Table for Four

Easter Sunday started innocent enough - here is Lucy all prettied up to go to church and hunting for eggs:

Although they were empty, it did not take away from the fun.

We went into the hospital early the next morning for an induction - here is mom upon arrival. Believe me, that smile would not last very long. Can you guess how big the baby is?

After about 12 hours, we welcomed a new family member. Below are some quick photos of Zophia (Zoe) Lanxang Horton.
Here is the baby with her parents minutes after birth.

10lbs 4.2 oz - 23.5 inches long. This is a big girl and Lucy may not be the 'big' sister for long. Nanthida is starting a new 'over 10' club for mothers who deliver big babies - although there doesn't seem to be a lot of enthusiasm for it among expecting women...

Vadsana and Zoe

"Dad - how about a sandwich or something?".

Zoe's grandparents (and great-grandma)



Hmmm...the jury is still out with Lucy. She did not seem overly enthusiastic about her new sister - but life is full of changes....

We would like to thank everybody for their thoughts and prayers during this pregnancy and delivery - we are thankful for your love and support.

My Little Mover and Shaker

I have been trying to catch this little girl dancing on camera for the last ten, no twenty weeks. I have hours of video of my stomach doing, well, nothing. It seemed very single time Baby heard the beep of the camera turn on she froze. I was almost resigned to the fact I would not have this documented, but of course as children do (even in utero), they love to prove you wrong. Here's my little alien baby dancing up a storm to Jason Mraz's new single I'm Yours.


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Right Now

3 cm dilated, 80 effaced, 0 station.

Continuing biweekly prenatal appointments as well as biweekly NSTs.

Due to being treated for (and not necessarily diagnosed with) mild cholestasis of pregnancy, doctors will not allow pregnancy to exceed 40 weeks.

If there is no baby by next appointment (3/21) will schedule induction for sometime early next week.

Crazy.

Friends, Home Improvements, and Nice Weather (finally!)

This past Sunday my two wonderful and beautiful sisters threw me a "Pre-Baby Pampering Party". All of my best and closets girlfriends were in attendance, and I felt incredibly loved and supported. Sue and Vadsana set up pampering stations fully equipped with a foot soak, different nail gadgets, and facial masks. And as strange as it sounds, not a single person volunteered to give me a pedicure...

Speaking of hygiene...

Do you think that Lucy is trying to tell me something?

For the last few months Charles and I have spent the majority of our weekends getting the house ready for the baby. We've moved furniture around, cleaned and decluttered the basement, painted (again), set up Lucy's playroom (again) etc. All of the things we parents do for our children. I'm sure that when we bring the baby home her first thoughts will be of the new light fixture that Mom and Dad (mostly Dad) so lovingly installed in the living room. Even if she doesn't care for it, and I'm sure she will, I love it.

Our friend Lacy got the baby this awesome backpack. Lucy decided that because the baby is too small to wear such a bag, she should get to use it now. How could I argue with her? She looks so grown up that I'm about to make her start paying rent.

I'm feeling quite spoiled this week. The weather has not sucked. In fact, it has been down right nice. Lucy and I were able to get out for a brief period earlier this week for a walk (if you can call my very slow movement walking anymore). Sitting in a stroller is not as much fun for her as running around and making me chase her, so to burn off a little steam we headed to City Park.

I've decided that Lucy's upper lip...

must taste like...

ICE CREAM! Seriously, what's up with the tongue?

She's still loving the swing.

We only lasted a few minutes before her attention was turned to the big kid toy.

I really feel bad for her. I can't keep up, so she has to stay within arm's reach. Not so fun for an 18 month old that wants to explore everything.

Although, for a few minutes, she was content to sit on the stoop in between the slides and tunnel.

Jen, to answer the question/comment from a few posts ago, THIS is why pregnant women crop their heads out of photos. Do I need to elaborate? One word: unflattering. Two words: incredibly unflattering. By the way, this was not staged.

After looking at the three very bad pictures of me that Charles took (sadly, the one directly above was the best), I asked him to take another picture where I don't look so "pissed". He said, "You were pissed." I said, "I know. Take another one anyway. And this time say something to make me laugh." I love my husband. All he had to do was start laughing, and it put me in a better mood immediately. You gotta love the ever present mood swings of a pregnant lady.

Okay, down to business. We're in week 38 with 12 days to go before the due date. The good news: The liver panels came back clean, I've had two NSTs so far and according to the nurse the baby is a "super star", my rash is really clearing up quite nicely, I'm still two centimeters dilated, and the doctor doesn't give me another full week of carrying this baby. The bad news: I've been nauseated and pukey since Monday evening, I've had Braxton-Hicks that have been quite painful, I'm still two centimeters dilated, and the doctor doesn't give me another full week of carrying this baby.

I am excited to finally meet her face to face, not to mention the fact I can't wait for her to stop using my intestines as a trampoline. At the same time, I've been psyching myself up to have this baby either on or after her due date, so I get a little nervous thinking that she could be here any minute. Although the doctor said he thinks she'll be here by next week, one can never predict these things. So, my next prenatal is on Monday, rather than Thursday. That being said, unless we have a new family member sometime this weekend, expect another update sometime Monday.

Lucy Finding Nemo... Very funny

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Here's a little something to make up for yesterday's very long, very boring, very picture-free post.

It's a Number's Game

Proceed with caution: I've written a novel, and those readers that make it to the end won't even be rewarded with a picture...

The irony of life is that as soon as I complain about something... well, anything, that "issue" seems to grow in magnitude. Remember last week when I was vocalizing my annoyance at having to see the doctor for weekly appointments that I found were slightly pointless? Now, as I am in week 37, I will be going to the hospital not once, but THREE times a week!

For those of you blissfully unaware (i.e. those of you who haven't a: heard my constant, incessant complaints, b: seen me walking around with frozen pea packs tucked into my shirt or the waistband of my hands, or c: have not actually scene the wasteland of hives and broken skin spread all over my body) I have developed a skin condition over the course of the last several weeks. It's called PUPPS, and in my opinion should more aptly be named "Hell on Earth". It's a rash that only pregnant women get. It is constant and can become inflamed. It can become painful and can even induce nausea. And if you're truly lucky, your skin can actually crack and bleed. Yippee!

Fortunately, it tends not to last longer than 6-8 weeks postpartum, and statistically does not seem to affect women who have experienced with previous pregnancies. Unfortunately, I am in the small percentage of the women who are afflicted multiple times (I had it with Lucy after she was born), and there is absolutely nothing that can be done, short of steroid therapy (which I have opted out of).

The doctors were concerned because the rash had spread outside of it's normal perimeter. I was getting hives and rash on my arms, legs, and even between my toes. They've run blood tests checking and rechecking my thyroid and liver enzymes. Luckily, everything has come back normal, and in the last week I have felt better than I have in weeks, no, months really. I'm really, really, enjoying pregnancy these days. I'm actually remembering how much I loved carrying Lucy. In fact, I get a little weepy-eyed thinking it's almost over.

This is why I was a little taken aback when the doctor mentioned the possibility of inducing me at 39 weeks. What the crap? After taking a look at my skin, the doctor has decided to err on the side of caution and run my labs again. Apparently there is a condition in pregnancy that is caused by elevated liver enzymes and it's symptoms are this crazy, wacky rash. It can cause fetal distress, which is also why I now have undergo twice weekly non-stress tests, as well as my weekly prenatal.

I would love and prefer to make it to my due date, and I would rather not be induced. That being said, Baby and Mama's health are what's really important. So, as of now, if the labs come back normal, AND the NSTs are normal, AND my rash does not worsen, I will get to go into labor naturally when this little girl decides it's time to leave the bed and breakfast called my womb.

A side note: Not that this means anything, but as of today, I am 80% effaced and 2 cm dilated.