A Life Begins

Hello Everybody!  This is Nathan (for the second time ever).  Thank you for following Bonnie and me on this 40 week, 4 day journey.  We are proud to announce the birth of our son:

Jude Cole Ehman  7 lbs, 10 oz & 21 inches

This is how it all went down:

Bonnie and I made the drive to Carmel St. Vincent's Hospital on Friday February 20th at 4:30 p.m.  By the following morning around 5:30, Bonnie's body was ready to rock and roll--and by rock and roll I mean we cranked up the Elvis and Kings of Leon in the labor room.  I think the combination of anesthesia and music was all it took to make her labor a short and sweet experience. (the previous sentence is evidence that it is in fact me Nathan writing this blog) Our son took his first breath at 7:34, February 21st.

After visits from almost our entire family--and a little time for rest and recovery, we were ready to leave the hospital.  We introduced Jude to our home on Monday evening.  He has been a perfect baby so far! He communicates with us well and has begun a healthy routine of eating, sleeping, and potty-ing.  I'll spare you all the dirty details for now as it is much more fun to exaggerate in person than on a blog; Plus I'm not sure if everyone reading this knows us well enough to follow our sense of humor. 

We've been able to get a great amount of sleep at night!  Niles and Fiona have begun to get used to the idea of another human being in the house.  They are quite curious individuals and have thoroughly sniffed Jude from top to bottom. I believe they will learn to share their owners and maybe even a couple of their toys.

Today we took our whole family for a walk for the first time, because the weather was gorgeous.  Its a good thing we have wide walking paths around here because the five of us form a pretty intense front.  

Please enjoy the following photo gallery by pointing your mouse at the blue text and clicking.  

Photos of Jude

Thanks again for your support and prayers!

Our Love,

Nathan, Bonnie, Jude, Niles, and Fiona   

Week 40 1/2: Its about that time!

Well faithful followers, its looks like we have made it to the end of the road! Over the last two weeks, I have become HUGE - at least that's how I feel! We met with the Doctor on Monday and he told us that I was still only 80% effaced and still had not dilated at all. I was devastated. Tuesday, February 17 was my due date which came and went in a blaze of glory. It was so hard to keep my spirits up. 

So we went to the doctor again today and saw a different doctor. He is on call this weekend and actually offered to induce us! So, as of 4:30 tomorrow, we will be at St. Vincent's Carmel. I wont go into the details of how the induction occurs, but

 many of you are familiar due to personal experience. Incase you want to read up on it, see this link: Labor Induction.

Please send your prayers through the night tomorrow and all day Saturday. We expect to meet Jude sometime Saturday afternoon. Nathan will post an announcement later that day.

Thank you all for your prayers and support through our pregnancy. Please send more over the next two days, specifically for Jude's health, my stamina and pain, and Nathan's energy. Love you all!

Here is the last pic of pregnant Bonnie; next photo - baby Jude!!...

Week 38: "I am the walrus, goo goo gajoob ga goo goo gajoob"

Well Team, here we are in the home stretch. From this moment, we are 13 days and 2 hours from my official "due date" (2/17). As much as we prayed for Little Jude to be born yesterday or today and despite the bowling, snow shoveling, bouncing (on the exercise ball), walking, foot rubs, raspberry leaf tea, and thai food, here I sit at work going through the motions.

As of Monday, I am 50% effaced and still completely closed. Plus Jude still needs to drop a bit more into my pelvic bowl. Hooray! The doctor said I should plan on going past my due date because I'm a first-timer AND I have had a perfect, textbook pregnancy. Bittersweet. So, in that case, we will have him no later than February 24.

The last week was rather uneventful, with exception of the most wonderful baby shower, thrown by my best friend from HS, Christin and her incredible family. Here is a link to her blog with a few pictures: http://cptwo.blogspot.com/2009/01/mama-bird-baby-bird.html

It was so fantastic to see my best friends - three of which traveled over 2 hours! We invited several of my friends' moms and it was a blessing to see them all and gain knowledge and advice from them.
Once specific piece of advice - agreed upon by ALL moms present had something to do with "toughening" up my nursing 'tools' (aka - my boobs). Although I was supposed to refer to them as my jellybeans on this blog, I suspect that is a bit obvious. Plus, I have a FANTASTIC article to share with all moms out there who have nursed. A good friend shared this with me the other day and it made me so much MORE excited to meet my son and feed him naturally (are you sensing the sarcasm!?)... So if you are offended by the "n" word (nipple) or you are squeamish at the thought of someone (preferably an infant) relying on your boobs for survival, turn back now. This is not for the faint of heart...

Suck It! The REAL Way To Prep For Breastfeeding

Forget that old advice about "gently rubbing your nipples with a towel." If you really want to feel ready to nurse, here's what to do.

By Melissa Balmain, Parenting.com

Day 1
Gently rub your nipples with sandpaper.

Day 2
At bedtime set your alarm clock to go off every two hours. Each time it rings, spend 20 minutes sitting in a rocking chair with your nipples clamped by a pair of chip clips.

Day 3
Draw branching lines all over your chest with a blue-green marker, then stand in front of your bathroom mirror and sing "I Feel Pretty."

Day 4
Open your already-crowded freezer and make room for five dozen plastic milk bags.

Day 5
Fit the hose of a vacuum cleaner over one breast and set on "medium pile." Turn off vacuum when nipple is three inches long. Switch breasts.

Day 6
Obtain "DO NOT CROSS" tape from your local police station, then wrap firmly around your chest. When your spouse asks about it, say, "Get used to it."

Day 7
Tape a water balloon to each breast and squeeze into a maternity bra. Repeatedly hook and unhook the nursing flaps with one hand while using the other to balance a sack of squirming puppies.

Day 8
Dine in the fanciest, snootiest restaurant you can afford, making sure to arrive with a big wet spot directly over each nipple.

Day 9
Record your mother proclaiming, "Just give the baby some cereal like God intended, and she'll sleep right through the night." Play in an endless loop at 1 a.m., 3 a.m., and 5 a.m.

Day 10
Slather your breasts with peanut butter, top with birdseed and stand very still in your backyard.

Day 11
Go someplace public -- a museum, a courthouse, the steps of your office building -- and stuff a lifelike baby doll under your shirt. Use the doll's arm to suddenly hike the shirt up past your collar bone. Lower shirt. Feign nonchalant smile.

Day 12
Suckle a wolverine.

Congratulations! You are now ready to nurse a baby. Maybe.

So, that is what I am anxiously awaiting... ;-) I don't think I mentioned it during the last blog, but I am finally working only three days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. My last official day at the office is Friday, February 13. There is a full moon on February 9, so maybe we'll get lucky then.

Well, off to a meeting. Talk to you all very soon!

Bonnie and Jude