Snow Day!

New England has been experiencing crazy amounts of snowfall this winter, which makes for scary driving (these people were not made to drive in the snow...it's like driving in a San Diego rainstorm, which is chaotic and scary, at best), but also makes for fun with the little ones. Okay, so Jack may not be ready to make snow angels or help Marc and I build a snow family, but that doesn't mean he can't have a good time. Marc's parents were really great about keeping his childhood items so that his own kids could use them one day, and for this I am grateful. There's just something so satisfying about passing a cherished toy on to the younger generation, and Marc's baby sled is no exception. I'd never seen such an awesome sled - it has a little seat for the baby to sit in, and has skis and wheels so that you can pull your little one over all kinds of terrain. So after one of this year's many blizzards, we decided to take Jack around the neighborhood for some fresh air. Marc got an old belt of his and secured Jack to the sled (the only downfall of the sled is that it doesn't have a safety belt...clearly this thing was not manufactured in this millennium)...after he was bundled up in his coziest snowsuit, of course. It was a bright day, so Jack needed his baby sunglasses, which he'd never worn before. I'm not sure if it was the snow, the sunglasses, or being dressed like the little kid in "A Christmas Story", but Jack did not crack ONE SMILE the entire time we were outside! Nor did he cry or fuss - the poor kid just sat there with the most hilarious pout on his face. I honestly cannot recall laughing that hard, ever. Every time Marc or I looked at our child, we would start up again, and it continued that way until we arrived back home after our trek around the block.

I am now trying to find other fun winter activities for infants, and I must say, there aren't many. We're anticipating another winter storm tonight - maybe inspiration will strike and I'll think of something fun for Jack. But most likely, we'll be curled up on the couch with a blanket and a book, a fire in the fireplace and daddy nearby. Sounds like heaven to me.

Jack's Crib

Before Jack was born, I promised many a person that I'd share photos of his nursery. It was on my list of things to do, but Jack came early and suddenly photos of an empty room were not nearly as exciting as the Main Atttaction - Baby Jack. But now that Jack has settled into his nursery, I thought I'd be a good idea to document his first room. Not only do I want my out of state friends and family to be able to visualize my baby's envinronment, but I want to have a reminder of the space where so many memories are being made.

Jack's room has definitely become my most favorite room in our house. It's bright, sunny, and it's where I get to spend special moments with my son. It's filled with meaningful items: a piece of stained glass art that was in daddy's room when daddy was a boy, daddy's old toychest, a rocking chair that belonged to my dad's mother that my father refinished when I was pregnant with Jack, a gorgeous quilt that Jack's "GG" (Great-Grandma Rapoza) lovingly stitched for Jack before he was born. It's where we read, where we sing, where he eats. It's where you can find me in the middle of the night. Everyone asks if Jack sleeps through the night, and the answer is no, not yet. While I would love some extra sleep in my life, I can't complain about getting up with that sweet baby. I know that someday soon he won't need me to feed him in the middle of the night, and that sooner than I imagine he'll have outgrown the place where we spend such precious moments. So for now, I'll suffer through early mornings and late nights, knowing that they won't last forever. And now off to drink that one blissful cup of coffee that I'm allowed each day as a nursing mom...

The Many Faces of Baby Jack

This post is not very up-to-date, seeing as Jack is now 7 weeks old as of today.  I wanted to share some photos, though, of his first few weeks.  Looking back at them, I can't believe how much he's grown since then.  This morning I packed up all of his newborn onesies to make room for the 0-3 mo onesies in his dresser.  I didn't want to make it an emotional event, but I couldn't help tearing up as I packed away all of the clothes that he wore in his first several weeks with us.  I can only imagine how I'll react to his first day of kindergarten...

8.31.10

August 31, 2010 began as any other Tuesday in the Rapoza household.  Marc went to work at his barbershop, and I went in to the office...I wanted to have as many days as possible with the little guy after his arrival, so I hadn't even considered taking maternity leave until the last possible moment.  After work, we had our long-standing 6:30pm appointment with my OB, Dr. Neuhauser.  The appointment began normally enough; I peed in a cup, had my ever-increasing weight checked, and the doctor came in and checked the baby's heartbeat.  Marc and I had grown used to hearing our son's heartbeat at these appointments, and it had always sounded strong and healthy, like a galloping horse.  This time, it was clear that something was not right...the only heartbeat that I could hear was barely beating.  In my head I wondered if a slow heartbeat was a sign of labor that I hadn't heard of or read about (unlikely considering all of the prenatal books that I scoured each night), but in my heart, I knew that my baby boy was in danger.  Dr. Neuhauser kept his cool and immediately checked my cervix.  Nothing had changed.  No dilation or effacement; I was definitely not ready to deliver this baby naturally.  My heart sank to my stomach as the doctor told Marc to get me to the hospital immediately.  Drive straight there, he said.  Don't stop in the E.R.  Get to Labor and Delivery as quickly as possible.  Marc asked if the situation was bad and was told that it might be, and that we'd see Dr. Neuhauser shortly if it was.

Fortunately the hospital is right around the corner from my OB's office, and we made it there in record time.  There was a room waiting for us when we got to Labor and Delivery, and I was instantly hooked up to a fetal monitor.  Things seemed promising at first.  The baby's heartbeat seemed strong, but then it would take terrifying dips and slow down again.  Within minutes, I was hooked up to an IV, a catheter, and oxygen.  I noticed the nurses giving glances to each other and the clock.  I overheard one of them saying that Dr. Neuhauser was on his way, and I just lay there in bed and prayed for my baby boy.  The doctor arrived at the hospital and put me on Pitocin.  Not to induce labor necessarily, but to create contractions so that they could monitor how well my baby could handle the stress of labor.  Turns out, he was not well-equipped to handle labor and his heartbeat would drop again after each little contraction.  Dr. Neuhauser said that he was sorry, but that it was time to take this baby out and he wasn't going to come the old-fashioned way.  My only concern was for my unborn son, and if a c-section was the best thing for him, then it was fine by me. 

While prepping for surgery, I could only think of my baby and it hit me that he didn't yet have a name.  The plan had been to meet him first and then name him according to our impressions of him.  But knowing that his health was in danger, I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to my little unnamed son.  In an instant I knew what his name should be, and I turned to Marc on our way to the O.R. and said "Jack Simonson Rapoza".  Jack was Marc's favorite name from the moment we found out we were expecting, and as much as I had loved the name, I was annoyed that it kept climbing up the baby name popularity charts.  But at this point, it didn't matter, and in my heart I knew his name was Jack Simonson.  I wanted a family name for his middle, and while I loved both of my grandpas to the moon and back, neither one of them left me with a good name to pass down to my child.  My maternal grandma's maiden name is Simonson, and she has been my best friend and champion from the moment I was born.  I can't think of a better name to pass on to my son than hers.  Marc agreed and it was settled...no matter what happened to our son, he at least had an identity.

Thank God, the c-section was a success, and little Jack Simonson Rapoza was born at 9:40pm on August 31, 2010 with no complications.  He was (and is) perfect at 6 lbs 7 oz and 19 inches.  It was difficult not being able to see my firstborn child for the first two hours of his life, but Marc stepped in and played the mommy role very well until I could take over.  All of the hours of childbirth prep class and my hospital bag full of soothing items may not have ended up being very useful, but in the end all that matters is that I have my beautiful little boy, who I love more than I ever imagined possible.  And now, we really are three.

 

 

 

 

39 Weeks and a Visit from the Stork

As of yesterday, I am officially 39 weeks pregnant.  Last night, Marc and I were able to attend the engagement party of our close friends, Ciji and Eric, since the little guy decided not to grace us with his presence just yet.  Here are a couple shots that Marc snapped of me in the nursery before we left.  Unfortunately, I don't have any photos from the party as my camera was put right back in the hospital bag...I'm nervous we'll forget it at home and be without pictures of our new arrival!

Early this afternoon I was heading outside when suddenly the sunlight was obscured by a giant shadow.  I looked up, awestruck, just in time to see a gigantic bird glide gracefully into my backyard and hop up onto a large rock.  I've never seen a bird of this kind here in Rhode Island, and don't know if I'll ever see one again.  I believe it's probably some kind of a heron (any ornithology-loving friends, feel free to chime in), but in my mind, it was a stork here to bring me my baby.  No contractions just yet, but if I end up giving birth tonight, my poor child will definitely grow up to stories about how he was brought to his father and I by a stork!

Here's a photo of our lovely friend, with our neighbor in the foreground for scale. 

welcome!

I'm sure all first time bloggers say (type?) this, but I really can't believe I'm starting a blog. I read plenty of blogs each day...some are incredibly entertaining, some are unbelievably lame, and most fall into the middle of the spectrum. I don't expect this blog to be particularly witty or wise, it just seems like the perfect way to share photos and stories of my soon-to-be son with friends and family who are not on facebook. And to those family members who are not on facebook...thank you. (That means you, Mom and Dad.)

So...the baby. I really can't wait to meet him. I'm already in love with him, and can't wait to be a family of three. He is due in 9 days and is currently nameless. We've been referring to him as "Gus" for months now, but I think his actual name will be something a little more conventional. I want to share some photos from my baby showers and of the nursery on here, but I'll start with an image from the beginning. On April 2, 2010, we found out that we were expecting a baby BOY. I think everyone, including my mom and my grandma and I, expected a girl, but little Gus surprised us all. Here are some photos of our little guy at 18 weeks. It seems so long ago now...