A Day at the Farm

Today mom and I went to Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead in Overland Park with my friends Seth and Leah, their mom Anne, and Griffin and Addie and their mom Lindsie. I made some new friends, too! I met a very cool cow, a beautiful swan, some hungry goats and saw lots of cool sights. We had SOOOO much fun (I took at 3 1/2 hour nap after we left, if that's any indication)! Here are some of our pictures...

Found My Feet!

Today I found these wonderful things mommy and daddy keep calling "feet!" They're so fun to play with and I'm so excited by them! Have they been right here this whole time? I keep forgetting about them and then I rediscover them all over, time and time again. It's been such a treat!

Time Flies When You're Havin' Fun!

I can't believe Will is four months old today! He is SO wonderful and we're having a great time as parents! He smiles constantly and we feel so Blessed to have such a happy baby! He also has started giggling and rolling over occasionally. He's sleeping through the night, at least most of the time, and last week we survived daddy's first business trip since mommy's been back at work. We'll get lots of practice, as two more are scheduled in the near future : )

I estimate we've changed 18,372 diapers and have mopped the floor 3.1 million times due to spit up. Okay, the diaper estimate might be a little exaggerated, but the mopping the floor statistic is 100% accurate.
Will's favorite "game" is "One Little Monkey Jumping on the Bed," with the foot version of "Patty Cakes" a very close runner up. He loves his aunties and grandparents, and can't wait 'till he can play with Uncle Austin! At the rate we're going, I know that'll be here way too soon.

A Mother's Intuition

I've always been a believer that God gives a special intuition to mothers and this afternoon that belief was reinforced.

James, Will and I picked up "Mimi's" van for her from the dealership this afternoon and headed south to deliver the good-as-new vehicle. As James headed out of the customer parking lot and I out of the repair lot, a terrible feeling came over me. So I simply prayed, asking God to protect James and Will. As I finished this prayer, I came over a hill only to spot an accident - that involved a silver Honda Civic that sported a bumper sticker just like mine - my heart sank. As I got a little closer adrenaline pumped through my body, making it difficult to find the hazards on mom's van, much less get the keys out of the ignition.

Luckily, for lack of a better word that gives credit where I believe it is due, the wreck didn't look too serious, but from the mother of a three-month old, that offered little reassurance. After fooling with the keys in the ignition for what seemed like a whole minute, I got the reassurance I needed: Will and James were fine.

I vow to never forget the feeling that came over me in that moment. Tonight I go to bed with a little more appreciation for my family than I woke up with this morning. Thank you, God, for protecting James and Will this afternoon and for giving mothers a very special intuition that may not be able to be explained, but certainly cannot be explained away.

It's Official

It's official. I've become one of those moms. Ya know, the kind who videotapes her kid sleeping because she thinks it's SO CUTE. Want proof? The videos are uploaded to the blog. See below and make sure you have your sound on. Will basically came out of the womb making these sounds and still occasionally makes them when he's sleeping. Adorable!

And to so many of you who encouraged me that I really would be able to clean up my child's messes - regardless of which particular orifice they came out of - you were right.

Specifically, to my mom, who said my child's snot wouldn't make me gag - it's true. Will has his first cold right now and not only have I been wiping his nose often, I've used the nasal aspirator, too. I'm pretty sure I used to swear I would never use this device. Something to the effect of "my kid's will have to deal with a stuffy nose." But now that he's here I would give my right arm to make his life a little easier.

And to my sister, Sarah, who said I would be able to wipe Will's eye boogers without wearing latex gloves - I am happy to report I can.

And to my cousin, Jason, who said my pets would soon learn their real place in our house after having a baby - you're absolutely right. I still love the four-legged children, but it doesn't compare to the love I have for the baby. I used to walk into the house from a long day at work and give the puppy kisses. Now I walk in and only think of the puppy as being "in the way" as I try to get to the baby as soon as humanly possible. Yes, I do say hi to him and the kitty children, too, but only after seeing my number one little guy.

I guess the pets will have to get used to being knocked down a notch on the totem pole.

Top 10 Things I've Learned Since Becoming a Mom

Will is 12 weeks old today! I can hardly believe it. As I returned to work this week, it made me realize how much I've learned in the past 12 weeks. Here's a list of the top 10:

10) Strollers are awesome! We should've gotten one of these years ago, despite not having a kid yet.

9) Baby shoes aren't pointless. They help keep the kid's socks on.

8) No diaper bag will ever be big enough.

7) Pregnancy brain is quickly replaced with mommy brain.

6) Advice from friends and family is far more valuable than
anything in a book or online.

5) Breastfeeding is the best weight-loss plan! Anyone looking for a wet nurse?!?!

4) You can get good at typing with one hand.

3) Always let a sleeping baby lie.

2) Opportunities to get things done can be few and far between, so it is imperative to stay focused. For example, if you're going to take a shower while the baby's sleeping, you can't spend 10 minutes picking up toys and other stuff on the way to the bathroom.

1) There must be a God because the love I have for this child is a gift straight from Heaven!

Aunt Sarah, Uncle Joe and Cousin Noah & Leah's Visit

Recently, Aunt Sarah, Uncle Joe and Cousins Noah & Leah were in town for a visit! Check out all the really coo stuff we did:

He's Here!

About the experience...

Tuesday, April 14

10 p.m. We arrived at Saint Luke's Hospital to begin the induction process with the application of cervical gel. So far, a smooth ride.

Wednesday, April 15

6 a.m. Pitocin was started. So much for being one of those women who went into labor right after their gel was applied...
8 a.m. The Nurse Midwife came in to check on us and to break my water - wahoo - we're ready to get things moving!
1 p.m. Contractions are beginning to get hard, but aren't regular. Let's go ahead and call anesthesia for that epidural.
2 p.m. After four tries, the epidural was finally in place. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate needles?
4 p.m. Mom spent the afternoon sleeping and dad was reading. The Nurse Midwife came back to check on us. So far, I was dilated to a 4 (are you kidding me?! There must be some mistake!). The baby's doing great, she reported, but mom's contractions aren't as regular as they should be for having this much pitocin, so the dosage was increased. Great - anything to move this along!
8 p.m. Dad, normally a wonderfully encouraging coach, made a big mistake when he said "maybe he won't be born on tax day after all" with a big smile on his face. Are you kidding me? There are four hours left in the day!
11 p.m. Nurse Midwife says I'm dilated to a "good 6." My response? There's nothing good about being dilated to a 6 after 17 hours of labor. Granted, I really never experienced "labor" as many of you are probably picturing it and have experienced it yourselves. For me, it mostly consisted of sleeping thanks to the fourth-time's-a-charm epidural.

Thursday, April 16

2 a.m. Nurse Midwife back in room to report she suspects the baby's head is turned in such a way that it's keeping me from being able to dilate fully. They repositioned me to sleep on my stomach for an hour and then will re-check my progress.
3 a.m. Time to check progress again. Looks like we're at about an 8 and the re-positioning helped. "Let's have you lay on your stomach for another hour or so and see what happens," she said.
4 a.m. This isn't working, the Midwife reported, along with the news that a Cesarean Section would be best because the baby appears to be stuck.
5:28 a.m. William Charles Rouse was born via C-section. Ten perfect fingers, ten perfect toes and the two happiest, proudest parents ever.

Twelve Days Later

Mom, Dad and Baby are doing great! Though we've had a few minor bumps in the road, we're recovering well and are so appreciative of everyone's prayers, thoughts, well wishes and the wonderful meals we're received! Thank you for being such a great support system!

Labor Ready

Well, this is it. Tomorrow's the big day (at least, I hope our experience doesn't extend past tomorrow!). Last night James and I went out to dinner and on our way home I noticed a sign for one of those temporary work places: "Labor Ready" it was called. I began to wonder if you can ever really get yourself "Labor Ready." There's the obvious measures you can take like getting enough rest, packing your bag, delving into books and taking childbirth classes. We've done all this and I gotta say I'm not feeling especially ready for labor. But, ready or not, we're about to embark upon this adventure together and the best advice we've received is to keep the end in mind.

So that's what we'll do. "Labor Ready" or not, Baby Will's about to make his entrance into the world!

Week 38

First things first...

Update from the Doc

So it's week 38 and things are definitely moving in the right direction! My blood pressure's come down, the non-stress tests (standard when mom's bp has spiked) show the baby is doing fantastic and our latest sonogram shows he still has plenty of amniotic fluid to swim around in! In addition, the doc believes Baby Will could make his entrance into the world any day now. In fact, if he hasn't done so by next week, we'll be induced on Wednesday, April 15. Our good friend Suzy gave us the t-shirt pictured on the right a couple months ago - little did she know how appropriate it would be!

Target...You Got Some 'Splainin To Do

It was called to my attention there are some pink items on our Target registry, leading to confusion because the registry also says "It's a Boy!" So, I began looking at our registry and it's true - there are dresses, pink sheets, bibs, etc., that we, indeed, didn't register for, along with plenty of blue and gender neutral things that we also didn't register for - ugh! So, my apologies to all of you who were probably confused and maybe even a little concerned when you saw the combination of items. More importantly, I apologize if I seemed confused as I was opening gifts at a recent shower or visit. This certainly explains some of the items that I was a little confused, but nonetheless thankful for!

Maternity Photos

Many thanks to Judith Winn for the wonderful gift she gave us when she captured the beauty of our pregnancy.

Oh the Temptation...

...that comes with being pregnant on April Fool's Day! But I'm proud to say I've resisted all thoughts of starting the rumor mill, despite the fact that I have a lot more time on my hands these days.

Last week my blood pressure began to spike, which means my activities are now restricted. The baby's health, however, seems to be perfect. I had a non-stress test on Monday and will have another tomorrow, but Monday's test showed all is well with our little Will. He moved all around and I had contractions throughout the test, yet his heart rate never changed.

So, for now, I'm enjoying a little more time at home with my feet up. Though as great as this might sound to you, I guarantee I'm not nearly as comfortable as you imagine. With a baby toosh in my ribs and a head on my bladder, a girl can only get so comfortable!

But all is well as we're counting our Blessings and the days until we can meet our bundle of joy!

Will & Grace

Welcome to the world, Baby Grace! Lynda Baya Grace Denham was born at 12:55 PM on March 19, 2009 to proud parents Holly & Keith! You may remember a previous entry ("Half-Way There," Dec. 1, 2008) about Auntie Holly and Baby Mama, who are 18 days apart themselves. From taking dance class and going to camp to having babies, Holly and I have and continue to do "life" together.

As life goes, some things we've planned to do together while others have just happened that way. You may not believe me when I tell you the naming of our children was not planned or based in any way on the popular sitcom "Will & Grace," but I am speaking (er, writing) the truth. Both falling victim to pregnancy brain for the past 9 months, the coincidence of Holly naming her baby "Grace" and us naming ours "Will" just occurred to us several weeks ago.

Gracie is absolutely beautiful and amazing and I can't wait until Will arrives so we can see them play together for hours upon end, just like Holly and I used to do!

Many thanks to my colleagues for the wonderful baby shower yesterday! I work with a great team of people who are so very kind and generous. Let me give you a glimpse into just how kind they have been…

During the first trimester they showed nothing but sympathy as I ran to the bathroom to lose breakfast, lunch, snacks, Gatorade and the many other things Baby Will rejected. Patrick was so sweet and kind to begin throwing his bananas away in the kitchen trashcan, vs. his desk trashcan, after learning of my aversion to the sight and smell of my former favorite fruit (see FAQ entry from 12/17/08). On bad days Steve sometimes even resisted giving me a hard time (probably out of fear I’d start crying and wouldn’t be able to stop). Lauren, our Branch Chief, remained flexible and empathetic on the days I needed to leave early or come in late due to appointments or losing breakfast before actually getting to work.

The second trimester everyone was nice enough to listen to me gush over our sonogram that showed our baby with all his boy “parts” and to celebrate all the newness of kicks and squirms. Throughout everything, Mohammad’s kept me laughing and is convinced he has psychic powers because he was the first to correctly predict this baby’s gender.

The third trimester my colleagues have avoided making fun of me for wearing shoes without socks – even during rain and snow – because my ankles are too swollen for any “extraneous” layers (okay, so maybe they’re not avoiding making fun of me, but at least they’re not doing it to my face, which is good enough for me : ) Shelly’s been too kind to provide an endless supply of M&M’s, which are so addictive I’m convinced they’re laced with cocaine. Sheri, Shari & Valerie have been some of the best girlfriends and girl can have, putting up with everything from venting about my wonderful husband to laughing over the latest things I’ve cried about (sometimes you just need perspective!).

Shellie’s been patient as I’ve become a slow walker and ran a little late to meetings this week. Jason’s been great for laughing off a pregnancy-brain incident that involved overlooking numerous worksheets in an Excel spreadsheet. Brenda’s become my work mom, worrying about me lifting too much at the beginning and walking in the ice and snow throughout the winter.

I think I’m the one who should’ve thrown them a party to say Thank You for putting up with everything – you guys are the best!

Boys and Their Toys

Today is the last day of February, which means we are due seven weeks from tomorrow. You know what they say - time flies when you're having fun! Although pregnancy hasn't been all fun and games, there have been plenty of laughs. Take today, for instance. In Kansas City there are three or four inches of snow on the ground and it's well below freezing. So, what are we going to do to keep ourselves busy, you ask? Well, The Papa is busy smoking a pork shoulder. Yes, you read that right and below are pictures to prove it. Why should a little snow keep a guy from his favorite outdoor hobby? "It shouldn't," The Papa responds. For anyone who might be thinking "Good Lord, just throw the pork in the crockpot and be done with it." Don't bother. I tried to have this conversation this morning, to no avail (remember: there are pictures). "It's not the same," I was told.

So I guess I better get used to this and many more of these conversations that end with "you just don't understand" because I'm soon to be outnumbered. The Papa will soon have strength in numbers as he teaches his son the value of keeping his word to the guy pals who nominated him to spend his Saturday with his favorite hobby.

Here's to you, Uncles Zach and Brandon, who are sure to appreciate and understand this far more than Baby Mama:

Babies & The Art of the Made-Up Word: Registering Part II

Parts of our experience registering were a little humorous. James decided when it comes to kid stuff you can make up words and everyone just gets on board. For instance, have you all heard of the Bumbo? It’s this great device that you can sit kids in before they’re actually able to sit up. Helps with back muscle development and lets the kid enjoy being part of the action earlier than they otherwise would be able to. But honestly speaking, was Bumbo even a word just a couple of years ago? Couldn’t they have at least named is something that’s indicative of its function (I’m no inventor, but how ‘bout the Sitting Up Helper?)?

James also got a kick out of the Boppy. “Why do they make up so many ‘B’ words?” he inquired. What’s wrong with the Donut Pillow? Is Boppy that much more appealing?

That said, of course we registered for both, so consider us on board with the process of buying into products with made-up words. When it comes to your kids, merchants know parents take one of everything.

Trying Not to Break the Baby: Registering Part I

We registered at Babies R’ Us and Target – whew, what an experience that was! For all you Sex and the City fans, you know that episode after Miranda has her baby and it’s Steve’s weekend with the kid? Steve starts to have a panic attack because he’s unsure of his ability to take care of the baby. Miranda tries to calm him down by explaining they have to take turns trying not to break the baby.

Well, this is pretty much how I’d summarize the registering experience: Trying Not to Break the Baby. It was so overwhelming to look at dozens of swings, pack-n-plays, strollers, exersaucers, etc. How do you pick the right one? And what if you pick the one that gets recalled? I just kept thinking I want something that’s going to make us and the baby a little more comfortable as we begin this new venture together, but the possibility of picking the “wrong” thing became very overwhelming very quickly.

Some of the best advice I’ve been given so far is that becoming a parent is a series of letting go that begins and conception and never really ends. That said, we moved forward, registered for the things we think we’ll need, a few things we won’t, and did our best to choose things that won’t break the baby.

Baby Mowgli?

Naturally, after finding out it's a boy on Dec. 4, the most frequently asked question became "What are you going to name him?" Having not made a decision yet, suggestions began pouring in. My favorite: Baby Mowgli.

That's right, as in Mowgli from The Jungle Book. This came from my friend Sheri, who is also a sucker for animals, after seeing the Dec. 11 post that showed our selection of bedding for Baby Mowgli's room (re-posted here, see right). Being the mother of three (puppies, of course), Sheri understands the cost of daycare can be astronimical and advocated that our dog, Monday, is perfectly capable of taking care of Baby Mowgli while we go to work, run errands or, occassionally, have a date.

While it's a nice thought and I have loved affectionately referring to Baby Mowgli for the past couple of months, we have made a decision on a name: William Charles Rouse. For short: Will. Will is being named after his maternal grandfather and paternal great-grandfather, both of whom have gone on before us but nonetheless will influence the way this baby is raised through the impact they had on James and I.

We are excited to introduce Baby Will to everyone in the next 10 weeks or so!

Seventh Inning Stretch

Okay, so I’m not the world’s biggest baseball fan, but the analogy works for pregnancy. Allow me to demonstrate…

This is the top of the seventh inning (beginning of the seventh month, week 28). For anyone’s who has ever been to a T-Bones game (Kansas City’s minor league team), you know they always have a seventh-inning strrrrrech. Well, this month things are certainly beginning to stretch in my body. I have a nearly-constant pain in my right side that my doc says is something being stretched. Probably won’t go away until the baby drops, or shall I say, bottom of the ninth. Ugh!

Other than that, which is nothing, really, the pregnancy is going great. The baby’s heart beat is perfect, the mommy’s blood pressure and weight gain are good and the papa is doing a great job taking care of us! Sleeping could be a little better, but that has more to do with a certain cat that’s getting ready to get locked in the basement at night. I love having him upstairs with us because he’s cute and cuddly, but in a few months the last thing we’ll all need is a four-legged child to wake us up because it’s play time.

Stay tuned for future updates, which will focus on “What’s In a Name?,” “Trying Not to Break the Baby,” and “The Nursery.”

Week 25

As the holidays came and went, I kept thinking about having an 8-month old baby during the next holiday season. Wow – that’s overwhelming! It was also a little reassuring because all the things I’m anxious about now – labor, delivery, and all the details in between – will be over.

James asked me last night if I’m enjoying being pregnant and I have to say yes, I am very much enjoying being pregnant right now. In fact, I wish I could just have this child live in me for a long time and skip the labor and delivery! In all seriousness, I love feeling and seeing the baby move. It’s such a miracle! The first trimester was disappointing because I wanted to love being pregnant but I was too sick to even like it. Now that I have a little more energy and can actually keep food and liquids down, it’s been great to really focus on the baby.

Speaking of our little miracle, he must know I’m “talking” about him because he just started moving. It’s funny because he has these little routines of being awake and active. Each morning I’m usually at my desk from about 8 to 9 or 10 checking emails and catching up on other computer stuff. He gets really active! In the afternoons he doesn’t come out to play much, but then in the evenings after dinner and errands (again, between 8 and 10’ish) he gets active. I know I've said miracle a lot on this blog, but there's no better word to describe what's happening. A baby truly is miraculous!