"Ohhh, do I see lunch coming my way?!?!" 

So Embarrassed!

I can't believe I forgot to post this last week...

After speaking to my lactation colsultant last Saturday we determined that Robert and I may have thrush. (Yeast infection in the breast) We were both showing the signs. I put a call into my OB and he called in a prescription for me... an antifungal cream for my nipples. He also suggested me to call Robert's pediatrician and see if we could get him treated right away. It was Saturday night and he didn't want me to wait until Monday.
I called the pediatricians office and got the answering service. They told me that Dr. Lynch was the on-call doctor for the weekend and that he would call me as soon as he could. I have never met Dr. Lynch before, but I was okay with that.
A few hours passed. The phone rang at about 8:30. This is how the conversation went:

Caller: Hello, Mrs. Trifiletti. How are you?
Me: Hi. I'm good thanks.
Caller: What's going on.
Me: Well, my OB urged me to call you. I have been diagnosed with thrush. He has prescribed me an ointment (pause)... for my nipples. He suggested that I call you about my baby.
Caller: Oh really?
Me: Yes. (hm, that voice sounds familiar)
Caller: Well, I think you need to have more sex with Bobby...
Me: OHMYGOD... BOBBY, it's Dave!

I was SOOO embarrassed. It was Bobby's friend Dave. I can't believe I was so naive. I never met Dr Lynch, so I had no idea what he sounded like. I wasn't expecting a call from Dave, and here I am talking to him about my nipples!

Dr. Lynch never did call us back. We had a regular checkup that Monday and the (dumb) doctor said that Robert didn't have thrush, despite the white patches on his gums. I still think they are wrong. I can't wait to see that new doctor.

Michelle found these mis-shapen pretzels in our recent bag of Weis Thin Pretzels. I want to put them up for auction on eBay under the heading "Virgin mary holding baby jeasus prtetzels" The amazing thing is it appears to have occured exactly twice as the picture shows both found pretzels. What do you think they look like? 

Fed up with the doctor

Robert's weight stayed the same this week. The doctor pulled me into an exam room and told me that I have to stop breast feeding because Robert isn't gaining weight. I broke into tears. I don't want to stop... I don't want to lose this bond I have with my son.

I should have known... this particular doctor suggested formula from the start. For some reason, he is very anti-breastfeeding. Robert is NOT dehydrated and completely thriving in all other areas of development. The "standards" that are established for weight gain are based on formula fed babies - no wonder he isn't following the curve.

I got in touch with the local Le Leche League leader and set up an appt with her for a consultation. She and I have been in touch over the phone for the past few weeks, trying to figure out what could be the cause of Robert's slow weight gain. We ruled out thrush (tho I still think I have it), Robert is not tongue tied, and my milk supply should be pretty much established. We also figured out tha based on his losses early on and his gains since, he really is right where he should be. Still, I am so unsure about so many things and seem to have lost all confidence in myself. I am a very analytical person, and I question most things in my life. Whats worse, is now I wuestion everything in Robert's life! Bobby calls this Hypochondria... I call it concern :)

We will no longer go to Pocono Pediatrics. They are the only place in the area and seem to be what Bobby calls a "Baby Mill." they have so many patients and we don't feel like we are getting the attention we deserve. We are nothing but a name.

We are switching to Children's Choice in Bethlehem. Dr. Novak was our Pediatrician when we were in the hospital, and we like him very much. His office is a bit out of the way (a 45 min drive) but we think it will be worth it for Robert to get the care he deserves and for mom and dad to get the support and piece of mind that they need.

"Grandmom Trif likes rocking me in the glider." 

"I love looking at those ceiling fans" 

We went to the doctor for a weight check last Thursday (4-14) and Robert was only up 1 oz. The doctor wanted to see him again on Monday and Robert gained 10 oz in 4 days. Unfortunately, he was also running a slight temp. (99.4) the doctor didn't seem concerned, he said Robert may have a cold, but he also took a urine sample to be sure that he didn't have a urinary tract infection - a possibility with the orange-ish streaks we've been seeing in his diapers. I, personally, don't think that he has a UTI, I just think he was dehydrated.

We have been continuing the formula... to my dismay. I hate it. I feel inadequate, like I can't provide nourishment for my own child. I am still working on my supply and intend on calling a lactation consultant soon. Robert has continued to latch on well, but he has a problem with falling asleep while he eats.

Bobby goes out of town next week. Robert and I will visit Gram and Pape Gladu in Horsham for a few days. (Mommy is beginning to like this whole "not working" thing... much more than she thought she would - going back to work is going to be hard!)

Robert "Spike" Trifiletti III rests after a bath. 

Robert Naps this afternoon. 

A Book of Mondays

A Book of Days, so it's been told
is a picture each week until you're one year old.
You're getting so big, my how you've changed,
One cannot stop what time has arranged.
So cherish these moments, frozen in time,
because no matter how big, you'll always be mine.

Robert has a book of Mondays. Each Monday for his first year of life, we will take his picture. By the time he is one year old we will have 52 (or in our case 104 - 2 each week) pictures of his first year of life.

This idea came from one of the moms at the daycare where I work. She claims it was her 'idea' and we encouraged her to patent it... and maybe sell it to Hallmark. She could make a killing.

I made a "Book of Tuesdays" for my nephew, Oliver last year when he was born. He is nearing the end of his first year and now Robert's "Book of Mondays" has begun.

The breast is best?

Its 3am... time to eat - again! I have Robert on my lap, latched on the right side, and a bottle of formula in front of me.

Robert has not been gaining weight properly. Most likely due to the improper latch I posted of earlier. And although we seem to have made some improvement, my body doesn't want to produce enough milk to feed this little guy. We have been to the pediatrician twice and both times he recommended supplementing with formula. Robert's weight was down to 7 lbs 15 oz, and I was in tears in the dr.'s office. The truth was evident... My baby was going to have to drink formula.

I was reluctant to start it for two reasons: 1. fear that Robert may like the bottle nipple better than my own and 2. the breast is best.
I have read all about 'nipple confusion' when a bottle os offered too soon. Also, a baby sucks on a bottle nipple or pacifier differently than he would at the breast. 'Suckling' from the breast is much harder work than 'sucking' from a bottle. Some babies may prefer the ease of a bottle flow and wean themselves from the breast at a very early age. I digress.

I started to give Robert 2 oz of formula at most of his feedings (after offering the breast - we are still trying to increase my supply) The formula makes him gassy, and he hasn't quite figured out how to suck the bottle nipple efficiently. But his skin is less dry - better hydration - and he seems very content after his feedings.

Hopefully this isn't something we will have to continue, but for now its working.

Robert ponders some thoughts on a sunny morning chilin' with Dad. 

Robert enjoys some playtime with Mommy last weekend in Philly. 

Robert looking refreshed after a bath on 4 April 2005 

Busy weekend...

Robert had quite the busy weekend.
We left Friday afternoon for Robert's first trip to Gram and Pape Gladu's in the Philly area. We planned to attend a wedding for my cousin on Friday evening. And we did attend the wedding, barely. I had to leave in the middle of the ceremony to feed Robert in the car. Now that we have this breast feeding thing down pat, Robert wants to eat ALL the time. (Bobby is so proud - his son is a boob man!) After the wedding, we visited with my grandmother. She was excited to meet her 4th Great Grandchild.
Aunt Germaine and Uncle Rob were visiting from Pittsburgh for the weekend. It was so nice to be able to spend some time with them. Robert was so excited to meet them! We took tons of pictures with them.
On Saturday, we visited Great Grandmom and Great Grandpop Salerno (Bobby's grandparents) and Great Aunt Kathy, Great Uncle Rick and 2nd cousins Ricky and Nicole. They, too, were so excited to meet Robert. Of course, Robert needed to eat while we were there... so he and mommy had some quality time together. Our visit was short, but very nice.
And Robert got some cute presents too. He loved that!
On Sunday, we visited Great Grandmom Trif and Great Aunt Carol and Great Uncle Tom in Phoenixville, PA. Robert had to have a meal there, as well. He is one hungry dude. But sometimes I think he just wants to be anti-social.

We brought Gram Gladu back to the Poconos with us. She is spending the week here since Bobby is (reluctantly) going back to work this week. We plan to have lots of fun!

Breastfeeding woes

***Hello members of the Lil' Trif fan club... This message should have been posted on Thursday, but for some reason, blogger wouldn't work on my computer. I saved it and now its finally pasted here for you to read. Our apologies for a lack of recent updates, and we promise to keep you all better informed in the future.

I underestimated this whole breastfeeding thing. Whoa. Its really hard! We were off to a rough start... We ended up taking Robert to the pediatritian for the first time on Tuesday. I became very concerned with the pinky color his urine was leaving in his diapers. According to all the books, this is normal in newborns - it is uric acid crystals and it occurs in babies until the mother's milk comes in. It is not normal after the milk is available. Well, my milk was in by Saturday and he was still having these crystals in his pee. I called the doctor and they wanted to see him. He obviously wasn't getting enough to eat (or drink). The doctor suggested supplementing with formula. Blah. I didn't like that idea. But I suppose if it best for the baby, I can't deny him the proper nutrients. I also am against offering him a bottle too soon. We do plan to start the bottle in a few weeks, but right now I want him to become acclimated with the breast, and apparently that wasn't working well.

Bobby and I started to really pay attention to ever detail of my breast feeding sessions (which occur every hour and a half - from start to start - so I am feeding him 12-15 times each day, round the clock! I wanted to really give breast feeding everything I had before supplementing. At each feeding, we paid attention to Robert's positioning, my positioning, how he latches on and how he gulped and swallowed. It seems the latching was the biggest problem.

Long story short, we think we nipped it in the bud... he is finally catching on. He is pooping and peeing like a champ, and he seems much more content. As you probably know, this kid likes to take his time with most things. He's probably a perfectionist. :)

Last night, we had to wake him up to eat. He slept from 11:30 until 4am. We were impressed.

Success

We had a good night last night! Robert had a very good feeding at about 11 and we were all in bed by 11:30. I needed to wake him up to feed him at 2:30am. I had some trouble getting him up... I couldn't believe it! We were up until about 4. Bobby put him back to sleep, with a bit of trouble. I needed to go back to sleep, I couldn't keep my eyes open. Robert slept again until 7am. When I woke up this morning, he was laying on his side. I asked Bobby if he put him to sleep on his side, and he said no. Having worked with infants, I know that rolling over doesn't occur until about 3-4 months of age... wow, if our little guy is trying already, he truely is a genius!

I think we are really getting the hang of this parenting thing. It's certainly challenging, but most definately worth it. Its such a rewarding experience. We love him so much, and he is such a joy.

I swear he is getting bigger each day...

Saturday, Robert's cousin Oliver Bean Hall came for his first visit. Along with Aunt Julie and Uncle Howard everyone had a great time meeting the newst Trif.

2 of 3: Eating and Sleeping

Well that first night home from the hospital is always a doozie. Of Course Robert slept all the way from the hospital about 40 min away, to Target, then home with out a cry. He made up for it at night. Quite the "sucker" he enjoys feeding. Probably is a little hungry and enjoying the few tiny drops of liquid he gets.

Thursday night was a little better. He had two 2+ hour stretches of sleep. I was slept through one of them to get about 3 - 5 hrs sleep. That is huge with a newborn. Mich slept about 2 hrs. Friday he again had a great long day nap, about from 12:20 - 245. Unfortunately we had to drive with him to wind gap so Mich could get some lab work done. Later that afternoon he did take another solid hour nap.

Every piece of literature that is available on breastfeeding answers supposed mom's questions about the baby not taking the the breast or not getting enough milk. We have the opposite problem, Robert loves the boob. If he is not sleeping, pooping or in a happy-content moment, he wants to suck on the boob. Now every parent thinks their kid is a genius but Robert truly is. He already knows that the pacifier is NOT a boob. So even though the hospital warns about boob confusion when using pacifiers, Robert is pretty damn smart.

This is just typical as we saw him swallowing and gulping while in the womb on a later ultrasound. And as much as his left arm was curled up into his chest and mouth, he loves that hand, especially in the mouth :-)

Last night (Friday Night) I think he slept well, I think 3 good stretches of sleep. I believe I was up for 2 of them but am such a damn heavy sleeper that I didn't wake up for one. If I could feed I would insist the wifey wake me up. But I try and make up for it doing stuff around the house during the day. My biggest struggle is getting Michelle to sleep when Robert is with me or sleeping. But I think after feeling the exhaustion of last night she is ready to start listening.

How about this for a cute picture. This is a happy Robert enjoying a thumb. He is a major "sucker": fingers, thumbs, my face :-), and of course the boobs ;-) 

The Birth Story... coming soon

this spot reserved for the birth story... coming soon!

I hope you are all enjoying this site. Bobby is doing an awesome job keeping you all informed... i, on the otherhand, am busy doing other "stuff." I promise to get a story posted here soon.

mich

ps bobby is such a great daddy already. he is my sanity in these trying times.



(I love you so much, baby. Thank you for everything, especially our son. Now, I have everything I need. mwah xo)

edited 4-4-05 to add:
Birth Story – Robert Anthony Trifiletti III

Our induction was scheduled for Monday, March 28^th at 8am.

I woke up early (2:30am – typical during the last weeks) on Monday morning - starving, but not allowed to eat – doctor’s orders. I did some last minute chores in the house –took out the trash, ran the dishwasher, made sure the place was tidy for when we returned with our new arrival. I had been trying for weeks to just keep up with the housework since I wasn’t sure when we would be going anyway.

I jumped in the shower at about 6am and then woke up Bobby. We were both so anxious and excited. It was cold and icy outside when we left. The front steps were covered in a sheet of ice and so was the windshield on the car. As we got closer to the hospital, the icy mix became rain. John Mayer’s “Daughter” played on the radio as Bobby drove. I turned to him and said “do you hear the song? I bet it’s a girl.” Little did we know!

We parked the car in “stork parking” and entered the hospital as a couple – hard to believe that when we would exit those doors, we would be a “family”.

When we got to the Labor and Delivery floor to check in, the receptionist asked us who told us to be there at 8am. Apparently, we were supposed to be there at 7am, and the nurse who scheduled us mixed up the message – no big deal.

We immediately met our L&D nurse, Judy. She took me to L&D room 309 and prepped me. I was hooked up to a monitor and asked tons of questions. I was very surprised that the monitor was showing that I was having contractions every five minutes. I wasn’t feeling anything. We determined that I was probably dehydrated since I had hardly any liquids in the past 12 hours. Once my IV was started, the contractions started to spread out.

Dr. Ricardo Alverez came in to introduce himself. He explained that he would be working with Dr. Kriner (whom I was hoping would be on call - he was my favorite doctor in the practice) Dr. Alverez was a first year resident at the hospital and he seemed to ask me the same questions over and over… (in a think Spanish accent) “is this your first child? Do you have any allergies? How old are you?” He was obviously a nervous first year resident and he seemed to be thinking more than listening to my answers. He was very nice, nonetheless.

Dr. Patel came in next. He was also a resident, but seemed much more confident. He worked with Dr. Alverez, prepping me and the room for my delivery.

It was 10am before my pitocin drip was hooked into the IV. (Pitocin is a synthetic form of oxytocin – the hormone a woman’s body produces to make the uterus contract to signal labor.) My cervix was already 70% effaced thinned out) and 1-2cm dilated before the drip started.

I began to feel contractions within 20 minutes. (so… that’s what it’s supposed to feel like!) I was constantly asked to rate my pain on a scale of 1-10. My pain level remained below 5 for about an hour.

My cervix was checked at 11am and I was 3 cm and 80% effaced. I explained to the doctors that I wanted to have an epidural as soon as I was allowed. They told me that having it too early would increase my chances of needing a C-section. I told them I would hold on for as long as I could, and would let them know when I was in severe pain. At about 11:45, I was unable to speak through the contractions. Dr. Alverez ordered that I have Stadol through my IV. This would take the edge off the pain until I could (hopefully) get an epidural. I felt drunk and loopy within seconds of receiving it. I wanted to sleep. I closed my eyes to rest. It was hard for me to not speak the crazy thoughts that were racing through my mind. I liked this drug!

I was 4-5 cm when the anesthesiologist came to administer my epidural. It was about 1:30pm. Judy wanted me to empty my bladder before getting the epi. I was still feeling quite high from the stadol. She and Bobby helped me to the bathroom, where I fell asleep on the toilet several times before they had to come get me. I don’t remember the epidural hurting very much. I was half asleep while it was administered. I remember feeling some pressure, but I squeezed a pillow and leaned into Bobby the whole time.

I felt a bit nauseous after getting it. The doctors had me lay on my right side, and my blood pressure dropped considerably. (apparently very common after an epi) I was turned to my left side, and then given 2 doses of Effrin (sp) to pump up my blood pressure and an oxygen mask. I was so out of it at this point, I don’t remember much. I remember Dr. Alverez picking up my legs and resting them on his shoulder. I commented “I think this is how I got pregnant in the first place.” Everyone laughed.

I was checked again in an hour. I had gone from 4cm to 9 cm in only an hour! (usually, patients progress 1 cm every hour!) Dr. Alverez said he would check me again in 30 minutes.

By 3pm, I was completely dilated and ready to push! Judy (my nurse) was finished her shift at 3. I could tell she didn’t want to leave, she must have said goodbye to me ten times!

My new nurse’s name was Vicki. I really liked her, too. She and the doctors thought that maybe I should “labor down” for an hour before starting to push. I understand that to mean that we would let the baby move on its own so that I wouldn’t waste my energy pushing… especially since it was my first baby and I was expected to push for 2 hours.

Vicki said I could push right then if I wanted to. I told her I would try. They put up the stirrups and got everything ready. My parents left the room, and just then Bobby’s mom and sister arrived. They barely had a chance to poke their heads in to say hi. It was 3:25pm when I started to push. I couldn’t believe I was actually doing it… all those times I watched A Baby Story – this was nothing like tv at all. It was so surreal.

I was feeling pressure with each contraction, and was able to push three or four times through each one, only resting through one. Pushing wasn’t the really hard part… it was holding my breath through the s-l-o-w counts of ten. At one point, I motioned to Bobby to speed up his counting. I still had that dumb oxygen mask on my face, and I pulled it off each time I finished pushing.

As the baby’s head began to crown, I felt more and more pressure. I began to grunt and make noises as I pushed. At one point, I said what is typically heard in a delivery room, “I can’t do it anymore.” With Vicki and Bobby cheering me on, I had a surge of energy. I saw Drs. Alverez and Patel quickly get suited up, and Dr. Rao stood by to instruct the residents. I took control of the whole situation… I was announcing each contraction, and pushing like a mad woman.

Within minutes, Dr. Rao said the head was almost out and we were going to have a baby with another push or two. She insisted it was going to be a girl when she saw the hair on the baby’s head.

As the head popped out, the umbilical cord was wrapped tightly around the baby’s neck. The doctor’s quickly clamped it and cut it. Bobby was relieved; he didn’t want to cut it anyway.

I always thought that once the baby’s head was out, the rest of the baby just kind of slithered out… well, the hardest part was pushing out the shoulders. This lasted only a few minutes. The doctors put lots of pressure on my belly, pushing the baby’s feet, downward towards the birth canal.

Within minutes the baby was entirely out, and Bobby shouted “IT’S A BOY!” Our families waited patiently outside the room, and we heard them cheer. (Later I saw pictures of their ears pressed against the door!) It was 4:07pm. I pushed for 40 minutes total. Everyone commended me on such a short labor and an excellent job pushing.

The baby was immediately taken to the “baby station” where he was to be cleaned up… I knew something had to be wrong, because Vicki had told me earlier that they would place him right on my chest when he came out. I looked over at him in a panic and asked if he was okay. I saw the nurses whispering and then make a phone call. The baby wasn’t breathing. Within seconds someone from the Neonatal Infant Care Unit arrived, but little Robert had already let out a good cry and we were all reassured that he was going to be okay. His Apgar scores were 5 and 9. I delivered the afterbirth (which was a blur). Bobby saw it… he said it was pretty gross.

Robert was bundled and bought to me, as I was stitched (10 stitches from a tear). Our families joined us, and we were all ecstatic as little Robert stayed very alert… looking all around and finding comfort by sucking on his fingers.

Vicki brought me dinner and helped me get cleaned up before I was moved to a recovery room, where we made some phone calls and had some visitors.

We stayed at the hospital until Wednesday, March 30^th. After Robert was circumcised, we were able to leave. Now we are home, and after a bit of the 'baby blues' we're adjusting well!

Robert Anthony Trifiletti III
March 28, 2005
4:07pm
21.5 inches long

Robert III checking out Robert Jr. One of the cutest picts so far. 

Quick post...

I don't think Michelle is going to be able to post "the baby story" tonight, but soon you will get delivery day details. Today we came home from the hospital. The whole ride back to Bartonsville, Target then home, Robert slept. Could not have ordered that any better. Today at home he "played" with me and was quite content just looking at me and around the area. Tonight he seems hungry! Been very good at taking to the boob and he enjoys feeding alot. A real sucker, always with the thumbs and hand in the mouth. Right now all he wants to do is feed. With only colostrum [sp] and no milk yet, Robert is probably getting hungry.

Dave, an uncle times 2, is a baby professional. 

Andrew is very happy holding a 3 hour old Robert. 

The mexican lady startled him but we got another cute picture... 

Couldn't resist a few more picts... 

Gram and Pape with their newest Grandson. 

Grandmom Trif handles the little tyke! 

Yet another cute picture. 

With a little antibiotic in the eyes, another cute picture. 

Meet Robert Anthony Trifiletti, III. Born 28 March 2005 at 16:06h. Robert weighed in at a heafty 8 lbs. 8.6 oz at 21 inches long. 

Tomorrow

Induction... Tomorrow - 8am. We're nervous and excited.

Keep checking for updates and pics.

This is it!

another day past...

And still we wait.

I have to admit, I am feeling quite yucky as I type this.

My family came to visit for "Easter dinner" this evening. My sister and brother-in-law were in from Boston with my nephew, and we insisted that they visit us, since we have no idea when I could pop. It was a nice time.

Towards the end of the evening, my sister says outloud "Michelle, you look like you have 'dropped' just since we got here." I thought she was nuts, but checked out my belly in the mirror anyway.

A few hours later, my 88 year old grandmother (who, sadly, is in the early stages of dementia) says to me "you're lower than you were before (meaning my belly)
I suddenly start to get nervous. She may be old, and losing it... but she's been around awhile, and heck, she's had 4 kids of her own.

My mom sat across from me at the table while having dessert (I didn't sit... slouched is more like it) And she said "Your belly is getting hard right now (contracting), isn't it?" She was right, it was... and has been all day!

As we said our goodbyes, my sister, grandmother and dad all agreed that they'd be seeing me sooner than later. My mom, on the other hand, is still a skeptic.

Will I make it through another night? We shall see.

when will it end?

I have been assured from everyone that "no one has been pregnant forever."

I think I am going to be the first.

Thats right, I will be the only 70 year old woman walking around with a 54 year old fetus inside of me.

It's Good Friday. I can only think of one thing that would truly make it "good."

4 days overdue... the boredom sets in

So, we survived the snowstorm. I slept for a total of 6 hours last night, which is pretty good these days. The baby was quite active as well.

I am bored. It took about a week, and I am really and truely bored out of my skull. I am afraid to leave the house, for fear that my water will break in some randomly public place. I am out of stuff to clean. The bathrooms have been done 3 times in 2 weeks. Yesterday, I pulled everything from the fridge and cleaned it inside and out. If I run the vacuum one more time, the carpet will erode! I guess, if nothing else, at least I'll have a clean house.

I just returned from the gym... i walked 2.5 miles on thetreadmill. It took me 55 minutes. I used to be able to run 5 miles in 40 minutes. Sheesh, I feel like a slug these days! I can't wait to get back in shape. (by the way, the gym is located in our complex, and i was the only one there... no need to worry about broken water!)

And now, I continue to wait. There is still well over 76 hours until induction time. Thats plenty of time for a baby to appear - on its own! So, I'll wait... unhappily. hmph.

is this normal?

Bobby is making me blog my current condition...

Let me prelude by stating that as I type this, we are amidst an (unexpected) snowstorm... there is 8+ inches on the ground and an additional 2-4 is expected overnight. Did I ever mention that I, myself, as well as two of my siblings were born in snowstorms?

One of the dads from my work (childcare) used to be an OB nurse. He told me not too long ago that 90% of babies are born when the pressure systems change from HIGH to LOW. He said that most OB depts have the weather channel on 24/7 so they can anticipate any "delivery rushes". Needless to say, I began to watch the radar at weather.com every few days. I was hopeful whenever i saw the little red 'H' move east and a blue 'L' make its way across the map...

The storm in which we are in the midst of is the result of a low pressure system. I have been feeling crampy and just plain uncomfy all day. I have been downplaying it, since Saturday's episode was a case of "false labor" for us. I had a brief period of "timeable" contractions this afternoon, however they may not have been real contractions since I have no idea what the heck I am supposed to be feeling anyhow. Whatever they were, they were happening every 20 minutes and lasting for about 30 seconds. That was from about 2 o'clock until 5:30. My belly continues to "harden" every now and then. But without pain and very inconsistently

In the past few hours I have been experiencing something more annoying than contractions... (i think) and the only way I can describe it is a "grinding" sensation. Its low in my abdomen, actually in my pelvis. It seems like i feel it when the baby moves. I am convinced its just the baby's head descending into my pelvis, which is a really good thing, considering the doctor told me yesterday that baby was still up very high. (I didn't like that doctor very much)

The other thing we have to look forward to is Friday's full moon. I was told by a few sources that many babies like to make their appearance when there is a full moon. This holds true for my nephew... so there is at least one proven case... coincidence, hmm?

I recieved a call from my OB today... induction is set for Monday at 8am. I marked my calendar, but I am not anticipating that we are going to have to wait that long. In fact, I am not taking this whole "induction thing" very seriously at all. To me, its sort of a last resort. I am convinced that this baby will be here before Monday. Even my sister told me today that she thinks I will have this baby by Easter. I hope she is right. It would be nice, considering she is in town until then.

Oh, and one more thing... Today I feel like its a girl.

A proverbial shoulder rub...

Ok, so we are all a little stressed that Lil' Trif is a typical first child. Chillin out on the inside of mom and really having a great time in there. Last night I got to play with him/her on the inside. Lil' Trif was having a good time kicking my hand that was placed on Mich's belly.

Today, I give you some Humor. Enjoy.

disappointing news

Well, the doctor's appt was uneventful. We have not made any progress since last week - still 1 cm and 60% effaced. It looks like we will be induced on Monday (unless something happens on its own) The Dr is going to call to let us know when to be at the hospital. If no progress is made, it could make for a very unhappy labor... yikes.

This disappointing news has us bummed out. We were very anxious to have a baby by now, especially with Easter in just a few days.

Everyone says that so much can change over night... I'd really like for labor to start naturally, rather than an induction. I'm so bummed, but I guess there are still six days for something natural to happen. ugh.

Latent phase continues...

We are definatly nearing active labor. I would hope that by wednesday it begins. Lil' Trif is really low and his head is increasing pressure where he is expected to appear. Michelle is tired of all the phone calls. So if you wish to communicate, perhaps post a comment here or try her AOL IM SN.

This morning Michelle went to our gym and walked on the treadmill for about an hour. The fact alone that she had any desire to goto the gym should indicate major chemical changes within her and is another good sign of progress. Stay tuned...

Update: So Eddie and Mike thought the last paragraph was somewhat insulting. However the context in my mind did not translate to the blog. Mich was an avid gym attender prior to the morning sickness phase of pregnancy and since then lost interest. Also since being away for about 3 months it wasn't healthy to resume the work-outs. Her going to the gym today only emphsizes her desire to birth Little Trif and end the discomfort. If you have any labor-inducing ideas, do share.

labor: phase 1

Well, based on the best resources of the internet here, here, and here; labor is underway. At least the early stages. Today Michelle has been experiencing changes in her body's chemistry causing some mood changes and excitement for labor. Increasing pressure from the baby "going towards the light" and frequent firmness of her belly. More info to come...

Early Labor signs...

In the continuing story of Michelle carrying Little Trif. This morning she lost (in a good way) an object called the mucus plug. Too keep this "G" rated, you can google for what the hell that is. For the rest of you, it means the begining of the Labor process. The jury is still out in terms of how significant that is. Some say labor can be anytime from now to 48 hours away, others say it is not a specific indicator of Labor. With a Monday due-date, it is a welcomed sign to the end of pregnancy and the begining of parenting!!

1cm diolated

Yay...Little Trif is poking its way out. It will not be much longer now. I suspect that within the next few days we will progress towards labor and delivery. As far as preggersness goes, this is the most excitement since conception. Stay tuned to this blog as this will be the main place for the first pictures of Lil' Trif.

Mom is doing as well as can be expected. Last night was filled with a very good amount of sleep despite discomfort from the growing Lil' Trif. At this stage she wants the baby out of her. C'mon out Lil' Trif.

And finally the changing table and some clothers... 

The Glider awaits Daddy to feed and rock Lil' Trif to sleep. In case you were wondering, I hung the shelf, expertly I may add. 

Here is Lil' Trif's crib and it is all accessorized. 

Little Trif is almost done baking...

Tommorrow is 1 February 2005 and less than 2 months from the arrival of Little Trif. Michelle and I are getting very very excited for his or her arrival. We got to see Lil' Trif again last week for a 32 Week Ultrasound. Attached are a few picts of the little person. He or she has my cute cheeks!! :-)

Little Trif is so cute already!! 

THIRD TRIMESTER

WOOHOO! The busy holiday season is behind us and now the only thoughts that are on our minds are the third trimester with Lil' Trif. Tomorrow we goto the doctor for a check-up and are likely to begin check-ups every 2 weeks. Expect another ultrasound picture early February.