Kalliope's Birth Story

my internet was down...we drove the airstream into the cable running through the back yard. oops. but i'm here! so let me tell you a little about bringing my Greek goddess into the world, don't worry, i won't be graphic.

i was scheduled to be induced at 5am, monday, august 9,2010, at st. john's hospital. my previous 2 births i went into labor naturally. i knew being induced would be harder and more painful, but i figured i could do it. i was planning on having my mom, my Greek, and my girlfriend kristen there to help me through the pain. i could barely sleep sunday night and woke up about 4am monday. the girls were at their daddy's that weekend so i didn't have to worry about them. i took a shower, ate a banana with milk, and got everything ready to go to the hospital. we left home around 5:15 and got to the hospital soon after. we got our room and got settled in, i got my i.v. and monitors attached and sat in bed to watch the television. around 7am my mom in law showed up, then my mommy, and then kristen armed with her camera. my Greek took a nap while his brother, my dad, and my best friend's mom, nancy, showed up to visit. i guess when they started my i.v. they started the pitocin drip along with my antibiotic for group b strep. at 8:30 my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart, and by 9am they were 2-3 min apart. i was dilated to a 2 when we started, by 10am i was at a 4 and the contractions were 1-3 min apart, i was moving slow. by then i had told my dad to go to work, told my mom in law to go eat, kristen to go put the twins down for a nap, and nancy and my bro in law had left too. i didn't think the goddess was going to make it before 3pm at the rate i was going. so, with my Greek asleep on the recliner, and my mom reading the paper we waited. i had my trusty tens unit on my back to help me make it through each contraction, i'd turn it up with each painful wave and back down after it was over. around 10:50 i'd waken the Greek up with a pillow slamming into his body. the pain had gotten pretty intense and fast, i would have a contraction then it would come down partially and have another contraction piggy backed right on top of it. when you hear that being induced is more painful than your body going into labor by itself, it's true. the difference is crazy! i almost thought i couldn't make it through all the pain. it was so fast, i went from a 4 to a 6 in an hour. at 11am i stopped counting my contractions because there was so much pain. i could not lay down, so i sat on the edge of the bed rocking myself with my mom doing counter pressure on my lower back and my Greek in front of me letting me hold onto him through the pain. i would not have been to make it through without my mom telling me to breathe, and the Greek there to hold. everything went so fast and before i knew it i was yelling for the nurse to check me, i knew i was progressing fast. most of this is a blur from this point, i know i did not want to sit back on the bed and lay down, i wanted to push, really i had no choice but to push. my body was on auto pilot. somehow my doctor appeared and i pushed 3 times and the goddess was out. i remember looking at my husband next to me grinning from head to toe when her head was visible. they put her on my tummy and we talked a little bit, i felt very lucky they did not whisk her away right away. they took her to her plastic boat to be checked out and gave her back to me while my family came in the room to visit. i am very lucky everything went the way i planned, some people don't get to have the birth they want, and i have really had 3 perfect birth experiences. i am a very lucky girl.

08/09/10

kalliope "popi" alexander grace
born at 12:27pm
6lbs 1oz
19 inches
curly hair
button nose
her pop's lips
5 hours labor
1 hour of linda blair attitude from me

38 Weeks

well, this is it folks. my last day. tomorrow they induce so's they can make sure she is growing properly. i have always gone into labor naturally, doesn't mean they haven't used pitosin on me before, but now we are starting labor from scratch. oh the pain! but i'm ready with my calming mood music, andreas vollenweider and brian eno. it's new age and dorky, i know, i was brought into the world with brian eno so i was born to love all that stuff, don't tell anyone, k?

room is all done, almost. i need to hang pictures, cuckoo clock, and peg coat hangers. also, my mom in law bought the Greek goddess a chandelier that we need to put up as well.

i worried so much about getting this done when in reality, she won't be in her room for months. i have driven the Greek crazy with it. paint, paint, paint! i told him in the beginning i'd be slightly crazy. he forgives me.

my precious bug and bot went to their daddy's last night so the Greek and i went to chick-filet for dinner (yum!) and a movie. we chose to see inception. it was so good, a real nail biter. so, i guess no monday morning anthro tomorrow, i took pictures the other day, i might be able to use those. next time you hear from me, i should have a bouncing bundle of joy to sap all my energy from me. wish me luck:)

37 Weeks

i misplaced my electrodes for my little tens unit. i want the sweet pain numbing sensation from it right now. my back hurts. poo.
37 weeks now. obviously i did not give birth this past weekend, thank goodness. but they gave us an inducement date of august 9th, 5am. tomorrow we have one of our bi-weekly ultrasounds where the "dawctas" will measure my Greek goddess and tell me if we are going to wait till that monday or go ahead this week. i'm to the point of realizing i am not going to go into natural labor with her, before i had a small hope of going into labor by myself, but now i realize there are other plans for me...maybe i can eat my words later?
well let's see what the iphone app has to say about her this week...she is swiss chard this week, and according to my app 6.3 lbs. tomorrow we'll see the weight difference between the app and reality. it says i should be tired and be experiencing pelvic pressure...uh-huh. about her nothing really, just she is full term and her organs should be ready. she's still moving around lots with hiccups galore. fun.
on another note, are you watching Shark Week? it sure does keep your interest peaked. can't stop watching it. one thing for sure, you will never find me in shark infested waters for science!

36 Weeks

36 weeks. almost full term. just one more week. the pregnancy source says my Greek goddess is as big as a crenshaw melon...i don't know what that is, and that she weighs 5.75 lb, try a pound lighter than that iphone app. can't blame the app, i do have a small baby. it says she should be head down, which she is, and she should have some decreased movement, she's slowed down some. nothing much is going on. my legs and feet swell due to the heat, but not as bad as they could, i drink a lot of water and love to sit in the pool as my diuretic. taking it easy is so annoying. my nesting instinct is in full effect and i'm suppose to chill. i have an ultrasound on monday and a internal check wednesday. i have my baby bag packed and ready to go. gotta pack a bag for myself. great fun!

Thank You ECO Baby + Kids!

i went into our local natural baby store, eco baby+kids, the other day to pick up my cloth diaper covers. i'm packing for the hospital and wanted to put my diapers in there. the only time in my life i am ever semi organized is when i am pregnant. tiffany, gave me some preemie diapers i am in love with. organic caboose contour cloth diapers that feel like heaven. thank you so much eco baby!!

35 Weeks

there is a fly buzzing around my head. my bed is comfy and i don't want to go look for a fly swatter. i'm watching grey gardens, why did i want to watch this movie? depressing. did i tell you the doctors estimate the Greek goddess to be 4.7 pounds? small little thing, just like her sisters and i. after my ultrasound today my wonderful doctor told me the umbilical blood flow is good. now i can get back to summer.

34 Weeks

i helped put on the 6th annual scooter rally here in tulsa. today
we grilled hot dogs at the shop and did the raffle. we always
have a blast.

what fruit is my growing child inside me this week...
AN AVERAGE CANTALOUPE. my baby is an average
cantaloupe.

my handy dandy iphone app says that the lanugo is
shedding and of course the lungs are still developing.

i'm tired again. not much energy left in me, and all i want
to do is get things ready for the little Greek goddess.
she has been moving crazy ways lately. this way and that,
making me jump, my skin crawl, and making me feel
extraordinarily happy all at once.

after the end of the scooter rally my Greek and i took wink
and went back home to go paint the baby room. we picked
berry cheesecake. i wish i had a berry cheesecake.

ps. can you tell i luv my hipstamatic app?

33 Weeks

this week i dropped. i woke up, looked in the mirror and thought for a brief moment that my tummy looked different. when i took the kids to school, juni's primary teacher asked me if i had dropped. i totally jumped to attention because i didn't even trust my own judgment on what i thought i had seen on my own body. so i ran home to compare photos of my belly to what i looked like now. i am definitely lower. little toot in my belly is snuggling downward, huh?

32 Weeks

my gorgeous Greek and i went to the closest ikea this weekend for some much needed storage solutions for our ever expanding family. it was a nice little get a way for us. we stayed in a cute little modernish hotel called aloft. a-dorable. went to uncle julio's with the best ever chips for dinner, shared beef fajitas and a flan. went back to the hotel and slept in till 10am! at ikea we had the regular $1.99 breakfast before we went a-hunting. we got everything we needed and got out of there 4 hours later. whew! it's great to be home and put my swollen feet up and watch true blood.

it's great to make it to 32 weeks without giving birth to a child. i had been a little nervous because i had 2 people close to me give birth around 32 weeks within the last couple months. everything is good with them, their babies are home now, but it is always a scary thought in the back of my mind that i might have to experience the same thing. i'm holding strong as far as i can tell, i know i should be off my feet more but that is hard for me to do keeping 2 kids entertained for the summer, nesting, and working at the shop.

we'll see what our doctor has to say about me this week!

week 30

my head hurts. i am laying in bed rubbing my head wondering why it hurts, then i remembered, i got hit in the head with a rock. really.

so much is going on. the Greek is working on a music festival for the end of july, our wedding reception party is tomorrow, we have a nursery to get started, i have a scooter shop to run, the Greek's businesses to help with, kids to summer entertain, sewing to do, a garden to keep, chickens to tend to, the BIG game tomorrow at 12.30....the list goes on. i did get a nice phone call from my ob nurse telling me i do not have gestational diabetes, but i already knew that. baby girl is kicking up a storm and hiccups every once in awhile. i have gained 16 pounds and a varicose vein i caught in san francisco(like you wanted to know that). it'll go away, i told it to.

the Greek's second "family" is here from portland, ore for our wedding reception. they threw him a little impromptu baby shower the other night. they got us some very nice things, and he probably had no clue what they were. we got an ergo carrier with infant insert, glass bottles and silicone covers, cloth diapers, toys, handmade onsies, and other necessities. he'll learn fast:)

juni took this pic of me the other night after a yummy wet burrito at rio verde.

well. i am happy in bed watching the karate kid with my legs propped up, being a good girl. maybe i'll go to bed early.

FAILED- Glucose Test

my first hour is about up on my 3 hour glucose test i am taking today because i flunked my first one. my empty, hungry stomach is still reeling from my bottle of syrupy, orange liquid i downed not too long ago. i do not want to vomit. an hour or so ago the very skilled phlebotomist painlessly withdrew a vial of blood from my blood bank port on my arm, then she told me to drink. i always dread the glucose test. my first pregnancy i passed. with beila i flunked and got to experience the 3 hours of hell blood test for the first time. i passed and knew i never wanted to do that again. this glucose test time around i thought for sure i would pass, until my doctor's office called me monday and told me i needed to take the extended version. i politely asked what would happen if i refused, she replied that i would be in store for some diabetic counseling. okay, glucose test it is. now i am sitting here in the lab with a nauseated stomach, and orange flavored burps.

hour two is steadily ticking by with another hole in my arm. my stomach is still doing flip flops, and my burps are popping every once in awhile. i want to lay down and eat oatmeal. but for now, i have my laptop, pregnancy magazines swiped from my ob office, bench seating, and my shoes off. i hope i don't offend any of the peeps walking in and out of here.

third stick. this one stung. rain boots off, back on my bench, getting ready to watch more glee. my stomach doesn't hurt that much anymore, less burps, but i sure am hungry. i still want that oatmeal. would it have been overkill to have brought a blanket to snuggle up in?

getting ready for my fourth stick and then i'm off! will it be nap time or phat phillies? i am starving, food then nap you say. so be it!