage me from doing something I didn't want to do.
After he left the room, I fell into a state of "coping consciousness" that permitted me to hear the conversations around the room without partaking in them. I remember thinking that it was taking the pharmacy a long time to get the epidural to me. My parents kept attempting to engage me in conversation and I just asked that they talk to each other. I loved hearing them, but could not respond. My dad kept commenting on the baby's heartrate, saying how healthy it looked and expressing pride in the fact that I'd done a marathon during the pregnancy. He is a proud father and was showing the signs of being a proud grandfather as well!
When I accepted the offer for the epidural, Robert and my mother took a brief visit to the hospital cafeteria. I recall Robert informing my mom that the epidural would prolong the labor process and that we were told we wouldn't likely deliver until 10:30 AM based on news we had heard on admission. And based on Dr. Duncan's exam, we were right on track with the 1 cm/hour prediction.
It seemed like I had a few tough contractions and that the twosome was only gone for a few minutes when I announced to my dad, who had stayed behind with me, I NEED A NURSE - I CANNOT RESIST THE URGE TO PUSH - I HAVE TO PUSH!!! That happened between 7-7:15AM, and I still hadn't gotten the epidrual. I remember my dad didn't ask any questions and that I just wanted to make clear to him that all of a sudden, I felt ready to take an active role in delivering the baby. My dad left the room to get a nurse.
The nurses were in shift transition and I think my dad had to interrupt them during their handoff meeting. A new nurse named Cindy entered the room and I swear the whole room lit up. She took my dad seriously and did quick pelvic exam. I was 9CM! Cindy reorganized the room and adjusted the bed, announcing I'd be delivering the baby in the next hour! I remember asking her to CANCEL THE EPIDURAL - I DIDN'T WANT IT! I was so happy I didn't receive it!
Cindy told me to avoid pushing for now to prevent ripping my cervix. I would only have to hold back for about a half-hour she said. She encouraged me to get up, take all the wires off me and empty my bladder while she called the doctor. I did. I was in the bathroom when Robert walked in with my mom. On hearing the news, Robert became excited and that made me happy.
I returned to the bed and struggled with the temptation to push. My dad told me to squeeze his hand as hard as I could. It was so hard not to push that squeezing his hand actually gave me a sense of control. It was one of the hardest things I've tried not to do. Robert got on the other side of th bed and offered his hand and then, complained that I hurt his hand squeezing it as hard as I had.
Cindy kept telling me how great I was doing and it really made me feel wonderful! She called the doctor in again when I was 10 cm. That's when I could begin pushing. She put a mirror at the front right of the bed so that I could see any progress that occurred. Cindy coached me through most of it, but the Doctor Duncan was present also. The baby crowned and I was told to refrain from pushing any further and to just hold tight. It was hard holding tight because I could feel the head slipping back up into my body.
I was surprized by how fast it was all happening, but I remember it seemed to take a while for Dr. Duncan to gown up and prepare himself to do the delivery. I remember telling him to hurry up and and then, thinking how uninhibited I had become and how it may have sounded rude.
He applied some topical substance around my perinium that burned like crazy. I remember telling him all about it, too. It dawned on me that obstetricians must learn to take a lot of abuse from mothers because I wasn't able to hold back the comments. But I tried to be generous with kind comments as well.
Both Dr. Duncan and Cindy kept telling me pushpushpushpush through the contraction, breathe between the contractions, and pushpushpushpushpush through the next contraction, such that by the end of each contraction, I was totally wiped out. It was the hardest thing I've ever tried to do to get the baby out.
I was under the impression that the baby might be in less distress if she spent less time in the birth canal, but the doctor was a little surprised by my concern and reassured me she was just fine. I pushed so hard, vessels popped in my face in about four places (no big deal) and I did feel like I was going to pass out if I pushed any harder at one point, but like I said, it did feel so much better to push. My mom was swabbing my face with a cold compress because it was bright, bright red. I was really glad she did because it felt terrific.
They stroked my ego by telling me I was a pro - the "pusher of the week", in fact. Dr. Duncan even claimed taller women were able to push better and while we all inquired about the logic behind that phenomenon, we didn't really arrive at an answer. My mom and dad were so proud... and Robert pulled up a seat and announced, "Wow, I can see it, just keep pushing." I found Robert's comments reassuring because the angle of the mirror didn’t allow me to see much progress. Robert reassured that her head was emerging! I took his word for it and kept trying. I remember someone commenting on how red my face was.
Chloe was born at 8:16 AM, the same time of morning I was born, down to the minute. Robert was offerred the chord to cut and with Dr. Duncan's assistance, he snipped through it and alas, she was on her own in this great big world.
I got a second wind when I saw my sweet Chloe being passed into the hands of a neonatal nurse. She was so beautiful and gorgeous and perfect. Her eyes were wide open and she was taking it all in, and didn't really cry. I the following words just pooring out of my mouth like some reflex,"hey sweetie pie, come here..." I was so amazed by the site of this beautiful, alert, healthy-looking baby.
I will never have a moment that matches the joy of her birth. It was so worth it! She looked at me with this alert gaze and I watched her gaze dance around as she was whisked away to have her lungs suctioned.
Looking back, I am very happy we did it "naturally". Funny thing was that when we asked about the drawbacks of the epidural, we were told about no real side effects, but after we delivered, we were informed that the pushing process might have been a two-three hour process. We pushed for twenty minutes and while it was tough, it was much better than waiting for contractions to cease. I was able to get a grip on the baby and push with the contraction.
I bled like crazy thereafter, and thought the placenta looked like a total alien of a thing. I didn't really rip, but I felt a cut extending towards my labia that Dr. Duncan stitched once. He said I didn't rip, and that I should be proud of myself for the "natural childbirth". I appreciated his kind words and really must say it was without a doubt, the best day of my life!
My Welcome-to-the-World Parties
A couple of parties were thrown to welcome me to the world! One was thrown by my family and another by Mommy's coworkers at PPD! Both parties celebrated my upcoming birth.
Nana and Aunts September and Elizabeth organized the celebration at our house in Durham. Mommy wanted to allow boys to come so that Daddy could be there, too! Papa was able to serve mimosa's! Granny and Grandpa brought me my heiloom crib! And Uncle Jon and Aunt Jennifer brought Cousin Harrison along and a gazillion gifts! Of course, Cousin Charlotte was there also. Friends of Mommy's and Daddy's Alexis, Dawn, Sarah, Sara, and Jaime brought plenty of warmth and smiles!
Nana and Aunts September and Elizabeth organized the celebration at our house in Durham. Mommy wanted to allow boys to come so that Daddy could be there, too! Papa was able to serve mimosa's! Granny and Grandpa brought me my heiloom crib! And Uncle Jon and Aunt Jennifer brought Cousin Harrison along and a gazillion gifts! Of course, Cousin Charlotte was there also. Friends of Mommy's and Daddy's Alexis, Dawn, Sarah, Sara, and Jaime brought plenty of warmth and smiles!
Grandpa made a crib that all my Mommy's siblings slept in! It became my crib and when Granny and Grandpa came down, they refinished it! They also brought a corner cupboard and a dresser with matching cherry finish. You don't have to look to hard to see Mommy's bump. That's me in there!
Mommy gave Uncle Jon (Bon Bon) an old book that they used to read alot called Jonny Lion's Rubber Boots. Uncle Jon looks pretty thrilled as he reminisces. He looks forward to reading it to Cousin Harrison.
Cousin Harrison offers smiling approval of Grandpa's crib!
Mommy holds up a stuffed animal that Dawn crocheted for me. Mommy took the liberty of naming him Donnie after Dawn. Cute enough. Dawn also made me a blanket, sweater, hat, and footies. The yarn she used is washable and the material beautiful. I hope if someday I have a daughter that I can give her these precious heirlooms. If you look close, you can see Donnie is wearing my footies!
Aunt Jennifer looks on! She was so unbelievably generous to me! She tells Mommy she's excited that she can buy things for me and that she always had nice relationships with her aunts and that she'd like to have a close one with me, too!
Grandpa looks on as Mommy opens another gift!
Mommy was so happy Alexis could make it! She took lots of pictures and brought lots of joy!
Aunt September and Granny sit next to each other on the couch enjoying the unwrapping of the gifts! They are both beautiful!
Mommy and Daddy cut my Welcome to the World cake!
Uncle Jon and Cousin Harrison look pretty excited about cake!
Nana and Papa smile for the camara!
Cousin Charlotte receives a kiss from Aunt Elizabeth.
My second party was held at PPD on Friday the 23rd of March, 2007. Mommy was overwhelmed by the generosity of her colleagues. They made her a diaper cake and wrote words of encouragement on diapers for those late-night changes. She was speechless with appreciation for their acts of kindness and generosity!
Bellyworld
Bellyworld was my first home ever. It felt safe and warm and there was usually plenty to eat. I could also play and sleep as long and often as I wanted. It changed everyday and so did I. It's hard to explain but it seemed like we grew together. Bellyworld wasn't so much a place as it was a friend that liked having me around, so much that it tried to accomodate me even as I grew bigger and bigger. Fortunately, its neighbors didn't protest against our expansion but I did hear quite a lot of grumbling, sometimes even from Mommy.
Mommy didn't know I was a resident of Bellyworld for some time. Enough changes were occurring though that she developed a stubborn, stuffy nose and felt a little tired. That's when she started wondering. I wasn't sure what she might think. She tried to determine if Bellyworld was occupied using tests that initially told her the place was vacant. My cover was blown on the sixth day of August. Mommy and Daddy called all my family to tell them about me. It was really flattering to know that they were all excited. I liked Bellyworld and it liked me and so did everyone else for that matter!
After a few months, I began hearing the voices of my Mommy and Daddy and pretty soon I realized they were often talking about me, and sometimes, even to me! Occassionally, when I got real, real big, I'd kick my feet out past the edges of Bellyworld and I could feel Mommy's hand tickling my heels. That was the first game I learned to play. I liked feeling her grab them so much that I'd keep my feet kicked out as long as I could. I loved knowing that life existed beyond my little Bellyworld and I became more and more curious about it with each passing day.
Mommy and Daddy got some photographs of me in Bellyworld. The first photograph was taken in early September, 2006. She was able to see my heartbeating and it took her breath away. She actually started crying.
I slept well in Bellyworld and usually was on the same schedule as Mommy and Daddy. Still, plenty of exciting things happened when I was in Bellyworld.
One thing I am proud of - I was so easy on Mommy that she and Daddy were able to run the Chicago Marathon when I was thirteen and a half bellywinks old. I like to say I ran it "in utero". Daddy had to slow down a bit for us, but we all finished together. It was one of the most joyful moments ever for Mommy and Daddy! I am so happy that I did my first marathon in Bellyland. I remember the sound of Mommy's heartbeat and recognize that it was working hard. There were plenty of joy chemicals hanging around when we all finished. She says she felt me kick for the first time ever after drinking a large glass of icy cold water. The water must have frozen my rump because I kicked like an olympian athlete. I didn't begin kicking regularly until I was 17 bellywinks old and from that point on, I moved around often when we were awake but when I slept, Mommy could hardly arouse me. By 34 bellywinks, I was oriented head down and Mommy said that's when she started grabbing at my feed when I stretched my legs out. My feet usually kicked out beneath her right ribs. Mommy started an in utero piggybank for me that held any random silver change she found during my stay in Bellyworld. She managed to fit three quarters in it the day before I was born and figured I'd be born soon afterwards.
I slept well in Bellyworld and usually was on the same schedule as Mommy and Daddy. Still, plenty of exciting things happened when I was in Bellyworld.
One thing I was happy of - I was easy on Mommy that she and Daddy were able to run the Chicago Marathon when I was thirteen and a half bellywinks old. I like to say I ran it "in utero". Daddy had to slow down a bit for us, but we all finished together. It was one of the most joyful moments ever for Mommy and Daddy! I am so happy that I did my first marathon in Bellyland. I remember the sound of Mommy's heartbeat and recognize that it was working hard. There were plenty of joy chemicals hanging around when we all finished.
Pictures were taken of me on the 16th of November that revealed I was a girl! Mommy remembers Daddy saying, "Little boys are made of frogs, snails, and puppy dog tails. Little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice!"
Mommy and Daddy celebrated Thanksgiving in Durham after moving into the house the day before. Granny helps Mommy use the mixer. Mommy's bump is not that prominent even at four months.
Uncle Charles lit candels for Charlotte's forth birthday. He would pass away a little over a month later. He was a good man and valued nature, family, and liked to spend spare time playing lots of games!
Christmas came and went and Mommy and Daddy looked so forward to Christmas, 2007 when I would be there to share it with them!
Grandpa published his book, It's More Than Just Winning. He travelled a bit in the spring and into the summer and sold quite a few copies. The autobiography describes Grandpa's experiences while playing basketball, and weaves in moralistic tales emphasizing the importance of character in the midst of elation and/or adversity.
Harrison turned one year old in early February and got to paint himself green with green icing!
By 34 bellywinks, I was oriented head down and Mommy said that's when she started grabbing at my feed when I stretched my legs out. My feet usually kicked out beneath her right ribs.
My family held a Welcome-to-the-World party for me about a month before I was due to make my big debut. They had cake, mimosas, and all sorts of fun appetizers. Mommy and Daddy were both there and that means I was too!
Mommy's work threw her a baby shower and that was super fun! I got a diaper cake and lots of stuff that I would use during the first months of my life, including some precious clothes that Mommy would later photograph me in. The diaper cake below was almost too pretty for consumption!
Mommy sold her BMW Z3 in March and purchased a Toyota Camry. The Camry is safe and has a bunch of airbags and gets great gas mileage! Mommy enjoyed the convertable but it wasn't really her style!
Aunt Elizabeth gives my rump a big rub. This is the last picture taken of Mommy before I was born.
Mommy and Daddy hosted Easter Dinner and after cleaning the house really hard, Mommy started having her first symptoms of labor.
Mommy started an in utero piggybank for me that held any random silver change she found during my stay in Bellyworld. She managed to fit three quarters in it the day before I was born and figured I'd be born soon afterwards.
Friday, June 15, 2007
What's in a name?
They agreed on Noellë in February and mainly liked its symbolism of Christmas, especially since they consider me to be the greatest of all gifts! Chloë Noellë Mihaly sounded musical to them both and became their favorite!
It wasn’t until the nurse brought them the birth certificate application on Friday the Thirteenth of April, the day after I was born, that Mommy began experiencing a little indecision. After sleeping on it, she informed Daddy that she might want to add Smith as a second middle name in honor of my maternal grandparents. But both of them found the idea of four names cumbersome, thank goodness.
They brainstormed on names in the Smith family like Roxalana, Isabel, Elisandra (in honor of my paternal great grandmother, Eliza and maternal grandmother, Sandra), but nothing thrilled them. They thought about Christina, Kristen, and other names that began with syllables sounding like Chris, my maternal grandfather. At about that time, Chrysanthemum popped into Mommy's mind. Daddy liked it but went home to do some additional internet research. The more he explored it and shared what he found with Mommy, the more they discovered how it fit.
Mommy always liked the idea of naming me after a simple and elegant flower and Daddy always wanted to give his child a name as unique as I. Mommy was also kind of thrilled that the logic behind it followed that of my maternal great, great grandparents whose children were named after gems and greenery (Opal, Garnet, Ruby, Fern). Chrysanthemum would also serve as a namesake for three of my grandparents:
Chrys - for my maternal grandfather, Chris
San – for my maternal grandmother, Sandra
The mum – for my paternal grandmother, Janet
They decided to call me Chloë Chrysanthemum Mihaly. It was an elleventh hour decision, but one we are all very happy with. Chloë Chrysanthemum means blooming flower. It also is the city flower of Chicago, where we all ran our first marathon (I was in Bellyworld at the time)! Plus, there is an annual Festival of the Chrysanthemum in China. We are all going to go when I am four.
Daddy also discovered a children's book entitled Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. They thought it was simply a must-read and drove me to Barnes and Noble in Briar Creek to purchase it as soon as we were discharged from the hospital.
So as far as Mommy and Daddy were concerned, I had the most wonderful name in the world. A common nickname for Chloë is CoCo so if I want, I can have an alias. Even though Chloë was one of the most popular names in the United States in 2006 and tops the charts in Australia, Scotland, and Ireland, as names go, Chloë Chrysanthemum Mihaly is one of a kind just like me!