Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 10:19am MT, we officially became a family of three with the birth of our son, Logan Jonathan!  At birth, Logan weighed 5lbs 14.9oz and measured 18.5″ in length.

It was, I’m sure, a much different experience than most mom-to-bes have when they arrive at the hospital to give birth.  I was calm and not in any pain.  We checked in at the hospital at 7:30am and spent the next couple hours in a labor & delivery room where I went through basic pre-surgery tests and had my final and 7th ultrasound with this pregnancy.  Around 10:00 I walked into the operating room.  I don’t think it hit me that I was about to have my baby until the anesthesiologist was giving me the spinal block.

Birth by cesarean delivery was an experience all in itself.  Mostly, probably, what I expected and a little that I had no clue what to expect.  But as soon as I heard my baby cry I felt tears move down my face.  Noah was allowed to pop-up and peek over the sheet and watch as Logan was pulled from me.  Noah was then able to cut (trim) the umbilical cord and take pictures of newborn baby Logan.  I was still immobile as there was a lot to do with the rest of my operation.  I would call for Noah and ask him questions like if Logan had hair, if he had free or attached ear lobes.  One time I called for him the anesthesiologist told me that Noah was cutting the cord.  Finally, Noah and a nurse came over and I was able to see and touch Logan for the first time.  That’s a moment I won’t ever forget!

It wasn’t long after that our family of three was moved to a postpartum room where we spent the rest of our 4-day hospital stay.  Due to Logan being born 3-weeks early (technically one-day late of being considered premature), and that he and I have different blood types, Logan was at an increased risk for jaundice.  He also had some difficulty in maintaining his body temperature.  As a result, Logan spent the majority of his time at the hospital wrapped like a burrito and had regular checks of his biliruben levels.

One nice thing that Kaiser does is provide a home visit once everyone is released from the hospital.  Logan, being the super wonderful baby he is, earned himself three home visits due to his jaundice.  His second home visit determined that he needed light therapy to help break down the biliruben.  So, for one day/night, our little boy got to work on his “tan” in a fancy bed (that essentially looked like a suitcase rigged with lights).  I was very happy that he didn’t need the light therapy any longer than that.

My family came to help us get settled and to meet their first grandson/nephew.  They have been such a blessing helping out around the house and with caring for Logan.  It was also nice that Noah was able to take a week off from work for his “Daddy Days”.  During his time off, Noah was also to make significant progress on completing Logan’s crib.  I’m very excited to have it finished and in Logan’s bedroom!  And, of course, we could not be more in love with our adorable baby boy!  Yes, I’m a bit biased in thinking my son is cuter than cute, but if you don’t believe me, check out the slew of pictures I’ve posted.

Friday we have Logan’s 2-week check-up (I can’t believe tomorrow my little boy is already going to be 2 weeks old!).  I’ll be sure to post details about his stats and always be sure to check back for more pictures (also on Facebook).

Wednesday I had my 20 week check-up.  Logan is growing right along schedule and the doctor isn’t concerned at this point about the location of the placenta.  I will go in for another ultrasound at 28 weeks to check on it’s “true location” as the doctor put it, but this also means more pictures. 🙂

For Thanksgiving, this year, we were treated to not one, but two meals.  The first, a midday smorgasbord of delectables at Noah’s brother’s house.  Then, an evening dinner with friends.  Good thing I was already wearing stretchy pants. 😉  Friday, Noah and I braved the crowds to browse some stores for things we didn’t need (and really only purchased items we did).  We did NOT go at 5am like crazy people, we much prefer our sleep to saving a couple extra dollars.  But, by the time we did venture out into the chaos and hit 4 stores I ran out of steam.  I actually ended up snoozing in the car between stops and took a 2 hour nap once we got home.  Saturday was the most productive day of the long weekend – we finally got Logan’s room cleaned out and ready for furniture to move it!  I am so glad this project is done (it only took about 4 months).  Now, Noah just needs to build the crib. 🙂

We hope y’all had a peaceful Thanksgiving break filled with good food and good fellowship!  Time for some R&R before reality sets in once more tomorrow. 🙂

Today Noah and I went in for our 19-week ultrasound.  And, in-case you’ve missed the giant graphic above, we are having a boy!  Although we were hopeful for a girl, we are very excited to be welcoming Logan into our family!  Logan is developing perfectly and is measuring within a week of his assigned due date (a little ahead, but hey, who’s counting?). 😉  He is also quite the wiggle-worm (must take after me in that regard).  Several times the technician had to wait for him to stop squirming so she could take measurements.  But we learned about Logan’s excessive mobility at our 11 week appointment when the doctor could not find his heartbeat with the doppler.

What’s also exciting, is I started feeling Logan move around this week.  I don’t feel him all the time, usually when I’m relaxed.  But it’s a great feeling!  Noah’s a little jealous, he is looking forward to being able to place a hand on my abdomen and feel the baby kick.

The only “concern” the technician had is that the placenta is close to the cervix still, which puts me at risk for placenta previa.  Basically, the placenta is supposed to move upwards towards the fundus as the uterus grows, but so far it’s still lying low.  If it stays low near the cervix, it would mean I would need to have a cesarean section birth.  There is still time for the placenta to move upwards, so please pray that it does and I do not have this rare condition!  I haven’t had any complications, and like I said, Logan is developing right on schedule. Next week when I see my doctor I am sure we will discuss this more and I imagine I will have more ultrasounds throughout my pregnancy.  At least that means more pictures of our baby. 🙂

And, of course, I have uploaded lots of new pictures to the album for your viewing pleasure.  Also, the poll is still open for guessing Logan’s birthday.  Let me know if you want to pick a date.

Today was my 16 week appointment and Noah managed to escape from work, getting to the office just before the doctor entered.  Today we got to hear the heartbeat with the doppler (150s bpm for those who are interested), one of the best sounds in the world.  🙂  Everything is progressing along just fine.  The nurse was a little concerned that I haven’t gained any weight yet, perhaps that’s the excuse I need to delve into the Halloween candy a little early.  😉  Later today I’ll make my ultrasound appointment for next month so we can find out the baby’s sex!   Still hoping for a girl!  The poll is still open — comment your guess if you want your prediction posted!

Yesterday we had our 11 week check-up for the baby.  It was supposed to be a quick appointment, just an abdomen check and hear the heartbeat.  But the doctor couldn’t find the heartbeat with the doppler, which isn’t too uncommon before 12 weeks.  So we got to have another ultrasound.  Everything looks great and we got to see the baby squirm, twist and kick – it was all that movement that made it hard for the doctor to zero in on the heartbeat.  Because of all the squirming, Noah says the baby is taking after me (I have a reputation of being a wiggle worm).  I’ve added a couple new ultrasound pictures to the Bailey Baby album.  In one of the pictures you can clearly make out the baby’s nose.  So what do you think, does it look like mine or Noah’s?  Noah thinks it looks like mine.  😉

Also, the poll is gaining in popularity.  Here are the current standings:

Girl: 7
Boy: 3
Unspecified: 3
Most popular birth date: April 20th

Since I have the calendar secured, be sure to let me know if you want your prediction listed!