Gwyneth Harper Stepp

Miss Gwyneth Harper Stepp was born Saturday, May 7th at 9:52 pm.  She weighed in at 8 lb. 2 oz. and measured 21 inches in length.  She is the most precious baby and Brandon and I are so in love with her.  I can't believe she is already 2 weeks old!

 It wasn't an easy delivery as most of you already know, but it was well worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat. It began Friday night, May 6th around 7:30 pm.  Brandon and I were sitting at home trying to decide what to have for dinner.  I had been having the usual random contractions throughout the day but could tell they were starting to feel different and were coming more frequently.  We began timing the contractions around 8 pm and at that time they were about 9-11 minutes apart.

We decided to get Chinese food so Brandon placed our order with our favorite place here in Rocklin and soon left to pick it up.  In anticipation that this could be the night we would go to the hospital I began looking through our hospital bag to see what we still had left to pack.  When Brandon got back we continued to time the contractions and they slowly were getting closer to one another.  I started to not feel so good so I didn't even eat my food.  Brandon says I committed a crime by letting Chinese go to waste. :)  

I took a shower and continued to pack our hospital bag as the contractions were down to about 5 minutes apart.  Around 11 pm my contractions started to slow down and seemed to stall.  Brandon and I decided we would go to bed and knew I would wake up if things started to progress.  I had been laying down for no more than 10 minutes when the contractions came back and were much stronger.  I laid in bed watching the clock timing the contractions for about 45 minutes before I woke up Brandon and told him that I thought it was time we got ready to go to the hospital.

We timed the contractions for another hour, they got down to 3 minutes apart and were getting stronger with each contraction.  I wasn't able to talk or walk when they came so I knew this was the real deal.  We called labor and delivery at Kaiser Roseville around 2 am, on Saturday, May 7th.  They confirmed that we should head their way so we packed up the Jetta and left.  It was exciting but also a bit scary.  All I could think was, we are leaving this house just the two of us and we will be coming back with a baby!  Our lives were about to change forever, in a good way of course.  

When we got to the hospital they sent me back while Brandon got a pass.  After filling out the paperwork for admissions we sat in a small room waiting to be evaluated before we could officially be admitted.  The nurse evaluated me and said I was 4 cm dilated, this was 1 cm more than I was at my appointment just 2 days ago.  That to me sounded promising and I thought to myself "wow, we are going to have this baby soon."  Little did I know that Gwyneth had no intention to come anytime soon.  We had a long road ahead of us before she would enter this world.

We were admitted at 3 am and taken to our delivery room.  I will spare you all the details and instead will give you the Cliff Notes version of our hospital experience with just the highlights.  I was able to somewhat manage the pain for the first few hours.  As the contractions got more intense I began to rethink my plan to go medication free.  It wasn't until the nurse checked me at 7 am and told me I was still around 4 cm that I realized this was not going to be a fast labor.  It was then that I requested some pain medication to be administered through my IV.  The medicine didn't do much for the pain really just made me feel more relaxed.  

It was around 9 am when I caved and requested the epidural.  My nurse had been so supportive of my birth plan but as soon as I requested the epidural she quickly got the nurse anesthetist to come administer it.  The epidural was only working on one side of my body so the nurse anesthetist had to make an adjustment to it.  This seemed to help although throughout my labor the epidural would wear off and I would feel the contractions just as painful if not more painful than they were before the epidural.  It seemed like every 2 hours I had them in there working on the epidural because of the pain.  Luckily they were able to inject pain medication directly into the epidural line which helped relieve the pain fairly quickly.

The midwife checked me again around 2 pm and at that time I had only dilated to 5 cm.  This was a bit discouraging considering my contractions appeared to be off the chart when watching the monitor.  With such strong contractions we thought I would be progressing much faster.  The midwife then suggested we start Pitocin, another medication that I had hoped to avoid, to see if that would help me progress faster.  At that time they also decided to administer an internal monitor in my uterus to help them get a better reading on the intensity of each contraction.  It wasn't until then that we discussed the possibility of a c-section.  The midwife had high hopes that the Pitocin would help progress my labor and said she would be back at 5 pm to perform another cervical check.  If the Pitocin did not work then the chance of having a c-section would soon become a reality.

Brandon laid down to nap on the couch and I tried to rest myself but my mind was racing and I couldn't stop watching the monitor.  My contractions were about as half the intensity that they were earlier in the day and at times appeared to be getting further apart.  I began to get discouraged and prepared myself for the very real possibility of a c-section. Soon I started to feel my contractions again as I had been every two hours.  This time the nurse anesthetist decided to replace the epidural to see if that would help.  He also upped the dose of medication as my body seemed to not respond to the regular dose.  This seemed to ease the pain for the time being but I didn't get my hopes up based on my experience with the epidural throughout the day. The midwife got held up with another delivery but stopped by our room around 6 pm to perform a cervical check.  I expected to hear that I was still 5 cm but was thrilled when she happily said I was dilated to 9 cm.  I knew then that our little Gwyneth would be here soon!! 

The midwife left and planned to return at 7:30 pm for one last cervical check in hopes I would be 10 cm.  It was around 7 pm that my contractions started to get very intense and I was in severe pain despite having the epidural.  Brandon paged the nurse and soon both the nurse and midwife entered the room.  The midwife performed a cervical check and I was fully dilated.  It was time to have a baby!  My midwife also informed me that my OBGYN was on call and had just arrived at the hospital so we were thrilled that she would be able to deliver Gwyneth.  

I began pushing around 7:30 pm and approximately two and a half hours later Gwyneth Harper Stepp was born at 9:52 pm.  It was such an amazing moment when they laid her on my chest.  Just minutes before we were just Brandon and Tracy, and there we were now a little family of three.  Brandon performed the usual double check that she was a girl and counted all her fingers and toes, she passed with flying colors.  For the first hour of her life she was one unhappy little girl and was unconsolable but after she got all cleaned up and had her measurements and shots she was a perfect little angel.

Thank you to all our friends and family who were checking in on us during our hospital stay.  We are so happy to be home with our precious baby girl and can't wait for all of you to meet her!  Our lives have been forever changed and we look forward to all the wonderful experiences to come.  Much love to all from the Stepp family!

-Brandon, Tracy, and Gwyneth

39 Weeks

Today is 39 weeks and we are still waiting on Dunebuggy.  We had what will probably be our last appointment with the OBGYN yesterday.  Everything still continues to look good.  Dunebuggy still has a nice strong heartbeat of around 150 beats a minutes and I definitely made some progress since the last appointment and I am now dilated to 3 cm, 70% effaced, and at 0 station.  During the exam the doctor stripped my membranes....don't freak out, it sounds way scarier than what it is!

The procedure was done during her regular examination and didn't hurt a bit.  In fact it happened in just a matter of seconds.  A simple explanation of membrane stripping is the separation of the bag of water from the uterus.  It can help jump start the process of going into labor naturally.  For a few hours after our appointment I was definitely having more contractions and they were getting more intense as time went on.  I began to think last night was going to be the night!  But in celebration of Cinco de Mayo we picked up Chipotle and once we began eating the contractions seemed to fizzle out.  I guess Dunebuggy is just not ready to come out and play just yet.

I have continued to have contractions on and off since last night but they are still very sporadic.  As I've said before, we are on Dunebuggy time so we'll just wait until she is good and ready.  The doctor didn't seem to have any indication as to when she will come, obviously this is not something you can predict.  Both our midwife and our OBGYN are on call this Saturday so maybe we will get lucky and will head to Labor & Delivery while they are there.

Here is a picture of my large belly at 39 weeks!  This may be the last belly shot...

I am also excited to show you all the beautiful quilt that Shelby put together for Dunebuggy!  This all began at the shower she threw for me in March where she had my mom and sisters send her squares for the quilt.  We also made squares for the quilt at the shower and then she put it all together to make an amazing quilt that I love.  Thank you Shelby!!

The Waiting Game

As we get closer and closer to Dunebuggy's due date I am becoming more anxious and a bit nervous.  I can't believe it is just 11 days away!  For the past 8 1/2 months we have been been planning and preparing for this, yet the reality of Dunebuggy actually being here is starting to really sink in.  I am so very excited about her arrival yet at the same time nervous about how it will all go down.  I think the idea of not knowing when and how it will happen is what has me so nervous.  Every night I go to bed wondering if this will be the night I wake up and tell Brandon we need to go to the hospital, but then I wake up and it is just another day.  I think it is natural to want to have everything planned but this is not a situation where that is possible.

In the meantime I have been distracting myself by catching up on some reading.  I have several baby books that I have been meaning to read but just have not had the time.  Today I started reading Babywise.  It's a book that several friends, both here in CA and in AL, have highly recommended we read.  The book is an in depth guide to Parent Directed Feeding (PDF) which helps manage your infants sleep and provides structure during a somewhat unstructured time in your child's life.  From those that I have talked to, you are either for the method or against it, there doesn't seem to be much of an in between.

The general idea of PDF is that you consider both time and hunger cues when determining when you feed your infant.  Some methods suggest you feed your child at a set time regardless of whether they are hungry or not and others suggest you feed them at the slightest sign of hunger regardless of the time lapsed between feedings.  I am only halfway through the book but the PDF method seems logical and based on the success of our other friends who have used this method or are currently using it I think we will most definitely give it a try.  Only time will tell if we are successful in implementing it and whether it will work for us.

On a side note, I think I have failed to mention my "pregnancy snoring" in previous blogs.  Some women may develop a bit of a snoring problem when they are pregnant and unfortunately I am one of them.  This has turned out to be more unfortunate for Brandon as lately it is affecting his sleep.  My snoring is on a whole new level this late in my pregnancy and I woke up last night to find I was in bed alone.  I guess the snoring was so intense that Brandon decided to move to the couch in order to get some rest.  I feel horrible that I am keeping him from getting a goodnight sleep.  From what I hear the snoring stops as soon as the baby is born and I certainly hope that is the case for me....for Brandon's sake!

As we get so close to Dunebuggy's due date, each blog I post has the potential to be the last pre-Dunebuggy blog.  I of course will continue the blog after her arrival although it may take some time to break away to do so.  Brandon and I would like to thank all of our friends and family for their support during this exciting time in our lives.  We would also like to thank all of you for following our blog and your kind comments.  We love you and will keep you posted on Dunebuggy's arrival!

38 Weeks

Today is 38 weeks and we are another week closer to meeting Dunebuggy.  I am so anxious to meet our sweet little girl.  This morning we had an appointment with our midwife, and I have made a little progress.  I am still 1 cm dilated but am now 50% effaced and Dunebuggy has moved down to station -1.  Heather went with me to the appointment this time around.  I was excited for her to hear Dunebuggy's heartbeat and to be at what could possibly be my last appointment.

Brandon and I attended our last class with Kaiser last night on newborn care.  We still don't know everything we need to know about taking care of a newborn but we got a brief overview of some important things like: changing a diaper, swaddling a baby, and giving baby a bath.  The instructor was the same woman from our breastfeeding class and she really got on Brandon's nerves this time around.  It's probably a good thing that it was our last class because I am not sure he could handle attending another one of her classes.

It has been a huge help having Heather here this week.  We have really made some progress on the nursery and it is just about complete.  We spent most of the week washing stuff and organizing, something I had put off due to tax season.  The nursery looks great and is just waiting for Dunebuggy now.  During all of our hard work, we did manage to book some much needed pedicures for ourselves.  Hopefully my toes will stay nice and pretty until Dunebuggy arrives which could be any day now!

More classes...

Last night Brandon and I attended a breastfeeding class at Kaiser.  At first Brandon was a little reluctant to attend the class due to the subject matter, but I assured him that spouses were expected to attend.  I think he was a little relieved when we got there to see all the other men in the classroom.  There were 11 women in the class and only two of them did not have their significant other with them.

We started off the class with introductions like all the other classes we have attended.  I was very surprised that over half the class had opted to not know the sex of their baby.  In all the classes we have attended there have only been just a few people that have chosen to take that route.  I was even more surprised of the remaining people in the class we were the only one having a girl, well the only one that knows we are having a girl.

The instructor was a very "happy" individual.  It was nice she was so upbeat but at times Brandon and I were a little annoyed by her enthusiastic attitude.  She was pretty pumped to be talking about breastfeeding!  Despite her annoying ways I thought she did an excellent job covering the material and even made it somewhat fun.  The subject matter can make people a little uncomfortable, but I think she helped make everyone in the class feel at ease.

I however about lost it at one point.  She was discussing how to tell if your baby is getting enough milk based on the number of wet and poopy diapers that you change during the first five days of the babies life.  There was a slide that showed what the poop will look like and let's just say it was not a pretty sight.  Someone then asked if breastfed baby poop always looks like that.  She explained it would possibly have some variations of color but it would always be runny...lovely I know.  Then she proceeded to describe other types of poo that would be of concern.  She said if your baby "lays a log" like an adult then you should call the doctor.  She included hand gestures with the statement as well and everyone in the class lost it...we were all mature adults I assure you. :)  Well for some reason I could not stop laughing about it.  It was one of those moments where you have the giggles and you just can't turn it off.  I finally managed to control myself after a few minutes, but thinking about it now brings a smile to my face again.

The instructor is teaching the Newborn Care class we are attending this Thursday night so we will get to experience her enthusiasm once again.  I am looking forward to the class because it goes over all kinds of information from bathing your baby to changing diapers, both things that Brandon and I have never done before!

Today I get to hang out with my friend Sarah!  She is 35 weeks pregnant and is back home in Sacramento to deliver her baby.  She and her husband are stationed in Germany and we had the wonderful opportunity to visit them over the Christmas holidays.  Sarah and I are on a mission today to find her an outfit for her maternity shoot this Thursday.  She will be using the same photographer that I used and I am so excited for her to get pictures done.  I can't wait to see the look on everyone's face at the mall as the two of us are waddling around together.  I am also very excited about the arrival of my sister Heather.  She flies in tonight and will be here all week.  This is going to be a great week!!

37 Weeks

37 weeks down, 3 more to go!  Baby Stepp is considered full-term today.  That means her lungs are fully developed so if she decides to come now she should be fine.  

She's approximately 6 1/3 pounds and over 19 inches from head to heel.  No wonder my belly is so huge!  It's still blows my mind that she can fit up in there.  It's so cool that I can clearly identify her little butt from her legs and feet now.

The past few mornings I have woken up with an achy and tired belly.  I am having Braxton Hicks contractions while I am sleeping and when I wake it feels like I have been doing sit-ups all night long.  Unfortunately I don't have a six pack to show for it.  

My maternity leave starts today!  We are kicking it off by heading to San Francisco for the evening.  We are going to the Giants game and I am hoping we get to see the Braves put a whooping on them!  Brandon and I were looking at the Braves roster the other night and there are so many new players now.  It's amazing to me that Chipper Jones is still playing.  I remember watching him play way back in the day at Fulton County stadium.  I must have been in 4th or 5th grade at the time.  He was just beginning his baseball career then, now he's a bit past his prime but I am still excited to see him play.  Go Braves!!

Update

Our appointment last Friday went well.  At this point there is no indication Dunebuggy will be here any sooner than her due date.  I am dilated to 1cm and 25% effaced.  Although one would think that might mean Dunebuggy is on her way, it means nothing until I start having regular contractions.  I have continued having sporadic ones here and there, but there is still no pattern to them and they are not close enough together to start timing just yet.

We will not have another visit with the midwife until Friday, April 29th.  After that appointment I will continue to go weekly, alternating between the midwife and the OBGYN.  We're on Dunebuggy's schedule now, so we'll just have to use patience and wait for her arrival.

Last night we attended a class at Kaiser called Safe From Harm/Infant CPR.  I am really glad we signed up for this class because the information we learned seemed relevant to real situations and if used properly could actually save a baby's life.  Brandon has had several CPR classes in the past, so he wasn't exactly taking it as seriously as the expectant moms in the class.  He was irritated to no end when one lady asked the instructor to go over the entire process again from the beginning.

We recently watched a video on infant CPR, but last night we were actually able to practice what we learned (on dummy babies of course).  Practicing what you learn is so much better than just watching.  I actually feel like I know what to do now in an emergency situation.  Of course I hope I never have to use my newly learned skills.

Half of the class was devoted to teaching us how to perform CPR on an infant, how to help a conscious choking infant, and how to help an unconscious choking infant.  CPR has changed over the past few years and the focus has become more on the chest compressions vs. the assisted breaths.  As we were practicing I kept imaging how scary it would be to have to perform what we learned in a real life situation on Dunebuggy.  I certainly hope it never happens but I feel like the class helped better prepare us in the event it does.

The second half of the class was devoted to keeping your child safe at home.  The majority of the information did not pertain to young infants as they discussed childproofing your home.  Although we will not use all of that information right away since she won't be mobile for a while, it was good to prepare ourselves for when that time comes.

As most of you know, I am a very indecisive person.  I have always had a difficult time making decisions so of course the decision of what outfit Dunebuggy will come home in is no exception.  I have it narrowed down to three outfits that I love and they are all washed and packed in our hospital bag.  Here are pictures of them, feel free to vote on which outfit you like the best!

Outfit #1 - Navy blue dress with white embroidered flowers and matching navy blue bloomers.

Outfit #2 - Aqua and white gingham print dress (colors didn't turn out very well in the picture) with eyelet flowers across the bottom and matching bloomers.

Outfit #3 - Aqua and white gingham print onesie with embroidered pink flowers.

I have a white headband with a bow for her to wear also, assuming her head isn't too big for it!  Outfit #1 is newborn size so it may not be an option come D-day if she is a big baby.  The other two outfits are 0-3 months so there shouldn't be a problem with them fitting.  I can't wait to see her and dress her up for her first car ride and entrance to her house!

As this blog post comes to an end, I am happy to announce that I will officially be on maternity leave after this Thursday, April 21st.  I can't wait to have some time off after a busy tax season!