Baby Shower

I realized now that Logan is here that I've never posted anything about the baby shower that my Child Development Center Family threw me. It was quite the event! During our first class of Winter Semester, my staff completely transformed the preschool room into a baby/Yellow Submarine Heaven.

I really appreciate all the fantastic games that were planned and all the beautiful new baby stuff for Logan. Particularly impressive was the cake that Betty had made for the event.
Thank you to my CDC Staff and Guests for a Fantastic Baby Shower!


**Photography courtesy of Kasie Rozario of Kasie Lynne Photography

Logan David DeLancey, Welcome to the World

Well, I seem to have kids pretty much on time. RJ was born on his due date and our newest addition was born YESTERDAY, one day before his due date.


If I had to narrow down the labor and delivery into 3 words, I'd choose timely, fast, and furious.

First, TIMELY, both in terms of being one day before my due date AND because we were actually getting ready to go for my prenatal visit when labor started. My group prenatal visit was at 3:30 at the Birth Center. At around 2:15, I had a contraction that was clearly not a braxton-hicks, and then by 2:30, when we were going to leave, I had 2 more...yep, labor was starting, so we changed our original plan (which was me going with my mom to the prenatal while Lance and Gramma Ho Ho and RJ would follow when RJ woke from nap) to Lance taking me and giving my Mom directions to the Birth Center. It was a good thing that Lance went too because the labor was...

FAST. The first contraction was around 2:15pm, we got to the birth center around 3:30pm, and Logan was born at 4:33pm. Yes, that's a 2 hour and 15 minute labor. Mom, Gramma Ho! Ho! and RJ missed the birth itself, coming in close to 5. (so it's REALLY good that Lance went with me!) And boy was it...

FURIOUS. By the time we got to the birth center, my contractions went from 5 minutes to 2 minutes apart, and shortly upon getting there I was in transition and didn't have a break between contractions and my body just took over. Even my water breaking was in spectacular fashion as it burst and sent three people flying off the bed to avoid the huge powerful gust of fluid. I probably pushed for about 15 minutes and he was out. All 8 lbs. and 2 oz. of him.

It was quite a whirlwind. I had intended to get into the birthing tub for labor and delivery, but once I laid on my side on the full sized bed to get through the first few contractions after arriving, when the tub was filling, I had found my position where I had the most control and indicated that I was not moving for anything - even to get into the coveted jacuzzi tub. It really was a wonderful experience to have control over my birth experience. With RJ I felt as if others were directing me in the hospital, and generally pissing me off. But with Logan, my midwives and doula and Lance just supported my body, helping me to relax and letting my body do what it needed to do. In fact my doula remarked that if anyone asked her what she needed to do at my birth, she would've had to reply nothing. Apparently Lance and I were so in sync that she didn't need to do very much - he kept me calm and worked through each contraction and didn't leave my side (which also resulted in the video camera not being started because there were no breaks between contractions! oops!).

Both Logan and I went through the whole ordeal with no drugs, no interventions, completely naturally and healthily. I couldn't be happier to have birthed this child at an independent birth center. We got home at about 11pm after birthing at 4:33pm, and spent our first night together in our own bed. We spend the first few hours after birth toting Logan's Placenta around with him (it helps with iron levels to keep him attached rather than cutting the cord right away) while I nursed a few times and ate some dinner myself. RJ climbed right up in the nice double bed that I birthed in and got to meet his new baby brother within a half hour of him being born. After a few hours of this bonding, with a few minor vitals checks, Logan had his newborn assessment and got weighed, although it was after he dropped several loads of meconium in his blanket, so he was probably a few ounces heavier at birth.

Here are the stats:
Logan David DeLancey
Born: 1/23/2010, 4:33 PST
8 lbs. 2 oz. 19 3/4 inches long, 13 inch head, trunk, and abdomen circumference

Baby 2010 at 31 Weeks

Yes, I am actually pregnant, but we don't quite have the time we did when I was pregnant with RJ (2 year old + first year in a new position will do that), so all we've managed to do is one belly picture at 31 weeks. I'm now almost 35 weeks, so maybe over Christmas break we'll get some more pictures of my big ole belly out to you before the baby comes out and there is no more huge belly.

This child is not being as easy on me as RJ was though. The heartburn is about a million times worse, I'm bigger earlier, and carrying much lower, so there's a lot more pressure in my pelvis, which is just uncomfortable. So while everyone hated me for having an easy pregnancy before, you can rest assured that I am getting the full uncomfortable pregnancy experience this time around.

All is going well for the baby though. Baby is healthy with a nice strong heartbeat and growing appropriately. Just like with RJ, we are not finding out whether the baby is a boy or a girl - in fact, we didn't have an ultrasound this time around as there was no indication for one.

The birth of this baby should also be a little different as we're planning on laboring and birthing at an independent birth center with a midwife. I had a midwife with RJ, but was not happy with the restrictive hospital birth setting. Since I had an uncomplicated and unmedicated birth, there was really no reason to be in a hospital (home birth and birth center births are actually SAFER than hospital births for low risk pregnancies), so we found a birth center in Oakland, where I've been receiving all my prenatal care and plan to birth as long as all goes smoothly (and I can get there). I plan to work right up until the baby is born, so I could potentially go into labor at work, 2 hours from Oakland. Luckily, the assistant midwife lives a few minutes away from CSU Stanislaus, and since we pass my house on the way to the Birth Center, we could always switch to homebirth if things progress too quickly! I'm very excited about not going to the hospital, having the option for a water birth (not just laboring in water), and getting to come home as soon as we're ready. We'll see how it goes. I'm due January 24 and will be full term in a mere 2 weeks, so now we just wait!

Guess who's pregnant again...

Guess who's pregnant. Relax, it's not Lance's supervisor. It's me!

We're gearing up for round two of "having a baby". RJ will become a big brother at the end of January. My due date is January 24, which means that I'm currently 12 weeks preggo and all is well. Now all we need is an in utero name for baby 2...it's hard to come up with a decent follow up to "Nugget". We're not a fan of Nugget 2.0, although Evil Fetus is starting to grow on me! Feel free to weigh in on what we should call this baby before he/she has a real name.

This pregnancy is not as easy as when I was pregnant with RJ. With him, I did not feel pregnant until I was 5 or 6 months along and I had happy hormones the whole time (yes, go ahead and hate on me for that!). With this one, I have been exhausted and nauseous and cranky. Luckily, I'm still functional through it all, but it is a huge annoyance especially when I'm starting a new position!

I am very happy that we were able to find an independent birth center this time around. While I had a midwife with RJ and a natural childbirth, which was the essence of what I was looking for in a birth, and of course had a great outcome, I was not happy being in the hospital, with my birth position, or all the interruptions in the postpartum room. Plus my first labor nurse was an evil bitch. I was ready to go home the night RJ was born (he was born at 4:24pm) and we were stuck staying the day after - not for any actual medical reasons though. I am very happy to report that we will be birthing at "A Sacred Birth Place" in Oakland, with a midwife, assistant midwife, and doula in a supportive, comfortable environment. I want to give birth squatting and here I could do so in water if I choose too. Plus, we will get to return to our home (with a house visit the day after) as soon as we are ready.

Also, it's absolutely true that one "pops" earlier with second pregnancies. I didn't really start showing or needing maternity clothes until I was about 16 or 17 weeks with RJ. This time around I feel like I need a props department from a tv sitcom to figure out how to hide my bump since I haven't shared the news with my supervisor (the dean) yet and I pretty much need to start breaking out the maternity and looser elastic bottoms because my clothes are getting tight. I was supposed to share with the dean last week, but my meeting was canceled due to his appendix bursting and subsequent emergency surgery! (He's recovering well though and I made sure that flowers were sent from the Child Development Center specifically!)

I guess it's time to start taking belly pictures again. One of Lance's coworkers really raised the bar this time around: