I just wanted to take a sec to welcome an new viewers. Deb Bean has printed an article about us in the Columbus Gazette (if it's not in there this week, look for it soon). It's featured as the "Where are they now?" article. She mentions our website and this blog in the article, so I just thought I would welcome any new-comers to my blog and encourage you to visit our website www.deatoncrew.com. Will has put a ton of time and effort into the site, and it's pretty good! This blog talks a lot about my pregnancy and current events in our lives. I try to write in it at least a couple of times a week, and when we have our baby, I will use it to keep everyone informed about how we're getting along with her. I'm sure it will get quite interesting! There will be lots of pictures posted on the website. Currently, Will updates some of the pictures every week. Check it out!
We had our last childbirth class tonight. We talked all about interventions, like epidurals, monitors, inductions, vacuum extraction/forceps, and episiotomies and had "mock labor". Boy, do I wish labor was as easy as it was in class tonight! We used clothespins on our earlobes as a pain source, while we tried out different breathing and comfort techniques and laboring positions. We were supposed to be seeing how the breathing and comforting distracted us from the pain of the clothespin. I have to admit, I felt like the breathing did NOTHING to distract me, but the comfort techniques, like massage and rocking, made a HUGE difference. Will's going to be a great coach during labor! He did great in the "practice labor", and if he's that good in practice, I can't wait to see him in action during the real thing!
We have one more class left to attend this coming Thursday night. It's the breastfeeding class, and I'm very anxious to learn the tricks of the trade!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
A Tropical Shower
Yesterday, my friends in Michigan threw a baby shower for me. Jill hosted and Diane, Heather, and Tara assisted with the planning and organization of everything. The theme was "tropical", fitting for this beach baby! Everyone got to wear leis. The cups and plates had colorful hibiscus flowers on them, and there was a big bunch of balloons on the counter. The cake was decorated with designs in frosting. The surface of the cake showed a pink hammock between 2 palm trees. Inside the hammock, was a little baby, holding a rattle! In the background, there was also sand, surf, and sun, and there were hibiscus flowers on one edge, spilling down the side of the cake. It was beautiful! I didn't even want to cut into it because it was too cute to ruin! We had a taco salad bar with a cheese/chicken dip, fresh fruit, and punch. There was also a delicious cheese cake! Yummy!
We played some really great games. There were 2 door prizes given away to whoever had "Baby Maya" written on the bottoms of their plates. Miriam and Steph won those. We played a word scramble game that had several baby items listed, in jumbled up letters. We had a certain amount of time to unscramble all the words correctly. Whoever got the most right, won. Mary and I were the only ones to get all the words unscrambled correctly. It was quite challenging! The last game we played involved sitting in a tight circle and getting very cozy with your neighbor. Each person was given an unused pencil. To start the game, I had to place the pencil in my mouth and loop the pacifier ring onto it. Then I simply had to pass it onto my neighbor's pencil without letting it drop. Easy, right? WRONG! I dropped the pacifier on the floor immediately! It's a good thing I was the guest of honor, because I got one free chance to stay in the game. Thanks, Heath! So, we passed the pacifier around the circle, losing girls in the circle as they dropped the pacifier onto the floor. Miriam, Crystal, and Jill were apparently pros at this game (even though none of them had ever played before!) because it was down to just those 3 for several minutes! Finally, it was just down to 2, Jill and Crystal, and in the end, Crystal proved to have the most skill (shaking jaw and all!). It was the funniest, most interactive shower game that any of us had ever played. It was a riot!
Next, I opened presents. We received tons of VERY nice gifts for Maya. We were showered with bath time supplies, toys, clothes, a high chair, swaddler, Baby Bumbo Seat, and several other items. It's so exciting to get such little baby things. Every time I see an outfit for her, I just can't believe she's going to be that small! I'm looking forward to holding her little body for the first time. I know she's going to grow, yet I just can't imagine her getting bigger!
We took some really great pictures at the end of the shower. I'm sure some of them will be appearing on our website, so check them out! It's so great to have made such great friends here in Grand Rapids. Everyone is really excited about Maya, and it feels so nice to have so many friends that care so much about our growing family! My Michigan friends have been our family since we have been away from our families. We have lived in other places, but we have not been so lucky to have so many wonderful people in our lives until we moved here (with the exception of Eric and Mary, we met them in Kansas City, but they were from Michigan!). It was so great to have Mary come over to the shower from Detroit. I know that's a long drive, especially to make the day before leaving for vacation with 2 little ones!
Overall, it was a great shower. I had tons of fun, and judging by all the laughter, so did everyone else! It was a truly great day! Thank you all for everything!! We are so blessed to have you all in our lives!
We played some really great games. There were 2 door prizes given away to whoever had "Baby Maya" written on the bottoms of their plates. Miriam and Steph won those. We played a word scramble game that had several baby items listed, in jumbled up letters. We had a certain amount of time to unscramble all the words correctly. Whoever got the most right, won. Mary and I were the only ones to get all the words unscrambled correctly. It was quite challenging! The last game we played involved sitting in a tight circle and getting very cozy with your neighbor. Each person was given an unused pencil. To start the game, I had to place the pencil in my mouth and loop the pacifier ring onto it. Then I simply had to pass it onto my neighbor's pencil without letting it drop. Easy, right? WRONG! I dropped the pacifier on the floor immediately! It's a good thing I was the guest of honor, because I got one free chance to stay in the game. Thanks, Heath! So, we passed the pacifier around the circle, losing girls in the circle as they dropped the pacifier onto the floor. Miriam, Crystal, and Jill were apparently pros at this game (even though none of them had ever played before!) because it was down to just those 3 for several minutes! Finally, it was just down to 2, Jill and Crystal, and in the end, Crystal proved to have the most skill (shaking jaw and all!). It was the funniest, most interactive shower game that any of us had ever played. It was a riot!
Next, I opened presents. We received tons of VERY nice gifts for Maya. We were showered with bath time supplies, toys, clothes, a high chair, swaddler, Baby Bumbo Seat, and several other items. It's so exciting to get such little baby things. Every time I see an outfit for her, I just can't believe she's going to be that small! I'm looking forward to holding her little body for the first time. I know she's going to grow, yet I just can't imagine her getting bigger!
We took some really great pictures at the end of the shower. I'm sure some of them will be appearing on our website, so check them out! It's so great to have made such great friends here in Grand Rapids. Everyone is really excited about Maya, and it feels so nice to have so many friends that care so much about our growing family! My Michigan friends have been our family since we have been away from our families. We have lived in other places, but we have not been so lucky to have so many wonderful people in our lives until we moved here (with the exception of Eric and Mary, we met them in Kansas City, but they were from Michigan!). It was so great to have Mary come over to the shower from Detroit. I know that's a long drive, especially to make the day before leaving for vacation with 2 little ones!
Overall, it was a great shower. I had tons of fun, and judging by all the laughter, so did everyone else! It was a truly great day! Thank you all for everything!! We are so blessed to have you all in our lives!
Friday, April 27, 2007
Belated Birthday Surprise!
Today I met my friend, Gwen, for lunch at Uno's Pizza. We chatted while we ate our lunch, then we headed to a scrapbook store she wanted to show me. She's like a professional card, announcement, craft maker, and I am just trying to get motivated to make a nice baby book for Maya. I found the perfect book at Hallmark. It's a 3-ring binder type, and I bought some scrapbook page inserts to add to it. So, when we went to the scrapbook store, I was looking for some embellishments for the pages. While in the store, I was commenting how all of these new scrapbooking things were probably adding up, and that I should probably leave before I broke our bank account. Then I remembered that I had birthday money and told Gwen the problem was solved because the purchase was going to be a birthday present to me with my birthday money. The lady behind the counter asked me when my birthday was, and I told her it was on Wednesday. She informed me that my purchase would be 20% off since it was the week of my birthday! I asked her if she meant 20% off one item or the entire purchase? She said it would be 20% off the ENTIRE purchase!! YAY!! Happy Birthday to ME!! I bought a nice paper cutter, hole puncher, paper, and lots of embellishments. Now, I am really excited to get started on Maya's baby/scrapbook! I can't wait! It's going to be really cute!
Will and I also went to a Grand Rapids Griffins hockey game tonight. They're in the playoffs, and they won the game in sudden-death overtime. It was a ton of fun, and we had really great seats. We were on the 2nd row from the ice, behind the home goal. We love going to those hockey games! They're very fast-paced and exciting. Maya jumped around through the entire game, and she still hasn't stopped. She's been going strong for about 6 hours now! She's an active little bugger!
Will and I also went to a Grand Rapids Griffins hockey game tonight. They're in the playoffs, and they won the game in sudden-death overtime. It was a ton of fun, and we had really great seats. We were on the 2nd row from the ice, behind the home goal. We love going to those hockey games! They're very fast-paced and exciting. Maya jumped around through the entire game, and she still hasn't stopped. She's been going strong for about 6 hours now! She's an active little bugger!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Hiccups and Waddles
I am amazed every day how much Maya and my body continue to change! Maya's hiccups crack me up. She usually gets them a couple of times a day, and she's getting so big now that the hiccups make my belly jump! They feel really strong, too, when I put my hand on her back. That's how I can tell how she's laying in my belly. Her hiccups feel strongest on her back, so when I find that spot, I know that she's facing away from my hand. I can always find her little butt up near my ribs, so I rub her butt for a little bit. I wonder if she likes that? I feel her tossing and turning in my belly, too. The movements feel like little earthquakes. It's really the greatest feeling ever. When Will puts his hand on my belly, his comment has gone from, "That was a good one" (when she was smaller) to "Wow" and "Oh my gosh" now that she is much bigger. He told me one day that he had been feeling my belly in the morning when he woke up and I was still sleeping, and Maya was rocking my belly so hard that one whole side kept bulging out. He couldn't believe that I didn't wake up! I'm sure I sleep through a lot of her movements. She hasn't waken me up yet, but I've waken up several times after she's already waken up and started moving. It actually surprises me that she doesn't wake me up as strong as the movements are! I will miss feeling her move in my belly when she is born, that I know for sure.
As for my own body changes, well, there's the waddle. It's there. I don't know when I acquired it, and I can't turn it off. It just happened. I even feel a little silly at times, but no matter how hard I try to walk "normal", I can't! When Will and I take Ruby on walks and we're crossing a street or something, Will always says, "Waddle faster!" It makes me laugh so hard because there aren't many different speeds for waddling! My whole belly and low back feel so heavy now. I'm sure the waddling can be contributed to the extra belly weight! I can only explain the heaviness as playing with a medicine ball (you know, those really heavy balls that you play with in school?). You know how when you catch a medicine ball, it kind of makes you bend down a little, just from the weight of it? That's how I feel every single time I stand up. The second I get up, I feel weighed down for an instant, then my body adjusts, and I'm off and waddling!
I'm getting SO ANXIOUS for Maya's arrival!! I just can't wait to meet her! As much as I'll miss feeling her in my belly, I can't wait to hold her in my arms. I can't wait for Will to be able to hold her. I've been "holding" her and bonding with her for 8 months now. Will has been very active with the pregnancy, and he's bonded with her by feeling my belly and seeing her in the ultrasounds. It's just not going to be the same as when he can finally hold her. The first moment that he gets to hold her close, all to himself, is going to be an unforgettable moment for this first-time Daddy. I can't wait. It's going to be the greatest day ever!
As for my own body changes, well, there's the waddle. It's there. I don't know when I acquired it, and I can't turn it off. It just happened. I even feel a little silly at times, but no matter how hard I try to walk "normal", I can't! When Will and I take Ruby on walks and we're crossing a street or something, Will always says, "Waddle faster!" It makes me laugh so hard because there aren't many different speeds for waddling! My whole belly and low back feel so heavy now. I'm sure the waddling can be contributed to the extra belly weight! I can only explain the heaviness as playing with a medicine ball (you know, those really heavy balls that you play with in school?). You know how when you catch a medicine ball, it kind of makes you bend down a little, just from the weight of it? That's how I feel every single time I stand up. The second I get up, I feel weighed down for an instant, then my body adjusts, and I'm off and waddling!
I'm getting SO ANXIOUS for Maya's arrival!! I just can't wait to meet her! As much as I'll miss feeling her in my belly, I can't wait to hold her in my arms. I can't wait for Will to be able to hold her. I've been "holding" her and bonding with her for 8 months now. Will has been very active with the pregnancy, and he's bonded with her by feeling my belly and seeing her in the ultrasounds. It's just not going to be the same as when he can finally hold her. The first moment that he gets to hold her close, all to himself, is going to be an unforgettable moment for this first-time Daddy. I can't wait. It's going to be the greatest day ever!
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Aeromed 20th Anniversary Reunion
Today I volunteered to work at the Aeromed Reunion. I helped man the "Aeromed Boutique", where we sold a bunch of Aeromed logo paraphernalia (shirts, hats, scrubs, etc...). It was a really great day. There were tons of patients and families that turned out to meet and thank the crews that had transported them to the hospital by air. These patients are mostly the sickest of the sick or most injured of the injured. You have to be in dire straits to be transported by helicopter to a hospital. The thing is, these people (both the patients and families) know that, and they were SO GRATEFUL to the crews who ultimately saved their lives (or transported them quickly to someone who could save their life).
The patient who touched me most today was an adolescent male that wrecked an ATV last summer. He was in a very remote location, so they did a scene flight, where the patient is picked up at the site of the accident. He was in really bad shape. They hoped he would make it, but at the time, they weren't sure he would survive. If he did survive, they weren't sure how his quality of life would be affected. This was particularly difficult because he was just a kid, with his whole future ahead of him. The last anyone at Aeromed had heard, months ago, was that the kid was in rehab, but nobody knew how well he had recovered physically or mentally.
I will tell you that the kid walked into the hanger today, looking and acting like any normal teenage boy. He continues to have some difficulty with speech from the traumatic brain injury, but besides that one issue, he made a complete recovery. His parents were there with him, and I got a chance to talk to his dad a little bit. He said they were so lucky to have their son there today. He did not think it would have been possible without the excellent care that his son received on that tragic day from the Aeromed crew. He said, "That doctor saved his life." That doctor was Will! He saved their son. It was his skill, quick action, and decision making that gave their son another chance. He saved his life. There is no act greater than that.
Will is very humble about what he does at Aeromed and in the ER. Not me. I wanted to climb to the top of the tallest building in Grand Rapids and shout it from the rooftops! My chest swelled with pride, and my heart overflowed with love. I know Will would say that it's just his job, and I would have to disagree. Not just anybody can do what he does. Not everybody who does his job is great at it. Will is great at it. That kid is alive today because Will is great at what he does. Everyone that works with him tells me that he's a super guy to work with, and he's great with his patients. It doesn't surprise me one bit. He's the greatest man I've ever known. I feel so blessed to have him in my life. I couldn't be luckier.
Since Will wouldn't allow me to climb and shout his successes from the rooftops, I will just brag about him here. Next time any of you see Will, give him a hug, pat on the back, or something. He deserves it. Will was so excited to see that patient today. As soon as he spotted him, he came over to get me, so I could take a picture of them together. He had no idea that the kid had recovered so well, and while Will looked very calm and collected on the outside, I could tell that he felt like a kid in a candy store on the inside. That was the only patient that Will took care of that came to the reunion today. I was so happy for Will that the kid and his parents came back to meet him and the nurse from the flight. Will had been wondering if he would see any of his patients there, and he didn't think he would. The thought of him not having one patient or family member show up had kind of bummed him out, but boy did his face light up when that kid walked through the door. Today is a day that I won't soon forget. I'm sure it will be etched in Will's memory for many years as well. I'm so proud of him.
The patient who touched me most today was an adolescent male that wrecked an ATV last summer. He was in a very remote location, so they did a scene flight, where the patient is picked up at the site of the accident. He was in really bad shape. They hoped he would make it, but at the time, they weren't sure he would survive. If he did survive, they weren't sure how his quality of life would be affected. This was particularly difficult because he was just a kid, with his whole future ahead of him. The last anyone at Aeromed had heard, months ago, was that the kid was in rehab, but nobody knew how well he had recovered physically or mentally.
I will tell you that the kid walked into the hanger today, looking and acting like any normal teenage boy. He continues to have some difficulty with speech from the traumatic brain injury, but besides that one issue, he made a complete recovery. His parents were there with him, and I got a chance to talk to his dad a little bit. He said they were so lucky to have their son there today. He did not think it would have been possible without the excellent care that his son received on that tragic day from the Aeromed crew. He said, "That doctor saved his life." That doctor was Will! He saved their son. It was his skill, quick action, and decision making that gave their son another chance. He saved his life. There is no act greater than that.
Will is very humble about what he does at Aeromed and in the ER. Not me. I wanted to climb to the top of the tallest building in Grand Rapids and shout it from the rooftops! My chest swelled with pride, and my heart overflowed with love. I know Will would say that it's just his job, and I would have to disagree. Not just anybody can do what he does. Not everybody who does his job is great at it. Will is great at it. That kid is alive today because Will is great at what he does. Everyone that works with him tells me that he's a super guy to work with, and he's great with his patients. It doesn't surprise me one bit. He's the greatest man I've ever known. I feel so blessed to have him in my life. I couldn't be luckier.
Since Will wouldn't allow me to climb and shout his successes from the rooftops, I will just brag about him here. Next time any of you see Will, give him a hug, pat on the back, or something. He deserves it. Will was so excited to see that patient today. As soon as he spotted him, he came over to get me, so I could take a picture of them together. He had no idea that the kid had recovered so well, and while Will looked very calm and collected on the outside, I could tell that he felt like a kid in a candy store on the inside. That was the only patient that Will took care of that came to the reunion today. I was so happy for Will that the kid and his parents came back to meet him and the nurse from the flight. Will had been wondering if he would see any of his patients there, and he didn't think he would. The thought of him not having one patient or family member show up had kind of bummed him out, but boy did his face light up when that kid walked through the door. Today is a day that I won't soon forget. I'm sure it will be etched in Will's memory for many years as well. I'm so proud of him.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Scrapbooking and Stamping
I went to a scrapbooking/stamping party last night. I would love to get into those hobbies, but they are so expensive. Well, I guess you can make it as cheap or expensive as you like, but the more money you spend, the more convenient it gets. When it comes to scrapbooking, I like fast and easy. I bought just a few supplies to do a baby scrapbook for Maya, so hopefully I will like it and do more of it. Now with digital pictures, it's easier to pick favorites and not feel compelled to scrapbook an entire roll of film. I love how scrapbooks look, they just take so many supplies! Stamping was pretty fun, too. I've never done that before, and we got to make a card at the party. It was surprisingly easy, and the cards look very nice and homemade. Maybe someday, I will be able to make all of our cards and stuff by hand. It's tons of fun. I think I'll need my own craft room in our next house!!!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
34 Week Doctor Visit
We saw the doctor today! I finally measured right - 34 cm. at 34 weeks. Yay! I think that means she slowed down! At the next visit, he is going to see if he wants another ultrasound, though I'm not sure why. I guess just to check her size. I don't know! We talked more about the induction option/dilemma. Will and I had been debating on requesting an induction towards the end of May to buy Will some extra days off with Maya. At our last visit, the doctor seemed pretty receptive to the idea, but this visit, he seemed a little different. He told us that for elective inductions, hospital policy says that you have to be at least 39 weeks with a medical reason or past your due date. He hadn't mentioned those things before, so we were quite surprised by his response. Maybe since she didn't measure bigger than normal this time, he's thinking that there really won't be a justification for induction.
The conversation actually made our lives easier. Now we don't have to worry about inducing or not inducing, because we really don't have the option anymore. If we get to our due date, then I guess we'll talk to the doctor about it. Hopefully, she'll just come early on her own (though not too early!), and we won't have to worry about it. I really want Will to be able to spend a lot of time with her during those days he has off. I guess if it's meant to work out that way, Maya will come a little early. Otherwise, we'll wait for a little while, then revisit the induction discussion with our doctor. Think good thoughts about her timing for us, please!!!
Our doctor also said that it's not necessary for me to meet his partners because as long as he is not on vacation (around the 2nd week in May), he will come in for her delivery. What a great doctor!! I'm so glad that he's going to make sure he's there for delivery. I'd really rather have him than anyone else!
I decorated some more in Maya's room tonight. Now, I just need to get some pictures printed for some frames in there, and the room will be complete. It's really cute! The only other thing I need to do to have everything ready is wash her clothes, bibs, burp cloths, etc... Once that's done, I just need to pack hospital bags for us, and we're all set! Then, I can just work on photo albums until delivery day arrives! Everything is coming together. Delivery day is right around the corner! I can't wait!!
The conversation actually made our lives easier. Now we don't have to worry about inducing or not inducing, because we really don't have the option anymore. If we get to our due date, then I guess we'll talk to the doctor about it. Hopefully, she'll just come early on her own (though not too early!), and we won't have to worry about it. I really want Will to be able to spend a lot of time with her during those days he has off. I guess if it's meant to work out that way, Maya will come a little early. Otherwise, we'll wait for a little while, then revisit the induction discussion with our doctor. Think good thoughts about her timing for us, please!!!
Our doctor also said that it's not necessary for me to meet his partners because as long as he is not on vacation (around the 2nd week in May), he will come in for her delivery. What a great doctor!! I'm so glad that he's going to make sure he's there for delivery. I'd really rather have him than anyone else!
I decorated some more in Maya's room tonight. Now, I just need to get some pictures printed for some frames in there, and the room will be complete. It's really cute! The only other thing I need to do to have everything ready is wash her clothes, bibs, burp cloths, etc... Once that's done, I just need to pack hospital bags for us, and we're all set! Then, I can just work on photo albums until delivery day arrives! Everything is coming together. Delivery day is right around the corner! I can't wait!!
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