Welcome to the world: William Robert

On his due date of February 8, we welcomed William Robert into this world!!

It has been 19 days since he made his grand entrance, and I am now, kind of, able to open up the "Birth Day" event in iphoto and revisit that day and those days leading up to his birth.
Its still raw, and I am incredibly emotional, unable to sort through and edit those 92 photos DB/others took with my camera of that day without crying and resurfacing all the accompanying emotions.
We had quite the chain of events, many hours of labor, two platelet transfusions, and the discovery that baby Will was unable to fit through my pelvic bones;  which all collectively lead to a much needed, wouldn't survive without, c-section.
I am still processing and attempting to rightfully place all the emotions of what I thought labor and delivery would be compared to what it was for me; in addition to letting go of the dream of what I wanted it to be, and accepting what it was for me.  

In the end, we have the greatest son ever, I am biased, but I think he is the most adorable little new born ever.
I also have the best husband ever, who was incredibly strong, supportive, and the best care giver during our labor, delivery and recovery time spent at the hospital.
I seriously couldn't have done it without him.

39 weeks!

39 weeks...single digits of this countdown!
oh my!
for me...
pregnancy has at times, flown by and stood still

pregnancy has been both physically awesome and physically challenging

pregnancy has been mind boggling and amazingly miraculous

i have learned that my body can and will change in ways i had no idea possible
for example: 
my stomach has never been so big, my skin has never been so tight,
bending over has never been so challenging, i hadn't known what pregnancy exhaustion felt like
(which is different than over physical exertion exhaustion)
sleeping was never a challenge in my life, ever;
until i had to learn how to sleep on my side and move my body side to side using my arms not my core

and soon i get to be a mother
soon i get to learn how to take care of this little One who has been growing and developing in me
soon i get to know what a mothers love feels like
soon i get see DB as a dad
soon we get to bring our baby home from the hospital and start living life as a family of three
soon we get to put him in a stroller and go for family walks/runs/trips/adventures
and those are the very brief cliff notes-over view-version of why i want Pip to arrive sooner than later!!

day three to six of maternity leave

today i had my first non-work-monday since...we'll can't remember.
we always work mondays, its always an overly full admin day for those in my line of work.

but then, again, i am not working right now, and i have almost completed my first week of maternity leave...and have twenty three more to go!
(its going to go by way too fast, i already know it...but i am incredibly thankful for the amazing amount of time off i am given to have a baby, to bond and to transistion into motherhood)

the past 3 days have been good; two of them were saturday and sunday; so if i had taken a weekend off (which is rare) it wouldn't have been much different.
this week...hopefully Pip decides to arrive, and until then i'll keep finding things to stay busy, coupled with attempts to relax and slow down (which is never easy for me)

the past three days in pictures (since this is how i roll)
friday was my 39th week of pregnancy


went to the gym, completed a sweaty 2.2 miles of stairs; felt incredibly good,
received lots of funny looks

honestly, i am ready to be anonymous again
i want to go places and do things and not get looks, comments, stares, etc.
i don't want people to get off the stair master if they are next to me, maybe its an illusion,
but i am always left all by my lonesome.

superbowl party with DB's boss and his fam, who are all hard core 49er season ticket holders
DB was incredibly risky wearing a black/silver jersey, i thought they might not let us in.

but they did, and of my...they had chocolate cupcakes!!


blood work...turns out not so good...

so the doctors called today and order up steroids to kick these numbers hopefully back up over 90-100
we are hoping and praying for an increase before Pip arrives, so that all options are open
and so that safety, health, recovery, etc....can be the story of this birth
i am confident i will still be able to have the drug free natural birth i want
and i am still excited about the labor and delivery part of pregnancy;
its just a bummer my blood is creating some hiccups along the way,
thankfully these numbers have nothing to do with our little Pip, as he is all good and healthy:)
the numbers are something that is going on in my blood production/system,
(we are hopeful after pregnancy these things level out...which would be nice!)


today i went in for a prenatal massage, it was awesome;
and then my favorite magazine came in the mail...more awesome.

and thats a wrap.
i hope Pip arrives soon!

day two of maternity leave

DB checked my phone to see if i had received my lab results before he left for work...

yup...freaking platelets...dropped to 90.
not so good.
doctors appointment was already scheduled for 930a; so i didn't worry too much as i knew we'd be discussing the count soon enough.
the appointment went well, i am measuring a little smaller than my actual gestational size should be, due to Pip dropping; which i've said before, is amazing, as i am more able to breathe! 
we have now progressed to getting blood work done twice a week now, so i am having my platelet counts redone this Sunday, so results are posted on Monday and at my appointment on Tuesday we can "make more decisions"
first will probably be a steroid injection, in attempt to make the numbers rise.
if that doesn't work, we'd disucess a blood transfusion.
i am just hoping...Pip arrives sooner than later... with no problems and no complications:)
the appointment also included this awesome stress test

which revealed Pip is moving GREAT and apparently i am having contractions,
but can't feel a thing!  the technician kept asking, "kim, do you feel that?!"
i said, "feel what?"
she said, "you're having a contraction right now"
i replied, "oh, i had no idea"

after my longer than expected appointment,
i went on a 4 mile walk and then had coffee on the beach


 after completing some laundry, Pips birthday party favors, painting art work for Pips room....
 i concluded my afternoon on the couch


all in all, day 2 of ML was a good one.
Pip allowed me an extra sleep in day, i was able to get stuff done...
and he has chosen to have a February birthday not a January birthday....
now he just needs to choose which of these days he'd like to make his entrance:)

i am very much looking forward to meeting this little guy, and getting to know him.
i am very much looking forward to the birthing process,
i think i am going to be even more amazed than i am now at what my body is intended and able to do