settling in....

Jillian is an absolute joy!!  She will be 2 weeks old tomorrow.  Already she is growing and changing.  We are figuring things out.  Thanks to Nana Ann and Grandma Jan I've been able to shower and brush my teeth daily :)  

Starting Easter Sunday, Jilli spent 3 days in photo therapy because she was jaundice.  That was tough!  I had not really put her down at that point.  We had to go from constant cuddling to only holding her 45 minutes at a time and ONLY to feed her.  We made it through and are so thankful that is over.  I have a whole new appreciation for NICU & PICU parents.  

For the most part, Jilli eats and sleeps well.  She has horrible intestinal pain due to severe gas.  (my diet is quite bland, so we can't really explain this.)  At times she is in excruciating pain - it kills me because I can't do anything for her.  We just rock and cuddle our way through.  The 3 am episodes when I can barely keep my head up are the worst.  We will see the doctor tomorrow for her 2 week weigh in, hopefully she will have some insight.  

She's Here!!!!

On 4/9/9 we welcomed into our life Jillian Ruth Littrell. She weighed 5 lbs. 13.5 oz. and was 18" long. Other than a little jaundice (which has since been dealt with) everything is just fine. All 10 fingers and 10 toes.. and an attitute to match her mom's! Oh great.... Dad is as happy as can be, other than she came right at the beginning of baseball season and he will not get to spend the time with her that he would like to. We have had so much love and support from everybody it's been amazing. Between Barb's folks my Mom and all our friends we have recently made a path through the baby's room and can actually see the floor through all the baby gear! Hope you all are well.

36 weeks and counting...

We had an ultrasound yesterday. Peanut is still doing well, though her growth has slowed again. She now measures in the 30th percentile and is estimated to weigh just 5 lbs 11 oz. She may gain up to 2 lbs over the next 4 weeks, but probably not. At this point, I’m thinking she’ll be around 7 lbs. Her head is way down in my pelvis, but we were able to get a great picture of her face. Don said, “She looks like you, she’s got your chin!” To which I answered, “and my cheeks!!”

The non-stress test was fine - though she did not want to cooperate. I had to drink some apple juice to get her movin’ around in there. What should have taken 20 minutes took nearly an hour!

Donna, our midwife, checked my cervix and things are starting to thin. After next week I can start doing acupuncture twice a week to and hurry things along. Donna does not want us to go past 40 weeks due to the two vessel cord and my age. I’ll now go to the doctor each week until I deliver.

Other than severely swollen feet and ankles, my office mate calls them my PRANKLES, I'm feeling pretty good. Just excited to meet her!

Love you,

~Barba

notes from our office visit today

We had our visit this morning with our midwife, Donna… all is going well. My belly is only measuring at 32 weeks (I am 34 ½ weeks). Our next appointment is the 26th. We are scheduled for an ultra sound, NST (where they hook me up to the monitor and do a stress test/monitor baby’s heart rate for 20 minutes), and then an office visit. Donna will check my cervix to see how we are progressing on that front so we will know if we are ok to start the acupuncture to help bring on labor or if I’ll need to hang tight a little longer. We’ll be better able to gauge Peanut’s growth on the 26th. I think she’s doing well. She’s still moving like crazy and gets the hiccups about twice a day. Donna said my weight is good. (I’ve gained 21 pounds total so far.) Not much I can do about the back pain. I’m pretty much resigned to the fact that it is not going to get better until I deliver. It is all worth it though.

Here’s hoping she’s not bashful this next ultrasound and we can get some decent pictures.

Love you all, ~B

Getting Excited!

I've hit that point in the pregnancy where I can't wait to meet our little girl!!  We are 33 1/2 weeks along.  She's growing well and moving like crazy.  I know soon enough she is going to run out of room in there, but for now she's all over the place.  My belly frequently looks as if there is an alien inside.  It is quite entertaining.  

Mom and Heather threw a shower for family and close friends 10 days ago.  THANK YOU.  It was great to see everyone.  My dear friend, Kyla, came all the way from the mountains of Idaho to celebrate with us.  And two of my oldest friends were able to join us with their moms AND daughters.  Cindy and I started kindergarten together at age 5.  Wendy joined us in first grade and then we all became Blue Birds (Camp Fire Girls) together.  No matter how long we are apart, when we get back together it is as if no time has passed - for us or our moms!  

Don and Dad are nearly finished with the renovation of the fireplace in the living room.  It looks fantastic!  I'll post a picture as soon as I can.  Don just needs to finish priming and painting the bookcases on either side of the fireplace and then we can clean up the mess :)  I'm itching to start nesting around here - but I don't dare start.  My dining room looks like Home Depot threw up in there.  Don't get me wrong, I love that my Dad has at least one of EVERY tool imaginable.  (It is very handy)  But - they are currently ALL in my dining room; in buckets, in cases, on the floor, on the furniture....  you get the picture.  This is my lenten lesson in patience.  I figure they will be done by Easter and I can then clean and call in the guys to deep clean the sofa, love seat and chair in the living room.   Just in time for Peanut's arrival.  

31 weeks and counting

Not much to report... We met our new midwife, Donna, last week and feel really good about switching to St. Joe's. Ramah had her interview with the UW Midwifery program yesterday and the director gave Donna and the practice at St. Joe's rave reviews. My acupuncturist, Mary, also gave her a thumbs up. Peanut continues to grow and measure in the 50th percentile. Last week she was 3 lbs. 5 oz. For the first time during an ultrasound she was not moving around and really did not want her picture taken. We could not get a clear shot of her face. She was head down, wedged in my pelvis, and not moving! Stuborn little thing.

We now start going for office visits every 2 weeks.

Peanut did have the hiccups for the first time yesterday, twice. Very cute, but it was tough knowing I could not do anything to help soothe them for her. My mom has said I used to get hiccups horribly in the womb. I continue to get them, frequently, and they are not fun! I sound like a croaking frog and they last for ever. I hope I've not passed this on to our little girl.

Don is loving working at the Mariners. He started taking the train to/from work. It is fantastic. He comes home and is not cranky from being in traffic.

This weekend, my mom and Heather are throwing a family shower for us. I'm excited to see everyone. Ann will be here for a long weekend and we plan to take her to a T-birds game on Saturday night. It should be great fun.

The best news in a long time...

In was hoping Don would post and tell all of you, but that's not happening ;)  Don is now a MARINER!  Yes, he got the job as their Audio Supervisor 10 days ago.  It is a great position and we were quite relieved.  Thank you all for your amazing support as we navigated the past few months.  

Don is loving it at Safeco Field.  The first day he worked I got a text photo from the broadcast booth, overlooking the stadium, with the Puget Sound in the background.  Gorgeous.  The following Monday, the HR team gave him his first M's memorabilia for his office; an autographed baseball in a case, signed by Dave Niehaus.  He was quite stoked.  I got another text photo of the ball :)  

After a long conversation with my cousin Ramah, who is also my doula, 2 weeks ago, regarding our birth plan and pain management, I have decided to plan for a water birth at St. Joseph Hospital.  Now that Peanut is growing and we are no longer concerned about delivering her early, I can give some thought to making the delivery as comfortable and memorable as we can.

The water birth is supposed to help me relax my muscles and be more soothing in general.  Remember - an epidural is not on the table and pain meds make me harf!  After my neck surgery in 2001, I leaked spinal fluid for 14 days and had to be flat on my back.  If I was even at the slightest incline, I was throwing up and experiencing the worst headache ever (worse than my migraines).  My neurosurgeon told me then that I was not a candidate for an epidural.  I can't even imagine going through that again AND trying to care for and breast feed a new born.   So a water birth is the best way for us to manage pain and make me comfortable.  The hope is my labor will also go quicker.  

I've switched my pre-natal care from my OB at Tacoma General to the midwife and OB practice at St. Joe's.  I had my intake with the nurse there last week, was not classified as high-risk, and I'm scheduled to see my new midwife this Wednesday.  Don and I really liked the women at the new office and are looking forward to this experience.  Ramah is too!  Though she's been a doula for Crystal and a few girlfriends, she's not worked with a midwife yet or done a water birth.  

Love you, 

~B

I've been meaning to post for a week now, but have not had the time to scan the latest ultrasound photos and upload them - so, I'll give you all the scoop and add the photos later.  

Last Tuesday we had lab work, another ultrasound and a visit with my OB-GYN.  The glucose test came back normal - yeah.  But, my hematocrit level is low, I'm anemic, and I have to take an additional iron supplement - yuck.  I was a little bummed to hear this.  After years of anemia I had gotten things under control about a year ago thanks to acupuncture and diet.   

The ultrasound was the best part of the day.  We love seeing/hearing Peanut's heart beat, watching her move, and checking in on her progress.  Her organs look great, she has a cute oval shaped head, and we even got a photo of her face.  Just as we had hoped and prayed for, the single artery of the umbilical cord has doubled in size.  It is now doing the work of 2 arteries (what a 'normal' umbilical cord has.)  The ultrasound tech took measurements of Peanut's femur, abdomen, and head and plugged those into a matrix which tells us where she is on the growth chart.  The last 2 months she had been in the 36th and 35th percentile.  This month, with the increase in that artery's capability, she's in the 5oth percentile!!  Now, that is a bit skewed as Peanut has SUPER long legs (she's taking after her Mom and Nana!) and the femur measurement is probably throwing off the calculation a bit.  Nonetheless, she's growing and looks to be out of the woods.  The tech estimated her weight at 2 lbs. 3 oz.  We will continue to monitor her with an ultrasound at every office visit, but we are feeling really good about her progress.  

Now, some even better news.... Don has a second interview with the Mariners tomorrow morning (Wednesday) at 9 am.  Wish him well, he's really nervous.  It has been nearly 2 weeks since his first interview.  They want to wrap things up and make a decision by the end of the week.  He also heard back from Benaroya Hall.  The hold up on their end has been due to a member of the interview team (the guy who has since left the organization and it is his old job they are filling) buying a house in LA.  He's back now and they plan to make some decisions by the end of the week as well.  Again, fingers crossed, candles lit, whatever it takes...  

Thanks so much for your support.  I know I'm slow at posting.  I'll try to be better. 

Love you all, 

~Barba

When it rains...

Well yes, it is raining cats and dogs here, but that's not what I'm referring to.  Don and the Village Theatre went their separate ways the end of September.  It has been a tough 3+ months.  Good news, Don has been working as a contractor for the new Showare Center in Kent since the 29th of December.  (the new hockey arena for the Seattle ThunderBirds)  He didn't really interview for the job, just had a few email and cell phone conversations before reporting to training to find out he is the lead on the sound team!  OK... at that point there had been no discussion of job responsibilities, compensation, benefits - you know, the small stuff.  

Late in November we heard the sound designer at Benaroya Hall in Seattle was leaving in January.  Don applied for the job, did some great follow up, connected with the union rep... but the snow hit and downtown Seattle SHUT DOWN.  Then, the entire Benaroya/Seattle Symphony staff went on holiday break for two weeks.  Don was about to crawl out of his skin with anticipation.  

Early December, Don heard that the Mariners were searching for a sound guy so he tossed his resume into the mix and waited to see what happened....  

Meanwhile, the last 2 weeks he was been enjoying running sound for the hockey team and for the various UW sports.  It wasn't full-time work, but things were looking better for us financially and Don was feeling good about the work he was doing.  

Fast forward now to yesterday.  Don got an email from the team at Benaroya.  They wanted to schedule him for an interview either Thursday or Friday of this week with a quick phone interview yesterday or today.  Don was supper stoked to get the first interview Thursday morning at 9:00.  The Benaroya gig would challenge him professionally, use his theater experience well, and would be a step up from what he had been doing with the Village Theatre in Issaquah.  He was trying not to get to excited. 

Today, while talking with the contact from Benaroya, Don got a call from the Mariners!!  He has an interview with them Friday at 1:00.  He is over the moon.  After 3+ months of being out of work and wondering what was in store for him, he is encouraged.  He has a great shot at either of the jobs.  Both would be full-time with benefits.  Both would challenge him and would be solid career moves.  Please send him lots of positive thoughts and keep him in your prayers.  It is going to be a very big week to 10 days here.