Hatched

I had been dilated 2 centimeters for a week with the assurance from my doctor, "It's so close. I don't think you'll make it to your checkup next week." Pre-labor pains continued to plague me but never crossed into actual labor.

So you can imagine how thrilled I was to wake up 40 weeks pregnant, my family coming in from Michigan to see a baby we had predicted would be at least a week old by then and headed to that 11:00 checkup I wasn't supposed to make it to.

Then at 10:30 my water broke! I launched into the most calm and in control state. I called the doctor and let him know what was happening. Our amazing neighbors walked over to take Penn. I packed the bag and we were off to have a baby.

The following photos are all courtesy of our cell phones.




Daniel never did find the baby book that would give him all the answers. He expected to be anxious and emotional in the delivery room. I secretly contemplated making him wear a helmet to protect him from the hard hospital floors when he eventually went down.

We were wrong. He was more like a ping pong ball in a small concrete room. He bounced off the walls with bubbly uncontrollable happiness. I don't think he's stopped smiling since.

I labored through debating on whether or not I wanted help with the pain. Contractions really are an indescribable feeling. Supernatural and electric and pulsing. They are unimaginable even by those who have experienced them. They are possessive and demanding of their moment. The great one hit and I opted for an epidural. I had a very low dose and could still feel the low growl of Margot making her way. Which is what I asked for. But when the big moment came I got an extra dose "to make me more comfortable" despite not asking for it. Unfortunate. But not debilitating.

I pushed with everything for a mere hour which is hours shorter than my pushing with Penn. When I saw her head I smiled and thought, "Really? Already?" We delivered a perfect baby girl at 5:23 p.m. She was 7 pounds, 7 ounces.







Recovery has been miraculous. A short time after delivery I was on my feet. I still feel absolutely fantastic. Everything has tucked right back into place and I'm still filled with energy.


We spent the night in a private room fawning over our new daughter and eating fast food since our tray was full of steak.


The next morning Penn came to meet his new sister whom he promptly fell in love with. He and Daniel left to pick up my Mom, Sister and Brother flying in from Michigan. Since Margot and I were perfectly healthy and thriving I got clearance for us to discharge 24 hours early. Thanks to my sister we got to sleep in and wake to home cooked breakfast on the table every morning. Kate made a whole lasagna and the Guthries stopped over with bagels.

Holy. Spoiled.




And so our new life begins. Thus far Margot Rose is a lovely addition. We've figured out many of her cues for being hungry, wet or when she's about to have one of those outrageously loud bright yellow poops.

There is a lot more to share, but even this post has been sitting here for three days. We have a lot of family coming and going so right now my life feels like it's all nursing and cleaning.

Follow me or Daniel on Twitter for more spontaneous updates and photos. Follow me or Daniel on Flickr for extra photos.

Click here for Margot's set.

Time

On Tuesday we went to a kindergarten meetup at Penn's new school. It was themed "Popsicles in the Park" and filled with Penn's future best friends and their parents. Penn played football for the first time ever with three other boys (who definitely knew how to play) and managed to mostly hold his own. I let out an audible gasp when he caught the ball and started running.

Overall it was a really positive experience. He is enormously excited to start school in August. I'm excited he's attending a school that is held in rather high regard in Dallas.

But as I gazed across the playground of children I saw the begininng of the end. I can still see my own kindergarten playground like it was yesterday. I can remember where I laid my mat down at naptime. (Right beside the teachers desk.) I remember my teacher, Mrs. Mousehart and her assistant's face. I remember standing up to that red haired bully, the girl who wasn't always there due to her chemotherapy treatments, making the alphabet books and playing "house" in the little playcenters around the classroom.

And now I'm going to send my son off to make his own memories. I still can't believe I have a five year old, much less sending him off to school and getting ready to birth another baby.

Time goes by so fast.

39 Weeks

We're 39 weeks now. At our doctor's appointment last Thursday I was dilated 2 centimeters and effaced 25%. I had also gained 2 pounds! Doc says she's definitely big enough to come out. He doesn't think we will make it to July 23rd, her 40 week mark. Although, I'm doubting this more every day. I fear I'll be pregnant forever.

Planet Margot is full and crowded. I feel fine until I see a photo and the reality of my blossomed frame.

Everything in my body is moving and cramping, but apparently not enough for any full blown labor. I've never looked forward to pain like childbirth before, but right now I say BRING IT ON.

I'm not shooting right now. I am making a lot of backups and doing taxes. I'm not sleeping well, but I am sleeping in.

I'm reading a ton. "Water for Elephants" and "The Secret Life of Bees" were both fantastically good. I also read Gruen's other two books "Riding Lessons" and Flying Changes." The covers are so embarrassingly bad you're going to want to read them at home and they're nothing like "Water for Elephants" but once you've started you'll be entertained the whole way through. Not enlightened. But entertained.

I'm trying to enjoy the last few days I have with just "the boys." The boys are incredibly good to me.

As annoying as pregnancy is, I can't imagine my life being even the slightest bit happier.

Gnocchi!

I've made a few good homemade pastas and dumplings in my time. Sadly, I don't think Daniel has ever had any of them! But tonight I felt ambitious and made gnocchi from scratch.

Turned out great! It's also very simple, affordable and freezable.






I served in a cream sauce with a side of sauteed asparagus, mushrooms and almonds.

I used this recipe.

More from the Villalba Portrait

Because they're so cute I can't get enough. :)

Pre Labor?

For the past three days I've had some "funny feelings." Every day those feelings get a little more intense and a little more convincing. I don't want to jump the gun. I don't want to stress anyone out. So I'm just giving as accurate an update to Daniel as I can provide when it happens. A little heads up to him. We both grow a tad more anxious as we continue our normal routine.

And then just as I come to peace with the minor discomfort and tightening and cramping that keep coming and coming........ it stops.

Pre labor with Penn was evident and undeniable and ended with a baby. This drawn out stuff every day is just annoying. Margot's such a tease.

Going Cloth

We use a lot of paper towels. I use them for cleaning counters, wiping spills, windows, bathrooms and napkins and I go through this list a lot. Last week it occurred to me that not only is this costly, but it's also very wasteful. Apparently this is not a new thought, heh.

So we switched to cloth napkins and a rag for wiping and cleaning. I already feel like I've saved a billion dollars.

Now if I could only make the jump to cloth diapers......

38 weeks

IMG_0098, originally uploaded by dealingwith.

We're officially 38 weeks! I'm up another pound to a whopping 117. I'm also dilated 1 centimeter! Everything is kicking into motion. It feels good. And scary. And life changing.

And wait---I just want one day to lay around and cuddle with the boys before we go any farther--

Margot might continue this waiting game until 42 weeks, but it could also just be any second now.

During the checkup today the doc exclaimed, "She's certainly big enough!" Penn came in at 7.13 pounds. Margot's at 6.12 right now, but she's also a bit low on fluid. Nothing remotely dangerous or abnormal or alarming. But we got a sonogram, "just to be safe."

In that sonogram we got to see what I am totally betting is a Miller nose. It looks long and skinny and prominent compared to any kind of nose my round and sloping Korean genes would build.

And so we wait. I squeezed in one shoot today and still have two shoots on the calendar but I don't know if they're going to make it in. I prefer Kate's advice, "A baby is all you should have to worry about delivering."

Grrrrrrrrr

I AM NOT GOING TO BURST.

I AM NOT GOING TO POP.

I AM NOT DUE ANY SECOND NOW.

YES, I AM SURE IT'S NOT TWINS.

ANY OF THESE STUPID AND THOUGHTLESS COMMENTS YELLED ACROSS A PUBLIC STREET OR ACROSS A PUBLIC ROOM WILL NOT BE APPRECIATED.


BECAUSE ..... REALLY?!

Yes I am full of baby making hormones and I'm awfully sensitive but I have spent most of my life not being pregnant and NEVER has it EVER occurred to me ever to shout at a complete stranger, "YOU ARE SO PREGNANT! YOU ARE ABOUT TO POP!"

Chances are, SHE KNOWS SHE'S PREGNANT.

Chances are, SHE'S NOT ABOUT TO POP.

Chances are, THERE'S ALREADY BEEN A WHOLE FLOCK OF THOUGHTLESS PEOPLE WHO HAVE TOLD HER THAT TODAY AND YOU'RE GONNA WIND UP BEING THAT VERY LAST ONE WHO SHE'S GOING TO UNLEASH ON.

You're lucky she has the very smallest tiniest bit of willpower left to bring it home and unleash on her public blog and not to your face.

And if you dare to argue with me that any pregnant woman WANTS to hear any of this and if you argue AND you have the nerve to also be a MAN you should wait a good nine months before speaking to me again because I hear jail cells don't make comfy birthing rooms.

I've gained 20 something pounds of fantastic healthy miracle. I am sexy as hell. Now, leave me alone.

Also, Daniel is perfect.

Sophia and Elena

2.5 years ago I shot little Sophia. She was the sweetest, perkiest bright eyed little baby and her portrait is still in my portfolio today. She's 2.5 now! Here is that first portrait and last weeks portrait side by side. Still adorable.


Sophia has a brand new little sister named Elena.




And Elena will melt you just as easily as Sophia.