Mia's First Week

Mia was one week old on Tuesday, Oct. 25!

 In the last week, we have been showered with kindness from family and friends.  We feel so loved as so many people have called, sent cards and gifts, come to visit, and provided us with meals.  Thank you so much for all of your support!  You have helped make this transition to a bigger family an easier one.

Michael with Frank & George

Mia & Tick

Mia & her cousin, Ben

Mia & Pat

Mia & Christi

 Mia & Megan

 Mia is growing.  When she left the hospital, she weighed 6lbs, 13oz.  She went to see the pediatrician on Oct. 21 and weighed 6lbs, 11oz.  The doctor said that this weight loss is normal, but that he expects her to be back up to her birth weight by 2 weeks of age. We'll see him again then to check.  We attended a breastfeeding support group on Oct. 24 and she weighed 6lbs, 12oz there, so she's on her way!

She continues to sleep well.  The nursing gets a little bit better each day.  I've also noticed that her eyelashes seem to grow a little more each day!  Her cry is getting louder and stronger.  Her umbilical cord fell off on Sunday. 

Michael is doing amazing with her.  He called her "May-uh" for several days at first, for reasons we never figured out, but now he regularly calls her Mia or "my sister" or, occasionally, "Superbaby."  He sings Twinkle, Twinkle and Old McDonald to her when she's crying and he'll say, "It's okay.  Mommy and Daddy are here.  They're gonna take care of you."  It's so cute!



When I took her one-week pictures, Michael wanted to not only take pictures too, but pose as well!

   
Michael seems so big compared to her.  He cracks us up with the things he says.  He talks so much and one of his current favorite words seems to be "finally."  He will sit and play with his toy trains while reciting excerpts from "The Little Engine that Could."  That book and "Thomas and the School Trip" are his two current favorite reads.  

He still has accidents if we don't remind him to use the bathroom, but they are generally occurring less frequently.  He also has times where gets really anxious and doesn't want us to leave the room without him and will say "I'm afraid of the dark" even on the sunniest days with all of the lights on.

On Sunday, we braved church together for the first time since Mia's arrival.  It actually went very smoothly and she slept most of the time.  It was very special as the mass was said for John's grandparents and all of John's immediate family as well as Aunt Max and Aunt Ruthie were there.

I can already tell that Mia's going to have lots of friends!  My friend, Michelle, had a baby boy on Oct. 17 named Aidan and a coworker, Jenna, had a baby boy on Oct. 19 named Cohen.  Congratulations to both families!  Also, in case you hadn't heard yet, John's brother, Mark, and his wife, Sarah, are expecting a baby in April.  Woo hoo!  We are SO excited for them!  We are also thrilled for our friends, Angie & Mike.  They had just started the adoption process when they found out that they are expecting a baby in April as well.  Like I said, Mia will have lots of good company!

John has been amazing!  He is a huge help with the kids and the housework even though he has a lot of work to do for his college classes.  I really appreciate him and all he does for us.

Here is a link to all of the pictures and videos from Mia's first week if you'd like to check them out.

Superbaby is here!!!!!!!!!

On Tuesday, October 18, 2011, Amelia Rose Sonderman was born at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, MO at 10:28 AM.  We are thrilled beyond words by her arrival and feel so blessed that she is a healthy, happy baby.

 October 17th was her due date.  Although I was feeling very crowded and easily tired that day, I didn't have any signs of labor, so I went to work.  I was woken up early the next morning (probably around 4:30, but I didn't look at the clock right away) by fairly strong contractions.  I was hesitant to get excited since I'd had three false alarms already.  After the 3rd contraction, I looked at the clock and it was 5:00AM.  

The contractions lasted about 20 seconds and were 15 minutes apart at first, then became more irregular.  I got up to take a shower and the contractions continued.  This was a big sign for me, as each "false alarm" faded when I got up to shower.  The contractions became more irregular, sometimes closer together and varying in duration, but getting stronger.  I gathered things for the hospital in between contractions, but had to lie down during them because they were so strong.

I first called my midwife at 7:01AM.  There are three midwives in our group and Kim was on call that day.  She returned my call and suggested that I drink 8 ounces of water, take a bath, eat something if possible, and then call back when the contractions became more regular.  I drank a big glass of water and reluctantly got in the tub.  I'm glad I did though because it was relaxing and made the contractions easier to bare.  John called our neighbor and he was kind enough to take Michael to my mother-in-law's house for us.  By 8:15, the contractions were about 5-6 minutes apart and lasting about a minute each.  I called Kim again and she said it was time to come in.

We arrived at Research just at 8:50AM.  Kim wasn't there yet, but the nurses realized I'd likely be admitted.  As they were hooking me up to the fetal monitor, I realized that one of the nurses was a lady I had met months ago at TJ Maxx, Marilyn.  I had been shopping and she came up to me and started asking me about my due date and where I was delivering.  She told me that she worked at Research and loved our midwife group and was very friendly and encouraging.  So, it was a reassuring coincidence to see her.

Kim arrived about 10 minutes after us. She said I was dilated to a 5 and I was admitted and moved to room 2322.  They continued the fetal monitoring and started me on IV antibiotics.  The antibiotics were strongly recommended because I had tested positive for Group B strep, a virus that could cause the baby to get very sick.  


Once I finished the fetal monitoring, I moved into the tub.  Again, I felt some relief in the water, but by then the contractions were getting unbearable.  The water was a little cool and my body started to shake.  The shaking might have been more about the pain than the water temperature though.  I got to the point that I was dreading the next contraction and wanting to cry during them.  I remember telling Kim, "I wish you could just tell me how many more I have to do" and she responded, "Don't worry about that.  Just concentrate on getting through the next one."  It was hard trying to relax and before long, I started feeling like I needed to push during contractions.  After 3 contractions like that, Kim said I was dilated to between 8 & 9, but she was worried that Superbaby might not be turned the right way.  She had me get on my knees with my forehead resting on the side of the tub and trying to move my hips.  John was so kind during all of this and he poured warm water on my back.  I remember saying, "I don't like this" in reference to the position and the contractions in general.


We estimate that I was in the tub for about 30 minutes before moving to the bed.  This was a difficult transition and more people entered the room, anticipating Superbaby's arrival.  I pushed for about 10 minutes or less, throwing up a little each time.  At one point, John said, "There's your heartburn" when he saw all of the hair on Baby's head.  Superbaby moved back up a little and I got what felt like a long break to rest in between pushes.  I then pushed two more times and she was here!  

It seemed to take forever for them to tell me if it was a boy or a girl.  I heard her crying then John said, "It's a girl!"  We were so thrilled.  I got to hold her right away.  John got to cut the umbilical cord.  Kim looked at her and guessed that she weighed 7lbs, 3oz.  Her skin was so pink and her hair was so dark! 

We named her Amelia Rose.  Amelia is a name that we just love.  It is of Latin and German origin and means "industrious," "to strive," "to excel," "to rival."  I was also impressed by the meaning of the word ameliorate, which is "to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve."  I love the idea of raising a child who will make things better in the world.  It also makes me think of a line in "Hey Jude" by the Beatles: "Take a sad song, and make it better."  (As you may know, Jude is Michael's middle name.)  Amelia is a name that can have a wide variety of nicknames and we decided to pick hers from day one.  We love the nickname Mia and plan to call her that on a regular basis.  As she gets older, she may choose to go by Amelia instead.  Her middle name comes from my grandmother, Rose Margaret (Bariola) Doll.  I was very close to her growing up and she passed away in 1998.  I remember her as a very strong-willed, hard-working, and an excellent cook.

John went to get Michael so he could meet Mia.  Michael was a little shy and timid at first, but was all smiles.  You could tell he was excited.  He would giggle after touching or kissing his sister.  John & I were half-embarrassed/half-amused when Michael saw her umbilical cord and asked, "What's wrong with her donger?"

 

 After I held her for a while, the nurses weighed and measured her.  She weighed 7lbs, 3oz - just as Kim had guessed! - and was 20 inches long.  She got her first bath and then she was finally ready to meet more of the family!  Both sets of grandparents, Uncle Jim, Aunt Laura, & Uncle Brian all came to meet her.  We were so happy that Uncle Brian & Aunt Laura agreed to be Mia's godparents. 

 We were then moved to postpartum room 2128. We had more visitors later that day: Uncle Mark & Aunt Sarah, Aunt Max & Aunt Ruthie, Uncle Burt & Aunt Jean, Jill & Eric, and Rick, Susan, Sam, & Ben.  Jen also came to visit and I feel terrible for forgetting to take a picture of her!

 Grandpa & Grandma Sonderman brought Michael up again to see us and we took our first family photo.

That night, Mia & I didn't sleep very well.  She wanted to nurse a lot and I had a hard time getting comfortable in that hospital bed.  The pediatrician came in around 7:30AM to meet Mia.  He thought she was looking great and said we could go home later that day after her newborn screening results were in.  The screening requires that they draw blood after she is 24 hours old.  She ended up passing that screening along with her hearing screening.

Damien came by and brought us Chick-Fil-A for breakfast, which we had never had.  It was yummy and definitely better than what the hospital had to offer that morning.

For lunch, the hospital provides "a special meal" for both parents of a new baby.  We had ribeye steak with potatoes, salad, fruit, dessert, bread, soda...delicious!

 One of the midwives stopped by to see me and said I could go home.  I am pretty restricted on what I can do during the first 2 weeks at home, but I can slowly start doing more and more each week.  Aunt Max also stopped by again as she was delivering communion in the hospital.

The photographer came by to take pictures of Mia.  We ended up ordering a few, but you can see them all if you click here.

By about 3:30PM, we were ready to go.  We packed up all of our stuff and loaded Mia into her car seat for the first time.  We were anxious to get home to comfy beds and to cheer on the Cardinals in the World Series!  Click here to see all of the pictures and videos we took at the hospital.

 Thanks so much to everyone for all of the kind words and well wishes!  We are so excited about our newest addition!

Lovin' Life & Beautiful Weather

Over Labor Day weekend, we celebrated my father-in-law's birthday. Michael and his cousins, Noah & Evan, found this to be a perfect time to try out a hockey mask and ride Uncle Mark like a horse while wearing "capes."

Michael

Noah

Evan

The next day, we went to a family picnic for John's mom's extended family.  We always look forward to this annual get-together to catch up with relatives we don't get to see regularly.  We loved the park we went to and really enjoyed the beautiful weather and yummy food.  Michael had fallen asleep on the way there, so he finished his nap in cousin Josh's carseat before playing t-ball and going down the slide.

Mike & Josh

 

Cousin Charlie

 

The next weekend, John & I took one last chance to get away with some good friends.  Michael stayed with Grandpa & Grandma Sonderman while we and two other couples (Jill & Eric and Angie & Mike) met friends from outside St. Louis (Olivia & Tony) in Columbia.  The guys golfed during the day while the ladies walked around downtown and shopped.  We enjoyed hanging out and going to dinner that evening.  It was so nice to get to catch up with friends and relax a little.

On Sept. 18, we went to our last Royals' game of the season.  They had been on a winning streak, and of course broke it while we were there :(  Regardless, we lucked out and had decent weather despite a rainy start to the day and were glad that our friends, Matt & Mandy, had invited us to go with them.  They brought their daughter, Macy, and she and Michael had a lot of fun together.

"running" the bases

On Sept. 24, we went to brunch at Eggtc. (one of our favorites) then the Plaza Art Fair.  The weather was perfect and we got there before it got too crowded.  We got a chance to look at all of the art and even ran into our neighbor, Sam.  Some of our favorite artists included Bekah Ash, Kreg Yingst, Angie Pickman, Jennifer Falter, Jaana Mattson, and Eric Burris, 

 Yesterday, my sisters-in law and mother-in-law hosted a "sprinkle" for me at Grand Street Cafe.  It was a nice opportunity to eat a delicious lunch with close family members.  We played fun games and they gave me awesome gifts to help get us prepared for Superbaby's arrival.  I am so blessed to have such a great family!

I will be 38 weeks tomorrow, so I'm feeling pretty confident that Superbaby will be strong and healthy whenever he/she decides to arrive.  John installed the carseat this week and Michael talks about how his baby sister is going to sit next to him in the car (sometimes he says brother, but usually it's a girl).  We just have a few little things left to do, but overall are feeling ready...well, as ready as you can be!  I saw the midwife on 9/28.  Superbaby was sounding great and my belly measured just as it should.  She commented on how long this baby is, extending way up into my ribcage (can you say heartburn???), and guessed that Superbaby is bigger than Michael was (6.5-7 lbs).  My lower legs and feet are pretty much always swollen, especially the right side, but not too bad.

This month, we've noticed Michael's sense of humor really evolving.  For example, we were at a restaurant where they had a framed picture of a strawberry that looked like a baseball (don't ask, I don't know why).  But Michael saw it and said, "A strawberry baseball?  That's so funny!" and laughed.  He really seems to be noticing and laughing at ridiculous or silly things more often on his own.  It's been fun for us to watch.  He still really likes to draw and color, play ball, and play with cars and trains.  He also likes to put on puppet shows in his room, using his bed as a stage.  He's getting better at potty training, but still having occasional accidents.

I really loved doing "Yoga in the Park" this morning.  I met an instructor and other students out at Unity Village and we hiked for about a mile in the woods then did yoga on a bridge before hiking back.  It was a little chilly at first, but overall a perfect morning.  The leaves are already starting to change colors and we saw several deer during our practice.  I am hoping that yoga will help prepare me for delivery and was so grateful for this opportunity!

John is keeping busy with his job and 6 hours of college credit he's taking right now.  He was disappointed in their loss last night, but of course he was thrilled that the Cardinals made the playoffs.  He's watching football now, hoping for a Chiefs' win.

Stayed tuned...the next blog might include some newborn pics!