Just Jen

Calvin James Godsey

2010-04-26T07:44:00.001-07:00

He's here. He was born on April 23 at 1:54 am. He was 7lb8oz and 20 inches long and just perfect in every way. I know this post is a little late, but I guess I have been a little busy. When I am not feeding him, I am trying to catch up on some sleep.

Here's the story...... It's long, but I love love love reading other moms birth stories, so if you don't, just check out the pictures.
Last week:
On Tuesday the midwife stripped my membranes and by Tuesday night I was having good contractions 7 minutes apart all night long. I was awake most of the night waiting and hoping that they would get stronger and closer, but they never did. By morning they had stopped, but I was so tired that Dave stayed home for a couple of hours in the morning to let me sleep. Wednesday nothing happened, until bedtime again of course. Overnight I had really strong contractions, but super far apart. Again they stopped by morning. Now it's Thursday and I am certain it is never going to happen. I have given up and decided to cry about it instead. Thursday I was just going to take it easy and keep waiting. Thursday after my lovely nap I woke up and started to have severe cramping. Not a lot of contractions, but I was in a lot of pain and not sure what was going on. So Dave came home from work about 3:30 and I had my sis-in-law pick up the kids just in case. I started having some really good hard contractions about 5 minutes apart. Because I was already 5cm dilated at my appointment on Tuesday, Dave didn't want to wait a long time to get to the hospital. On the way there I started having contractions that made me think that maybe he was right. By the time we got there I could barely walk to the front doors from the parking lot. They checked us is in triage and then......nothing. They completely stopped. The midwife told me to walk for a couple of hours and come back at 8. I decided at about 7:30 that the walking was doing nothing except for making me extremely tired so I went and checked back in with the midwife up in triage. Because I was 5 cm dilated and completely effaced, she gave me the option of just breaking my water. Even though I was so tired of being pregnant, it was a hard decision to make. But after talking it over both Dave and I felt that the time was right. We tried one more time to get the contraction going with some walking, but eventually I just gave up and asked her to do it. Around 10 she broke my water and immediately things started to take off all on their own. I didn't need any pitocin. The contractions started coming 3 to 4 minutes apart with varying intensity. I was worried the whole time that they weren't hard enough. My doula had to keep reassuring me that they didn't need to be any stronger to be effective. I was comparing them to pitocin contractions, which are just way worse. Around midnight the contractions started to be painful and I moved to the tub to labor. Wow, that was nice. The warm water really helps relax you in between. The pain continued to be manageable up until transition. Pit or no pit, contractions during transition are just insane. I always feel like I am about to just lose it and start screaming. I had about 6 or 7 intense contractions in transition and then knew I was ready to push. They moved me to the bed, I pushed with contractions for probably 30 or 40 minutes and he was born at 1:54 am. They handed him straight to me and he was alert and ready to eat. It was just amazing. It's so unbelievable and miraculous. It was 2am and I was wide awake, just bonding with me new little guy. I was so grateful that it all went smoothly and he was safe. It was a perfect labor and delivery. Everything I had always wanted in a birth. My doula was fantastic. She knew when to be there for me and when to sit back and let Dave labor with me. Even during the most intense contractions she hung back and helped me breathe, but let Dave be closest and most present. Which was exactly what I wanted. I wasn't connected to any monitors or IVs, my wonderful nurse monitored his heart rate with a doppler and periodically checked my blood pressure. It was really nice not being hooked up to machines the whole time. I always regret doing it all natural when I am in transition and then I am grateful when it's all over. It was an amazing, wonderful, beautiful, hard, exciting, exhausting experience.
This Week:
I am constantly holding a perfect beautiful baby boy. I love just watching him sleep and make adorable newborn faces. He is very healthy and loves to eat. I spend most of my time in the day nursing him. He smiles when I talk to him and I am the a happiest mommy in the world right now. Dave has been beyond wonderful. He has been home all week taking care of me and all of our babies. Having a new baby makes you fall in love all over again. I am madly in love with my new sweet Calvin, my wild blondie boy Jeffrey, my grown up responsible magical princess Ruby June, and my best friend and partner David. I am a grateful wife and mother.

5cm

2010-04-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

How can I be 5 cm dilated and still not have had this baby. I have never ever been a 5 until I have been on the pitocin for like 3 hours. I didn't sleep a wink last night, I had contractions about every 7 minutes all night......still no baby. This is crazy. I had a bad episode of what Grant calls "black mood" last night. I am just starting to get really angry that I am still pregnant. Here's hoping my water breaks TODAY! Baby I love you very much, but it's time for you to come out. NOW!

36 Weeks

2010-04-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here I am at 36 weeks, hoping to be done any day now. This is as far as I made it with Ruby and a week shy of my date with Jeffrey. It is hard not to anticipate being done. At my ultrasound appt. today they calculated him being 7lb 3oz. Thats plenty big in my book. Way bigger already than both Roo and Jeff. He certainly doesn't need the last 4 weeks to put on weight. I am tired of being nervous and worried, monitoring movement, hoping all is okay. I tend to really worry a lot here at the end. I worry the whole pregnancy, because pregnancy seems to make me extra worried, but at the end I am almost loony. When he isn't moving during his usual active times, I have a hard time staying calm.. it's amazing I haven't been in to the hospital several times a week to have him checked. I think I have gotten progressively worse with each pregnancy. I am just ready to hold my baby safe in my arms.... I am starting to dread the thought of delivery though. I have been crazy enough to do my past 2 pitocin labors naturally. I just don't know if I have a 3rd in me. They are pretty rough. I guess I will just have to see what the circumstances are when I get there. If I go full term, he will be over 9 pounds and they are suggesting a c-section. I am hoping I can avoid that by having him this next week or two. I am trying to fill my days with fun activities so I don't obsess to much about being done. I am trying to just enjoy what will probably be the last few weeks of pregnancy that I ever go through. It really is a special time, preparing and looking forward to the sweet joy a new baby brings.

Friday Baby #3

2010-03-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

I had my two week checkup today with the specialist. I am really glad they didn't do an extensive ultrasound. I mentally can't handle being told he is huge right now. The tech tried for awhile to get a good picture for me, but like usual he was not having anything to do with it. I think he really hates ultrasounds. The second they start he has his hands and feet all in his face, blocking. He even looks like he is scowling a little. If you look close in the 3D pic, his cheeks are huge. His one cheek is practically hanging over his arm. Most of his birth weight will be just his cheeks. He must be a Godsey baby.

Friday Baby #2

2010-02-20T19:25:00.000-08:00

Here are the most recent pictures of him from my ultrasound yesterday, ya know, the one that made me fear I would be birthing a 10lb baby. He sure is cute. He has a sweet full lower lip. I can't wait to kiss his little face. And in person he will be much cuter because he will actually have eyes. Ultrasound pictures are always a little creepy when they don't have eyes. He continues to grow and be healthy. His heart looks great and everything suggests that he will be a healthy baby. Now we just have to get through the many long weeks left until we get to meet him in person.

29 weeks

2010-02-20T16:28:00.000-08:00

I think this will be my last post with a belly picture. I am getting ridiculously big and no one really needs to see that. Normally I am this big at the end when I am ready to deliver. I am 11 weeks prematurely big this time around. I am super worried this baby is going to be giant. I have never had a baby bigger than 6lbs, so I am very concerned. From the ultrasound I had yesterday they are guessing he is already 4lbs, 15 inches, and in the 87th percentile. I am starting to think I don't like being monitored so closely and could really do without this information. If I deliver 3 weeks early like I did last time, he should still be on the small side. But if I am unlucky enough to go full term, he could be enormous. I will just have to wait and see. I hate this waiting. I am an awful pregnant person!

27 weeks

2010-02-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

I hate these pictures of myself. Now I know why I have no pregnancy pictures from my previous pregnancies. I am not sure why am I am torturing myself. But I am. So here it is. This is 27 weeks. I am starting the third trimester. I am only gonna get bigger from here. Wish me luck! I feel like this belly couldn't possibly keep stretching any bigger.

Friday Baby

2010-02-05T11:57:00.000-08:00

This still isn't a very good picture, but what can I say. He is very shy when they start doing an ultrasound. He just refuses to cooperate. If you can decipher this picture, it's a sort of side profile shot with his face between his two arms. It's really tough to see. But even if the picture is bad, he sure is a cutie to me. Everything is still going well. I am getting really tired of Dr. appointments. Both the midwife and the specialist want to see me every two weeks. Without children. It's a pain. Hopefully this last trimester will go by quickly and smoothly. Not too quick though, I still don't have a name.

Carbs

2010-02-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

I am really craving carbs right now. Cold cereal, toast, muffins, fruit. I don't want any meat. I am worried about my weight, so I am at least trying to make them healthy carbs. I made some great whole wheat banana blueberry muffins this morning. The only problem is, I ate 4 of them. Aaaah! It's a lost cause.

25 weeks

2010-01-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

Like I said, I am getting huge. This is not a super great or flattering picture, but it definitely captures the growth from the last month. He is growing, and my belly is getting big and more uncomfortable. It seems too early to already be having so much difficulty getting my own shoes on, sleeping at night, and doing housework, but I am already there. Mostly there is just a lot of sitting around, and the numbers on the scale are really starting to reflect the inactivity. Oh well. It's only going to get worse. Maybe I won't eat as many chocolate muffins from costco.......Nah! Just embrace the fatness and face it in postpartum.

Baby Feet

2010-01-22T14:36:00.000-08:00

I get to have lots of ultrasounds because I am seeing a specialist. I will get one every 2 weeks from now until 32 weeks. They just want to make sure I am not having preterm labor. So far, so good. No problems. But I do get lots of time to see the baby. He is doing well and getting cuter every time. He refuses to give us a good profile picture though. He just won't cooperate. Maybe next time. They did get some shots of his cute little feet and today I saw him yawn and get the hiccups. He is 1lb 14 oz and in the 69th percentile for size. He could end up being a big baby if I go full term. I am huge already so I really hope I don't get to see 40 weeks for the first time. I am already getting impatient and I am counting down the weeks. I am 25 weeks down 10-14 weeks to go if everything continues to go well and he is healthy.

Lotion Arsenal

2010-01-04T06:54:00.000-08:00

I know you can't completely prevent stretch marks, but I do my best. My favorites are the Mama Mio Tummy Rub Stretch Mark Oil, and the Tummy Honey Butter Stretch Mark Prevention. They smell so good. So much about pregnancy is completely out of our hands. I guess it's one thing I feel like I can control. A good lotioning on a growing baby belly every morning and night. And I have to say, I have never had the itchy stretching. So I guess it's good for something.

21 weeks

2009-12-30T10:27:00.001-08:00

I feel huge already and I have a seriously long way to go. I guess being bigger on the 3rd pregnancy is pretty normal I am told. It doesn't make me feel any less like a whale though. I am living in "lounge" clothes. I am almost 22 weeks. I still feel sick most every afternoon and evening, but at least I am not throwing up anymore. I just had another very extensive ultrasound last week and everything looks good. He has 2 hands, 2 feet, 10 fingers, 10 toes, and a very cute nose and upper lip. We still have no solid pick for a name and very few options we like, but we have time for that. We do have a few that were on the list back during my Ruby pregnancy that have now been used by family and friends, and if we use one of those names, then tough crap, our kids will have the same name, it's not a tragedy. It's a really big world and we probably won't ever live by each other. Ruby is participating in the naming process and has vetoed a few that I thought were pretty cool. Between Dave and her it will be a miracle if this child gets a name. Camila had her baby yesterday and I was surprised to feel so envious that her waiting is over. I still have many months of worrying and waiting to go. But I am so happy for her, they are both safe and doing well. I hope that eventually the same can be said of me and all of my pregnant loved ones.

Baby Boy

2009-12-01T20:36:00.001-08:00

It's a baby boy. We had an ultrasound yesterday and we found out we will be having another little guy. This will make him the 8th straight boy on my side of the family. Ruby remains the only granddaughter. As far as they can tell, everything looks good and he is very healthy.

Pregnant Picture

2009-12-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

Camila has been demanding a picture so she can see how big I am. I have gotten so huge in the last week. I went from being able to completely button my pants one day, to needing maternity pants the next. It's totally crazy. I am 17 weeks 4 days based on the calender and 18 weeks 4 days based on ultrasound measurements. Either way I am nearing the half way mark. Normally this would be really exciting. Except that because I am still sick, instead of being amazed that I am half way done, I am fearing that I have potentially 20+ more weeks of nausea. I will try to be more positive, but I am not making any promises. Although, I do still continue to have some hope that it will disappear any day now. Everything else is going really well. I am feeling lots of movement, and my belly is growing every day.

Seriously?

2009-11-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

Stop reading now if you don't want to hear me bitterly complain and whine and wallow in self pity. I am writing this for my own mental health.
Seriously? Three weeks later and I am still so sick I want to die. I have been sick for 2 months and 3 weeks. When you feel this crappy, you tend to keep track. After tonight I can say that the worst thing to throw up is ribs and potato salad. You would think that after being this sick that you would get kind of used to it and learn to deal with it. Wrong! It's the opposite. The longer it goes on the more it just wears you down, the more you want to throw yourself off of a tall building. I am starting to worry that it is never going to end. I have lost 7 lbs and gained only 1 of them back. I feel like I am slowly starving to death. I keep telling myself to just endure it one more week, but when that week is up, it just keeps going. Of course as a mother there is somewhere deep inside of me that knows it is all worth it, but right now I am just too miserable to feel it. I know there are pregnant women that have it way worse. I have friends that have been violently ill the entire 40 weeks. They are some strong women! I am not strong, I am weak. At this point I would give almost anything to make it go away.

13 Weeks

2009-10-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

Today Dave and I went for my first ultrasound. It was fabulous to see that tiny little baby squirming around. I always have so much apprehension before an ultrasound. I am a worrier, and I just fear something will be wrong. So it was a huge relief to see a healthy baby with a beautiful beating heart, two arms, two legs, and a healthy developing brain. It also did wonders for my sagging spirits. Morning sickness has been grueling almost beyond what I can even handle, so it was good for my heart to see that it's all for this little baby. I haven't been insanely sick for 2 months for no reason, but for this little person growing inside me. I had a rough weekend, I really needed that visual boost. So I am really just at the beginning of a very long pregnancy, but for now all is going well and we just pray it continues.