The Shopoff Showoff

So after waiting and waiting and...more waiting, Baby Shop finally arrived on July 30th(with a little jump-start by my midwives). I have sat down many times over the past two months to write this post and it has just never gotten finished. I want to share the story of our sweet baby's birth so here it is...

Before I start though, this is your warning that if you do not want to hear details and see pictures about birth, you may not want to read this. No really, go away if you don't want to read it.

Okay, you are still reading, so here goes. The story begins on Tuesday, July 27th, when I woke early in the morning with contractions. I was 40 weeks and 4 days and was sure hoping this was finally it. I started to realize that the contractions were 10 minutes apart and pretty regular. I continued to doze off and on for a few hours until I finally got up to watch a little tv. After a while, I went back to bed for an hour or so until Patrick woke up. My contractions had not gotten any closer together or stronger, so I sent Patrick off to work. I spent much of the morning doing a few things around the house and relaxing before I decided to go walk at the mall. When walking at the mall, I had many contractions but they were not regular and not getting any stronger. After more than an hour of walking, I came back home to find that my contractions had stopped altogether...this wasn't it. At first I was bummed but then I just reminded myself that at most I would be pregnant for another week or so. After 40 weeks, one week seems like nothing.

I woke up Wednesday, July 28th, with no contractions whatsoever and spent the day with very few irregular contractions. I knew that my appointment with the midwives at the Birth and Women's Center was on the following day so I made sure I did everything I could to start labor naturally. I did lots and lots and lots of walking, ate spicy foods, took my evening primrose oil(as I had for several weeks), and even went to the chiropractor for a third session of acupressure massage and acupuncture...nothing.

On Thursday, July 29th, I had an appointment at the Birth and Women's Center in downtown Dallas. I had zero contractions going on so I decided to send Patrick on to work and had my friend, Erica, take me to my appointment. Upon arriving they started discussing induction with me and I realized Patrick would need to be there, so I called and he left work. After much deliberation and a lot of denial on my part, we decided that I needed to try and get labor started with induction. I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for several weeks and had been 50% effaced for 4 weeks, but it had not resulted in any dilation. We knew that if we continued to wait, it might mean a pitocin induction at the hospital which I wanted to avoid. On top of that, I had dropped a few pounds, which could mean that I was beginning to lose amniotic fluid. After calling my childbirth instructor and my mother-in-law(a doula) to discuss the pros and cons, Patrick and I decided that we would induce with cytotec, a drug used to soften the cervix and promote dilation. Around 12:30, the midwives placed the cytotec on my cervix and inserted a foley catheter which is basically a balloon filled with water that helps place pressure on the cervix. After monitoring me for an hour and checking Baby Shop's response to the contractions, they sent me home to labor and rest. They told me that if nothing had happened by 9:00 the next morning, they would want me to come back.

Once home around 3:00 or so, I found that I was beginning to experience a great deal of pain. The midwives had explained that cytotec basically irritates the uterus and causes it to cramp and contract. I felt like I was constantly cramping and therefore it was hard to really time the true contractions. I spent the next few hours distracting myself with the tv, resting on the couch with hot rice socks, sitting on the birthing ball, and walking around to manage the pain. It was at this time that I realized how thankful I was that Patrick and I had completed the Bradley Childbirth Class with Linda Worzer of Natural Beginnings. Patrick was a fantastic coach throughout the entire process.

Around 7:00 or so(once I got into "Labor Land", I really lost track of time), I decided I needed something more to help me manage the pain and I got into a warm bath to relax. Wow...what a difference the warm water made! I found that I was much more comfortable and I finally relaxed. An hour or so later, my foley catheter came out on its own. I called the midwife, Carol, and asked her what this meant. She said that I was probably at around 3 or 4 centimeters dilated...I was thrilled! This was finally it! There was progress! Because we were still waiting for my contractions to reach 5-1-1(5 minutes apart, 1 minute in duration, for 1 hour), Carol asked me to keep timing the contractions and keep her updated. The next few hours are a blur...I got in the water for a while longer, rested on the bed, and eventually ended up lying on the floor trying to find a comfortable position. It was around 10:30 or so that I told Patrick to call his mom and ask her what we should do...I was beginning to feel a great deal of pain and I wasn't sure if we should call Carol to head down to the birth center. My contractions seemed to be less than 3 minutes apart, but they were still only 30-45 seconds long so we weren't sure what to do. My mother-in-law always told me that you could just listen to a woman in labor and know when it was getting close because the sounds they make change very distinctly(just the fact that I could no longer talk on the phone was a sign that this was for real and we were getting close). While Patrick was on the phone with his mom and she was telling him we might better call Carol, my water broke. I was elated...it was just the sign I needed to know that we could head down to the birth center and welcome Baby Shop into the world. We called Carol, our parents, and our photographer, Ashley Langford(super awesome wedding photographer, also...check him out) and we headed down to the birth center in downtown Dallas.

While I always knew that the birth center was a long drive from Frisco(I mean, we practically live closer to Oklahoma than we do to downtown Dallas...haha), I could not have prepared myself for how long the trip felt that night. It was thankfully 11:00 p.m. and the tollway was completely empty. I know Patrick was trying not to speed(especially as he passed a cop) but he was anxious to get me there since he could tell I was in a great deal of pain. I was breathing through my contractions and focusing on what I knew would be the outcome of the pain...our sweet Baby Shop would arrive! This helped me to manage, but I knew for sure that I was in the last stage of labor, transition. My contractions were essentially on top of each other and I felt like there was little rest. I remember when we got close to the birth center, Patrick stopped at a red light and I almost came unglued, "Just go!!!" haha I think it was the only time I really yelled at him through the entire process so I consider this a huge success. We arrived at the birth center at midnight and were met by our families and photographer.



Carol, our midwife, was there and she checked my progress and told me that I was 5-6 centimeters dilated. This was the only moment in the whole thing where I thought, "What am I thinking trying to do this without drugs?" I was SURE that I was in transition which is usually 8-10 centimeters. I started to doubt my ability to handle transition if I was already in so much pain at 5-6 centimeters. I decided the only solution was to get in the warm bath. I spent the next 30-45 minutes relaxing in the bath while my contractions continued one on top of the other. Ashley, our photographer, was in there to capture a few shots. At around 1:00 a.m., I suddenly felt my body begin to push and I told Patrick that I needed Carol right away. When Carol returned, I told her that I felt like pushing and she told me to get out of the bath while she got things ready. The birth assistant, Beverly, had not yet arrived and I know Carol was rushing about trying to get everything together as it seemed that Baby Shop was coming quickly after waiting for almost 41 weeks to arrive.



I spent the next half hour pushing, part of the time while squatting and part of the time reclining on the bed. After all of the contractions, pushing was actually a relief and I had time to rest in between.

At 1:36 a.m., Hudson Thomas Shopoff arrived safely into the arms of his daddy who got to catch him, announce "It's a boy", and hand him to me. We spent the next hour or so staring at our baby and snuggling before Hudson decided he was hungry and started to nurse.



The midwife then weighed and measured him with Patrick's help. Hudson was born at 6 lbs. 14 oz. and 21.5 inches long...a long, skinny guy(shocker, right?)





We were thrilled at Hudson's arrival and we celebrated with a toast of sparkling cider. His grandparents were all glad to be present to enjoy the special event.





At this point, I was very weak and tired after losing a good amount of blood during delivery. The midwives had stitched me up, but they knew I needed to eat, so they sent my parents out to an all-night diner to grab food for Patrick and I. I ate my omelette and began to feel a lot better, but was still exhausted. While I rested, Patrick got to give Hudson his first bath. I remember hearing everybody talking about how much Hudson was enjoying the bath, but I could hardly keep my eyes open long enough to see. Thankfully, it was captured on video so I was able to watch it later when I was more awake. After a little rest, I got up to shower. I was very light-headed so it took me a little while and I was fully exhausted by the time it was over, but it felt wonderful to get clean.

After bathtime for Hudson and a shower for me, Hudson was dressed and swaddled up and our family of three settled in for a nap. We rested for several hours before Hudson and I were given a clean bill of health and we packed up to go home. Driving home with our baby boy was incredibly surreal....although I was absolutely exhausted, I couldn't have been any happier.



At around 9 a.m. on Friday, July 30th, one week after my due date, less than 24 hours after my induction, and 9 short hours after our arrival at the birth center, I was resting happily at home with our precious 8-hour-old son, Hudson. Hudson's arrival was everything I hoped it would be, and I felt a certain sense of strength as a woman for bringing him into this world in the way I did. Mommyhood is definitely one of God's greatest gifts and no doubt one of life's greatest challenges.

A special thanks to:

Carol Bunker- our awesome midwife who delivered our adorable baby boy, Hudson

Beverly Hook - the super sweet birth assistant who helped after Hudson's arrival

Ashley Langford - our fantastic photographer who drove all the way down to downtown in the middle of the night

Linda Worzer - the best childbirth educator ever

I cannot believe that our due date is 10 days away! I absolutely love being pregnant, and I really have very few complaints even now as it is almost 100 degrees outside and I'm carrying around 30 extra pounds. How blessed I have been! Here are the latest photos:

The time has arrived for the big nursery reveal! Thanks to my wonderful family for all of the help with painting, refinishing the dresser, more painting, and decorating. It feels so wonderful to have it finished, and I know that Baby Shop will love it. Now we are just waiting for him/her to make his/her arrival! Here are the photos:

Make sure you leave me a comment and tell me what you think of the nursery!

Figured I'd upload my belly pics so you can watch the baby bump grow...enjoy!

We had a sonogram this week at about 22 1/2 weeks...it was great to see Baby Shop and how he/she is developing. I'm so glad that he/she was not showing off too much, and we were able to keep our secret a secret. I know everybody thinks I'm crazy but we are so excited about waiting to find out if our little one is a boy or girl, and I know it will be worth it when July arrives and he/she makes an appearance!

Baby Shop is measuring right at about where is expected. His/her legs are measuring slightly ahead the rest of him/her, but I guess it could just be that long legs are in the genes. :c) It was amazing to watch the movement in the sonogram...the tongue sticking in and out, the chambers of the heart beating, the baby kicking and wiggling in response to pressure from the ultrasound machine. I don't know how anybody can watch something like that and not believe in a miracle-creating God!

Since my last post about the pregnancy, Baby Shop has become very active. I will feel movement quite a bit throughout the day, but more when I'm sitting or lying down where I can really pay attention to it. Patrick has been able to even feel a few little kicks on my belly over the past two weeks. It's quite an amazing thing! What's not amazing is the rib pain I have started to have as they are spreading to create room. I'm thinking it's time for some prenatal yoga and a chiropractor visit. Thankfully, I know that I have a baby on the way and it makes all of this worth it! Here are some photos of our little one...

Alright...it's been a while since I posted, so I wanted to update you on the baby bump. Here's what's going on...

Patrick and I are just thrilled that we will be having a baby join our family in July! It's hard to believe that there is a teensy-tiny human being inside me right now. This week at 16 weeks, he/she is the size of an avocado but has eye lashes, eye color, fingernails, taste buds, and hair. I mean...it's a complete person in there, just a very very small one.

I'm going to do my best in the coming months and years to keep this blog updated. I think it'll be a lot easier when I have an adorable little one to post stories and pics about. I want to use this to track all of the fun little things that happen as our little one grows.

So, I'm going to go back in time here and track my pregnancy thus far. We found out we were pregnant on November 15th. I woke up for a bathroom break at 2:30 that morning and suspecting that I might be pregnant, decided to take a test. It was positive! I couldn't believe it so I rubbed my eyes a few times and decided to take another test just to be sure and once again, it was positive. My family was in town for a family photo shoot, but I didn't want to tell them until I'd gotten a chance to tell Patrick and have a sonogram. So...what's a girl to do when she finds out she's pregnant at 2:30 a.m.? Go back to bed! haha Surprisingly, I was so incredibly tired during early pregnancy that I really did to back to sleep without ever waking my sweet hubby. When my family left later in the day, I sent Patrick an e-card with a picture of the positive test in it. He couldn't believe it...we were both thrilled! And this began the long period of keeping a secret when all we wanted to do was tell everybody we knew!

I had a doctor's appointment a week or so later to confirm pregnancy and set up a sonogram. My doctor decided to do an early ultrasound to make sure we had an accurate due date, so we set that up for the next Wednesday, December 2nd. It was so incredible for Patrick and I to see our little embryo complete with a strong heartbeat beating at 142 bpm. I was 5 weeks, 5 days pregnant.

With it being December, we decided to wait until Christmas when we would be able to see our families in person to tell them our exciting news. This was incredibly hard! It was well worth the wait when we saw their faces after they opened their "gift"...a wrapped picture frame with a sonogram picture in it. All of our family members were just thrilled! It will be the third grandchild for Patrick's parents and the first for my parents. It will be the 1st great-grandchild for my dad's parents and the ninth(yes, ninth) great-grandchild for my mom's parents! What a great family this baby will be surrounded by! It was nice to have the secret out so we could finally tell all of our friends. Here's a picture of the gift...

During the first trimester, I was...STARVING! I mean...I can't believe how much food I could put away in a day and still find myself hungry. I was eating every two hours even through lots of nausea. As long as I ate before getting out of bed, and ate before I felt hungry, I kept myself from becoming good friends with the toilet. :c) I was also extremely, extremely tired. I'm used to being "tired"(especially after a week with 22 active 1st graders) and I enjoy naps more than most. However, usually I can "fight through" my exhaustion when I have things that simply must be done. This was not the case during the first few weeks of pregnancy. I was so exhausted that I would just lie on the couch from the time I got home until I went to bed. Dinner was often whatever could be made quickly and easily or whatever Patrick could pick up or make. Completing grad school assignments was a chore, because all I wanted to do was sleep. Thankfully, I will be done with my last class in a few short months.

During this time, I found myself unable to eat several things: eggs, chicken that I made at home(I could eat grilled chicken or chicken nuggets out, but something about the smell of it cooking in the house would send me over the edge), and sweets(which is terribly sad during Thanksgiving and Christmas). Pretty much any strong smell made me feel sick...these could be bad smells(trash) or good smells(Bath & Body Works), but if it was strong, it was going to make my stomach turn.

I also found myself having a few cravings during this time: chocolate milk, Taco Bell(I know...yuck!), yogurt, pizza, and pickles. I had chocolate milk at least once a day for about a month. I'm still eating pickles constantly in the second trimester, but that is really the only craving that has stuck around.

One day when I was a little more than 11 weeks pregnant, I woke up and realized that I hadn't woken up starving in the middle of the night. I went throughout the day without ever feeling nauseous and for the first time in weeks, I didn't need a nap when I got home. I thought..."Man, I hope this lasts!" Sure enough, that was the beginning of what everybody says is the best part of pregnancy...the time around the 2nd trimester when you start to feel less tired and nauseous. Later on, my midwife confirmed that women often experience this shift around 11 1/2 weeks...that's right when it happened for me.

In early January, Patrick and I decided to tour a few birth centers. Both Allen Birth Center and the Birth and Women's Center in Dallas were simply amazing! I knew that I wanted to deliver in one of these places. For me, it's a personal decision based on the fact that I believe God created women for bringing babies into the world. As long as I am not high-risk and I have a healthy pregnancy, I see no reason to deliver in a hospital where there are such restrictions and birth is so medicalized. At a birth center, I'll be able to walk around, eat, and get into showers or baths to help with the pain. I know that this environment will support me as I give birth naturally without medications. So, I am now settled in with the midwives, Carol and Cheri, at the Birth and Women's Center in Dallas. It is about 2 blocks from Baylor Dallas so I have a great hospital for backup if I need it. I feel very much at peace and I know I'm where God wants me to be.

We have decided not to find out if we are having a boy or a girl, so we will be very surprised when July comes around! I am very excited about waiting because I think it's going to make the birth day very fun! We will probably do lime green and brown in the nursery and then add hot pink if it's a girl. We're still deciding though...will post pics when we get it started.

So, I am 16 weeks pregnant now. I only have a few complaints about this stage of pregnancy. Mostly, I am tired of the sinus problems I have due to the fact that I am making more mucus than like 5 people should all together. As soon as I get it cleared up, it turns into a nasty cough. Hopefully it will go away soon, but I've heard that it could last for the rest of the pregnancy, so we'll see. My only other complaint is the fact that I lack a "pregnancy glow"...unless you call an oily acne-covered face that looks like that of a high schooler a "glow". The hormones have sent my face into chaos, so hopefully that will clear up soon and I'll be able to truly glow.

Here are the two baby bump pics that I have so far, along with my toilet paper square measurements. This was an idea I saw on my pregnancy message board and I am tracking my belly growth with toilet paper squares each week.