Making his debut in blogland - Matthew V. Whitcomb

MATTHEW VINH WHITCOMB

February 16, 2011 - 8:05 pm

5 lbs, 14 ounces

(at 35w4d, after 22 hrs of labor, he came via C-section)

  

Baby is perfect.

Mommy and Daddy are sleep deprived, but over the moon happy!!

More to come later when we find the strength and time.

Thank you all for your comments and prayers.

Life is good.

God is Great!

In Labor & Epidural Relief!!!

Baby Matthew decided he is almost ready to make his entrance into the world. We have been at the hospital since 9:30pm. It's now almost 4:00am.

After 3 hrs of excruciating pain and me saying repeatedly that I didn't want to do this ever again, I was given an epidural and life is sweet. Now we are just waiting for him to decide when exactly he wants to join us. I was a little over 4 cm dilated the last time they checked around 2:00 am.

Steve is sleeping and I am listening to the lovely sound of baby's heartbeat nice and loud on the monitor and feeling him move.

Praying for a smooth delivery and a healthy baby!! Please keep us in your prayers.

35 Wks and Dilated

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 35w3d

Size of baby: Baby is the size of a honeydew melon.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: So far weight gain has been 11 lbs (according to my home scale).

Maternity Clothes: Yes.

Gender: BOY! Matthew Vinh Whitcomb.

Movement: Lots of movement!

Sleep: Not too bad, still ending up on my back.

What I miss: Being able to shop for long periods of time without getting tired.

Cravings: Jello (sugar free).  I ate a lot of it in the beginning, then it got old.  Now I'm back to eating it again.  Yummy!

Symptons: Braxton hicks and/or contractions (??)  I can't tell the difference, it's all just uncomfortable. It's also getting harder to get up off the couch without help.

Best Moments lately: Feeling baby move so much more and maternity photos.

We went to the OB yesterday and they did an internal exam.  I am 3 cm dilated!!  The dr said my cervix is thinning nicely and everything looks great.  She didn't say how much percentage effaced I was, but that I was progressing.  She said to call/come in if I have contractions that are 5-7 mins apart. 

We are getting down to the wire here.  I still need to pack my hospital bag and finish up some last minute things in the nursery.  I feel like we're ready for baby, but then I also feel like we're not ready for him yet.

He will come when he's ready, regardless if we are or not! 

I woke up this morning and thought my water broke, but I couldn't tell for sure.  I feel like baby has found a comfortable spot right on my bladder.  I feel like I have to pee a lot, but then nothing comes out!  I've been having some cramping, but nothing big or close together.  It's hard to tell what a real contraction is versus just a Braxton Hicks.  My belly just feels like I've stuffed myself at a buffet and can't move!  It's probably just baby trying to stretch and make room for himself in there. 

Hang in there baby....just three more weeks!

Maternity Photoshoot Sneak Peek!

(34 wks)

Baby Under Construction Shower

You are invited to view my final baby shower pictures.

When it came time to design my invitation, I turned to the very talented Mary from Bright Sunshine Designs.  She's the creative one behind my blog design too!  Mary is so easy to work with and so patient! 

She designed the invite, construction signs, candy bar wrappers and even the thank you cards. 

She did a fabulous job!!

The little construction signs were put around the different areas. 

Dig In = Food

Unload Here = Presents

Dip In = Chocolate fondue

Work Area = Kitchen

My best friend from AZ was the mastermind behind this shower and she had a lot of help from some of our closes friends!  I can't thank them enough for all the planning and preparation that went into it.  At the last minute, my AZ bestie could not make it out for the shower and we all missed her dearly, but she was with us in spirit.  She will be coming out in the Spring to meet baby Matthew. 

Warning: Lot's of pictures ahead!

(Thank goodness for collages)

Lots of belly rubs!

The food was absolutely delish!  I had friends from CA who flew out and cooked up a storm along with the hostess.  We had lots of (spicy) asian food.   

My very talented sister in law made the construction cake which looked absolutely fabulous!

It was so cute I didn't want to cut into it, but it was yummy. 

I don't think I took my blood sugar level that day!

Presents and more Presents!

We all had fun playing games too! 

My friend who was in charge of games did a wonderful job!

It really was the baby shower of the century! I was on cloud nine.

My heart oozed gratitude for everyone who came and made it special for me and baby Matthew!

I really am blessed to have such awesome girl friends!!

Work Shower and Kids Workshop at Home Depot

What does one do when they go to bed at 10:00 pm and wake up at 12:30 AM to go to the bathroom, but can't fall back asleep??  Well, they stay up until 6:00 AM working on photo collages from baby showers!

Yep, that's what I did last night!

Here are pictures from my work shower that I had on Jan. 20th.

These are some of the lovely ladies I work with.  It was a crazy week to have a shower because we were in the middle of an office move.  Everyone was busy packing, but took time out to celebrate baby Matthew. 

It was quick and fun.

Some people have asked how I create the picture collages.  I use Picasa (it's free online so you can download it).  It takes some practice, but is quite easy to do.  I like creating the collages because it's easier to show lots of pictures without having to post each one individually.

Stay tuned for pictures from my last shower.  I created 11 collages from that shower alone.

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If you are looking for something to do on Saturday with a little one, Home Depot has Kids Workshop the first Saturday of every month (for kids 5 - 12 yrs old).  Abbey has gone with Steve two months now and has made a spice rack and a battery organizer (which she uses to display her erasers).  It's a fun Saturday morning activity and it's quick and free!  They get a home depot apron and a pin (each month is a different pin).  This Saturday they are making a heart shelf.

Check out the Home Depot site for more info. 

33 wks

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 33w3d

Size of baby: Baby is the size of a pineapple. Yummy!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: So far weight gain has been 9 lbs (according to my home scale).

Maternity Clothes: Yes.

Gender: BOY! Matthew Vinh Whitcomb.

Movement: He's moving more and it makes me smile everytime I feel him.

Sleep: Not too bad, still ending up on my back.

What I miss: Cereal!!

Cravings: Fruit (especially grapes and pineapple)

Symptons: Occasional cramps or contractions.

Best Moments this week lately: Getting his measurements and weight (4 lbs 12 ounces), seeing him stick his tongue out, watching my belly actually move when he moves, and baby showers!

It's hard to believe that baby will be here in 5 weeks!  I have moments where it still seems surreal to me.  I feel like there's still so much to do before baby arrives, but Steve thinks we're all ready.  I need to clean the house and just get things in order!  I still have no idea what I'm suppose to pack for the hospital!

My appointments with the OB and Endocrinologist went well.  My next OB appointment will be on Valentine's day.  The Endocrinologist increased my insulin at dinner time from 5 units to 8 units.  He said that as I'm getting toward the end of pregnancy, my sugar levels will get worst.  He put my mind at ease when he said that it's nothing that I'm doing wrong, it's just my body! 

I get scared thinking about labor and delivery!  But I have to put my trust in the Lord.  He's gotten me this far and He will get me through it all.