So, a lot has happened since we last posted...let me see if I can sum it up somehow:
- Robbie graduated with his Master's degree
- He also had a great audition with the Navy and is in the midst of the long, arduous process of getting a spot in one of their bands
- Oh, and probably the biggest news...we're going to have a baby!
In about three weeks!!
Yeah, I totally failed to share anything about that journey, didn't I? Well, I'll do my best to make up for it now.
At the end of June, on the day that my monthly visitor was supposed to arrive, Robbie and I were watching an episode of Monk and having an altogether relaxing Saturday afternoon. We hadn't been trying to get pregnant, but we hadn't really trying to NOT get pregnant either...so curiosity and impatience lead me to use the last pregnancy test we had laying in the bathroom cabinet and, lo and behold, two lines appeared!! I tried my hardest to keep a calm face when I walked back out to the living room (Robbie was still watching Monk). However, after sitting down next to him and being met with his inquisitive eyes, I grinned and showed him the stick.
"Really? REALLY??" was all he could say. He was shocked and happy and scared and bewildered...all wrapped into one.
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| Our facebook announcement |
We found a midwife and set up a prenatal appointment and started a journey of monthly visits, plenty of morning sickness, and an otherwise uneventful first 20 weeks of pregnancy (though hearing the heartbeat for the first time at our 12 week appointment was quite a wonderful moment).
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| 18 weeks |
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| 20 weeks |
Then came time for our first ultrasound. It was amazing to see the tiny hands and spine and face, though seeing a picture on the screen still didn't feel quite like the baby was actually present in the room with us. As the technician moved the wand over my belly, examining the little stomach and bowels and other areas of the tiny person's body, she came to the legs and…TADA!…we could see immediately that it was a BOY! How wonderful it was to be able to say "he" and not "it" anymore! And it allowed us to finally decide on a name: Stephen Andrew Buss.
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| Creepy right eye, baby facing us |
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| Left arm |
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| View of boy parts and an upper leg from below... |
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| Left foot |
After several more uneventful weeks, during which time my morning sickness FINALLY started to subside, I got to finally feel his presence. Robbie was at a rehearsal, and I was sitting at home on the couch browsing the interwebs with my computer on my lap, when a very distinct "pop" against my belly made me jump. I looked down at my stomach and, a moment later, felt another one! Tiny little legs trying out their strength had moved forcefully enough to be felt! I almost started crying, I was so overwhelmed by joy at the sensation. My joy only increased when Robbie got home and, after several moments of his hand resting on my belly, was able to feel the tiny kicks as well! In the weeks that followed, the movements became ever more distinct and frequent.
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| Our Halloween costumes (23 weeks) |
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| 24.5 weeks |
The next significant moment of pregnancy for me was not joyful or pleasant. After an initial glucose level test indicated that my blood sugar may be a bit high, I had to go in for a three hour test. After ten hours of not eating and barely drinking any water, I had my blood drawn, drank a tremendously disgusting bottle of fruit-punch-flavored liquid with 100 grams of sugar in it, and proceeded to wait around for three hours during which time my blood was drawn three more times. Between my empty stomach, getting blood drawn four times, and the sugar crash I experienced at the end of it all, I was a VERY cranky person. I have apologized to Robbie on several occasions after that day for how terribly I treated him. Despite my insanity, he treated me with the utmost care and fed me Olive Garden to return me to my previous, more stable state.
Since then, the pregnancy has been relatively dull and progressively less comfortable. My belly has continued to grow, increasing rapidly in girth during this last month or so. I am starting to feel a bit constrained in the ridiculously comfortable maternity jeans I picked up at Target at around month six. And Stephen's movements have ceased to be "cute" and have taken on a more violent nature (feet and knees visibly distorting my abdomen make for startling moments during the day). I have realized that most of what I say to our child is no longer sweet whispers but more along the lines of, "Stephen! Ow! Stop it!!" At least Robbie finds it amusing.
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| 30 weeks |
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| Maternity Apple shirt, featuring an Apple sticker from a coworker (33 weeks) |
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| 33.5 weeks |
Now I have a little over three weeks till my due day and one week till my last day of work before maternity leave (assuming all the paperwork goes through like it should…). I am ready.
I am very ready.
I am ready to finally meet this kid. I am ready to be able to breathe again. And I am ready to be past the unknowns and fears of getting this kid out of me and into the world. We have a midwife and doula and birthing center all ready to go…we have a birth plan and a lot of reading under our belts…and we have a childbirth class this Saturday. We have done our best to be as informed as possible, but you never know exactly what it's going to be like until it happens. All you can do is prepare and pray.
Sooo…here's to the next few weeks and the surprises and new experiences they are sure to bring! I'll do my best to keep you all posted on our upcoming adventure :)
P.S. Baby hiccups are the strangest feeling in the world.
Hi! We haven't met, but I knew Robbie, Paul, and Ryan in high school. Anyway, I hope this isn't too weird, but I stumbled across your blog and wanted to give you some encouragement! I had my baby girl naturally just barely over a year ago. Many people told me along the way that the pain is too much or I would want the drugs as soon as labor started, but I wanted to tell you that you can do it! It is hard, but it was the best thing I ever did (my hubs even got to catch our daughter)! If you are mentally prepared and knowledgeable (sounds like you definitely are) that is half the battle. There is nothing in the world like achieving the goal of a natural birth and getting to feel all those amazing hormones, etc. only felt by doing it naturally. Btw, if you haven't already, I highly recommend watching The Business of Being Born and More Business of Being Born on Netflix streaming. Anyway, prayers for your family and I hope you have an amazing birth experience!
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca!
DeleteHaha, don't worry, it's not weird. Thanks for the encouragement! Robbie and I have read up and researched a lot about natural birth, the Bradley method, and birth experiences of others in our area who went to the same birthing center. We have seen both of those on Netflix and found them very informative (I still can't believe the birth mindset in Brazil, wow...). I knew, going into this pregnancy, that I wanted to do a natural birth, partly because the thought of not being able to feel what's going on with my body scares me more than any pain. And, since I was created to do this, the pain itself will not carry the same fear as, say, a broken arm. BUT, we also decided we wanted to go to a birth center connected to a hospital for this first time, since we have no idea how my body handles birth, haha. We have a doula, though, have been going to a midwife, and have a birth plan. And we're preparing as much as possible for things not going exactly according to plan as well :P
Thanks again for the encouragement! And we'll definitely be posting all the "results" on facebook and here when the time comes :)
That's awesome! I totally agree about the Brazil stats-crazy! It sounds like you are very prepared which is super important. I had my daughter at a hospital with our midwife and doula, so I totally understand your concern! Since everything went well with my first birth, we are aiming for a home birth whenever God blesses us with our next little one! I have the same view, btw. This is how God made our bodies and it is a wonderful thing! Also, related to this, my cousin runs a breastfeeding facebook group called Breast Baby~Chat Group which is super helpful to new moms! Another perk of natural birth is usually a fairly bump-free nursing relationship! :) If you have any questions about the real thing, feel free to message me!
DeleteCool update! Yay!
ReplyDeleteAlso, as you might guess, I love your name choice :)
So my piano teacher's daughter is a Navy harpist and lives in DC. Anything I can do to help with Robbie's process? Let me know.
Thanks!
DeleteNothing much to do at the moment, but thanks for the offer! We've got the local recruiter advocating for us and they really want him...we're just waiting right now for a spot to officially open up. It would likely be with one of the fleet bands (11 locations worldwide). Is your piano teacher's daughter with the main Navy band? I think they're the only Navy one in D.C.
I can't believe I missed this entry! So fun to catch up and see what you all have been up to!
ReplyDeleteJust to mention something counter-culture and seditious.... (shhhhhh)... you CAN refuse the glucose tolerance test (or any other test that you want to refuse). I have firmly refused it each time, and plan to do so for any and all future pregnancies. In fact, the only test that I do consent to is the GBS test (and this is just so that I can have a negative on my chart in case of a transport, so that I don't have to fight antibiotics-happy nurses). Remember, if you research it and want to do it, great, but you're in charge!
Also, I want to wish you the best for your birth! Like your commenter Rebecca, above, I will say that childbirth, while the hardest thing I've ever done, has been in retrospect one of my greatest achievements. Remember that you are stronger than you know and that you CAN do it - and when you get to a place where you "KNOW" that you can't do it anymore, that means that baby is almost here! You are going to rock!! We can't wait to see your little bub.
Congrats in advance!!