Friday's Child Is Loving & Good

Friday, January 25, 2013, Baby Bill will be born via a scheduled c section at 39 weeks and two days. He's doing just fine. He's still breech and still measures small, but he's growing; at yesterday's sono he measured 6 pounds! So the time has come. Finally, finally. Finally...

I can't wait to see what kind of person our son will be. I already see traits of both Bill and me in him :)

Aquarius
January 20 - February 18

These folks are humanitarian, philanthropic and keenly interested in making the world a better place. Aquarians are visionaries, progressive souls who love to spend time thinking about how things can be better. They are also quick to engage others in this process, which is why they have so many friends and acquaintances. Aquarians are generally very clever, witty, and intellectual. "Be true to yourself" and "Don't follow the crowd" are mottos we easily associate with this sign. Aquarians need space and value personal freedom. Any attempt to box them in will likely fail. 

Luckily for Aquarians (and the rest of us), they are at a near-genius level, so their minds churn out some amazing things. Their thought process is also inventive and original. Aquarians love to think and put their ideas out to the world. They also love to think they're right. If it's new, radical and rebellious, Aquarians are all over it. The fact that these folks can think so creatively and inventively is one of their greatest assets. They are all about progress and technology -- they love the latest gadgets, gewgaws, computers and next-generation technologies. Those born under this sign are altruistic, humane people who are determined to make a difference.

Aquarians can be surprisingly stubborn. Their idealism runs strong, but they can be very fixed in their opinions. Often a bit aloof and even standoffish, Aquarians nonetheless are usually well-liked. They are curious and observant, and tolerant in a broad sense. Prejudice and bias is offensive to the typical Aquarius. Aquarius people are extremely observant, detached—even shy—, especially in youth. They often pride themselves for being cool-headed, detached, and "above" what they consider the more base emotions. They usually "win" debates. They usually have something interesting to say, and their perspective on issues can be delightfully unusual, quirky, and surprisingly insightful. 

At play, Aquarians like to surround themselves with lots of people, preferably family and friends. When it comes to love, Aquarians will also be playful, even flirtatious. While they play for keeps, it won't necessarily feel that way, since these folks are the opposite of jealous.

The great strengths of the Aquarius-born are their vision, intellect and humanity. They are determined to make the world a better place and to help everyone they can along the way. They are truly the trailblazers of the zodiac.

Famous Aquarians: Ellen DeGeneres, Walt Disney, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, John Lennon, George Lucas

Year of the Dragon

January 23, 2012 to February 9, 2013

The Dragon is the mightiest of the signs. Dragons symbolize such character traits as dominance and ambition. Dragons prefer to live by their own rules and if left on their own, are usually successful. They’re driven, unafraid of challenges, and willing to take risks. They’re passionate in all they do and they do things in grand fashion. Unfortunately, this passion and enthusiasm can leave Dragons feeling exhausted and interestingly, unfulfilled.

While Dragons frequently help others, rarely will they ask for help. Others are attracted to Dragons, especially their colorful personalities, but deep down, Dragons prefer to be alone. Perhaps that is because they’re most successful when working alone. Their preference to be alone can come across as arrogance or conceitedness, but these qualities aren’t applicable. Dragons have tempers that can flare fast!

Dragons prefer leading to being led. Jobs that allow them to express their creativity are good choices. Some good careers include: inventor, manager, computer analyst, lawyer, engineer, architect, broker, and sales person.

Dragons will give into love, but won’t give up their independence. Because they have quick, sometimes vengeful tempers, their partners need to be tough-skinned. Dragons enjoy others who are intriguing, and when they find the right partners, they’ll usually commit to that person for life.

The characteristics of the Dragon Sign are always tempered by one of the 5 elements - Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth. In addition to each year being associated with one of 12 animals (12 year cycle), every year in the Chinese Zodiac also has an attribute of one of the five elements named above. 2012 is The Year of the Water Dragon. The last Year of the Water Dragon was January 27, 1952 to February 13, 1953. Water is said to have a calming effect on the Dragon's fearless temperament. Water allows the Dragon to re-direct its enthusiasm, and makes the person more perceptive of others. These Dragons are better equipped to take a step back to re-evaluate a situation because they understand the art of patience and do not desire the spotlight like other Dragons. Thus, they usually make smart decisions and are able to see eye-to-eye with other people. 

Persons with the element of water in their birth sign are said to be blessed with exceptional communication skills when dealing with others. They are also said to be very persuasive with an ability to wear down resistance through their intuitive and diplomatic nature. Flexible and unimposing they tend to have a sharp eye for spotting potential, and once this is identified they are brilliant at kick-starting projects. Water element persons can at times be too conciliatory and passive, and will look for the easiest way out of a problem. Sometimes inconsistent and passive they may also depend too much on others for support.

Dragons are compatible with the Monkey or Rat and incompatible with the Ox and Goat, (I am a Monkey!).

Water dragon celebrities:
Actor, Liam Neeson: born June 07, 1952
Actor, Patrick Swayze: born August 18, 1952

Other celebrities who were born in the Year of the Dragon: Christopher Reeve, Chuck Norris, John Lennon, Michelle Obama, Reese Witherspoon, Sandra Bullock

Pregnancy, Volume I

Third Trimester Greatest Hits:

• Our babymoon to Savannah. I will never forget how carefree and happy we were.
• Decorating the nursery. I don't know as though this would make Bill's list, considering he had to do most of the work, but I had a lot of fun shopping and folding tiny baby clothes and imagining us raising our baby, our son, in the room we made special for him and him alone.
• My baby shower. My mom and Carolyn did so much to make it the most special event of my pregnancy. I couldn't have dreamt of a more perfect day.
• Our maternity photo shoot. It was so much fun and we have photos I will cherish forever. I will always look back on this pregnancy and remember how beautiful I felt (most days), how everything around me shined brighter, how my heart grew along with my belly each day.

What I'll Miss About Being Pregnant

• How nice and polite people are! Everywhere I go, people hold doors and elevators. Other moms smile knowingly at me. People ask how I'm feeling, what I need. It's glorious!
• Eating. It's great to be able to eat three brownies in one day and not care! I have never seen the scale go up so high and yet it makes me proud. At no other time in my life...
• My boobs. As someone who is small busted by nature, I really, really appreciate pregnancy boobs. You won't hear me say, eyes up here! No sir. Bring on the nursing boobs! ;p
• Feeling baby Bill move. It's a constant reminder of the miracle of life.
• Feeling grateful and beyond blessed every single day. It's hard to get upset over the small stuff when something so much greater and wonderful is happening within me all the time.

What I Won't Miss About Being Pregnant:

• Heartburn, gas and constipation. 'Nuff said, I think.
• Having what feels like a sedentary lifestyle. I am one of those freaks that actually likes exercise. It was one of my hobbies. I love yoga, kickboxing, swimming, training, running. Well, maybe not running so much. But I love the way I feel during and after a good sweat session, mentally and physically, so I miss that. About the middle of my second trimester pretty much every exercise felt uncomfortable except water aerobics and sometimes prenatal yoga, but it's hard to feel motivated to do even that most days.
• Lack of energy. I miss 4 hour shopping sprees, running around from sun up to sun down. I've always been a busy body, not much of a home body. While I could always appreciate at least one  down day during the week, too much of that gets old fast for me. 
• Feeling rested. I think I get a good amount of sleep now, but it just doesn't feel like it after getting up every other hour to pee during the night. That comes back right after you give birth, right?
• The aches and pains. I think I could have a full body massage everyday and still feel sore.

I'm Ready

I can't believe it, but this could be my last prenatal post! Everyone told me how quickly time would fly and they were so right. I can't help but feel a little sad that it's coming to end. Of course having baby Bill will be the most special moment of all, and I can only imagine the joy he'll bring to our lives, given what he's brought us already. But it's a little bittersweet to say goodbye to this pregnancy, after how good it's been to me and not knowing if I'll ever have another one. But, nothing lasts forever, and as nervous as I am about caring for a newborn infant and all the uncertainties and anxieties that surely will come with it, I am ready to meet the little life inside of me that I've grown to love. I'm ready to see his face and touch his skin. I'm ready to feel him in my arms and get to know the sound of his cries, coos and gurgles. I'm ready for this next phase of my life that I know I could not possibly be prepared for. Every dream, hope, fear and tear will culminate into one tiny being, and I know I will never be the same.

Speaking of tiny, baby Bill is going to be a tiny baby. This week he measured at just 5 lbs 4 oz. The average for 37 weeks is about a pound bigger. He's measuring more the size of a 35 week baby. Every time I'd tell people what week of pregnancy I was, the reaction was always the same - you're so small! I always just laughed it off but it did start to bother me a little. I wondered if I was too small. It almost felt like a judgement, like, you're so small, what's wrong with you?! I know they say first pregnancies usually yield smaller than average babies, and I'm a small person myself, and I learned Bill was a tiny baby when he born, so I really didn't worry too much.

That was until Wednesday. We went in for our 37 week sono with biophysical profile. The sonographer commented on baby Bill's small size but she said everything looked good. So when doc came in and expressed some concern about his size I wasn't prepared for an ominous conversation. After he said, he's measuring at 35 weeks, I had to really struggle to listen to the rest of what he said. It was just like in the movies; cue melodramatic strings, fade voice into the background, soften lens focus. This whole pregnancy, up until pretty recently, I waited for the other shoe to drop. I went into every ultrasound with butterflies. I lay awake time after time at 3 am waiting to exhale once I felt baby Bill move again. But this week was different. We're so close to the due date; all the nursery is missing is baby Bill; the To Do lists have been narrowed down to just a few last minute items. We were on a roll. I went in to the sono and our appointment feeling just a little excited. Maybe we'd have some sort of an idea when he might come. Then this. He's too small. Something could be wrong. Outside I was stoic. Inside I was screaming. Not again. Not another issue. Not another mountain. Not another statistic. Not us, not baby Bill.

We went on to learn baby Bill is measuring small and his belly was measuring small. Doc said that could indicate, worse case scenario, he hasn't gotten enough nutrition from the placenta. It could be that my placenta has already started deteriorate, something that obviously shouldn't happen until just before birth. But I had no dilation or any sign of impending labor. So doc put me on bed rest in order to optimize the blood flow to the placenta and ordered we have another scan in 48 hours.

We also learned baby Bill is breech. He is bottom down. I knew this was the case but I'd hoped we'd have more time for him to maneuver himself into the head down position for a vaginal birth. So once doc mentioned a c section next week due to the latest findings, my heart sank even further. I had an ovarian cystectomy in high school that left me with a 3 1/2 inch incision and it was tough. It hurt like hell obviously, but the difference is that this time I will have a newborn to care for, lose sleep over, and breastfeed. I remember how painful it was to even sit up all those weeks after my surgery. I know tons of women have to have c sections, I was just really hoping I wouldn't be one of them. It's also disheartening because I really wanted the experience of a 'real' birth, even just once. That may sound crazy to some, and I can't even really express why I feel that way, except that the only other option is much less appealing to me. Cut me open while I'm awake, sew me up, give me a screaming newborn that I have to learn to breastfeed when I'll barely be able to sit up? I'd rather push. Seriously. But, I know I don't have a choice in the way this goes. Whatever it takes to get baby Bill into the world safely...

Yesterday, two days after we learned of all of this, we went in for a second scan and baby Bill's biophysical profile was once again normal and he gained 3 oz's from two days prior! BIG sigh of relief. The most important thing is that he's still growing. The sonographer disclosed she believes he's just a small baby. I'm not holding out a lot of hope that he'll turn head down, but as long as he is born healthy, missing out on a vaginal birth doesn't mean anything to me. I'd let them take my right arm if it made the difference. So, good news yesterday and we go back Monday for another scan to see how he's doing. I'm still torn about this, but if doc thinks it's a good idea, we might have a scheduled c section for next week. On one hand, we're full term, it's not likely he'll turn into the birthing position at this point, and I've already had to start maternity leave. Oh, and bed rest SUCKS. But on the other hand, if he's still growing, I don't want take from that. I certainly don't want to rush this or have him out before he might be ready. But I trust our doctor's judgement and I trust baby Bill will be born in God's perfect time. It was on God's time that he was finally conceived; I know his birth is no different.

On the day he is born, the moment I hear him, see him, feel him, I know c sections and sonogram scares won't matter. It won't matter that I had to take maternity leave early and spend the last days of pregnancy, bored and with too much time to think, on the couch with aches and pains in every muscle on the left side of my body. All that will matter is baby Bill and our family, from that day, forever more. I'm ready for forever more.


The last picture taken of me at 36 weeks