JWP

Jetty Willson Perrine has finally joined our family !
- September 15th at 8:40 am
-weighing in as a heavyweight at........ 10# 7oz!

His head was 14 inches around, the same as Maddox. I thought it was 2 inches smaller, turns out, the rest of him was so big that his head is dwarfed in comparison.

THE BIRTH STORY
There was an amazing electrical storm and sheets of rain pouring down. Bing and I watched from our porch and every upstairs window we could see out of and I said, "watch, I'll go into labor tonight ". I started feeling crampy and noticing some blood around 10 pm on that rainy Tuesday night. About 10:45 the uncomfortable contractions started but were nothing I couldn't handle. I had asked my mom to be in the delivery room so we called Mama Myers and warned her, it could be a long night. Her and Julian showed up around 11 pm, I hopped into the bathtub hoping to relax some muscles and power through contractions. It helped a lot, slowing the contractions and making me relax. We sent Mom home and told her we'd call when we headed to the hospital and Julian stayed the night to care for Maddox.

Bing and Julian watched "Of Mice and Men", while I lay in bed breathing through contractions. I got minutes of sleep here and there, but the contractions were consistently 3-5 minutes apart from the get go. About 3:45 it was too uncomfortable and we headed to St. Vincent's where Mom met us shortly after. I was already at 4cm and 90% effaced.

By 6:30 I was at 6cm and 90%, I got my beloved epidural, she broke my water and we were on our way. My midwife said we'd probably have a baby before 9am. Too bad, there isn't a picture editing function to remove extra chins....

My epidural was more appropriate this time, and I could actually feel pressure, my contractions and when to push... all without pain :) 8:15 I said I think it's time, midwife agreed, and pushing commenced.

Jetty's head made it out, but the rest was lodged in my pelvis, not wanting to budge. The midwife had to reach in and pull his shoulder forward in order to get his body out before he lost all oxygen to his head. With that tight of a squeeze, the umbilical cord gets pinched and the diaphragm is useless, so there is a real risk of losing the baby when they are stuck like that.

No problem for us though! He popped right out, no broken clavicle and just a slight cone head. Surprisingly I was almost completely unscathed. Five stitches later and I'm good to go. I was up and walking around the next day. I feel wonderful and my body has mostly returned to me. I am 3lbs heavier than my pre pregnancy weight just 8 days later! I can thank my linebacker for that. I'm sure he eats around 1000 calories a day, HE'S huge!

Stew is back

Oh yes, he didn't go far. He had been hanging around and showing his face here and there, hiding under the neighbor's grill, eating the tasty bites we used to lure him without getting caught. Alas, the neighbors caught him and put him back in the cage....he then got out again, within the hour.
Today, I set a hunk of lettuce in a big Tupperware bin and tipped it on its side, when he crawled in to munch, I flipped it up and tada! caught. Now there are clips holding the cage closed, opposable thumbs required :)

Still PREGNANT!?

I am now 39 weeks, according to the doctors. I didn't think I could get any more "rotund" but I am apparently wrong more often than I will admit. I had an appointment today that provided good but altogether uneventful news. I am 2cm dilated and still just 50% effaced. Doc says with the second pregnancy , it is common for women not to fully thin out until labor is in progress, and often the baby doesn't drop until then either. If you don't understand what all of that means, you probably don't want to know anyway. My feet and ankles have become quite a sight! I have never, ever retained water like this, it makes me giggle every time I look at them.

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Stew escaped today. I am not at all disappointed, although I feel bad that he most likely got eaten by a large bird within hours of freeing himself. Maddox loved the little guy and would stick his hand in the cage and say "come on bunny, come on" it was sooo stinking adorable. I am sure he will forget about it soon, especially once the cage isn't sitting empty in the yard!

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Bing's heart is doing really well, all things considered. The doctors told him to stop running 1/2 marathons because he doesn't feel pain like he should, he doesn't know when he is pushing his heart harder than it can handle. He now runs 2 or 3 miles every other day and has lost over 40 pounds. He's lookin' good, let me tell you, mmm-mm-mmmmm! He started taking supplements that we sell on our website and at his last doctor visit we were surprised to hear that his leak has improved slightly. That is unheard of, so they will retest him in a few months. Who knows, maybe the omega-3 heart health is a miracle drug... who knows.

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I'll have to update you later, on all of Maddox's accomplishments and changes as well as his birthday. Julian has most of the pictures from the party and I never see him, even though he lives with us....

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY MADDOX!!!!
pics to follow