The First Days

These last few days have been a serious learning curve for Hyatt and I. Everything from changing diapers, swaddling, placing Kaiya on her side to sleep, getting her to latch on properly, figuring out when to feed, dressing her... I'm sure you get the idea. I think that each day we feel a little more competent as parents, and we also understand a little more when everyone was talking about when they said that having a baby was a lot of work and that you didn't get a lot of sleep.

Each outing seems to turn into a major exodus, as we have to time things around Kaiya's feeding, and then go through the whole process of the burping, diaper change, clothing change, diaper bag packing, and car seat installation. And it seems that we can pretty much count on being approximately an hour late. And now the whole process is about to begin again...

Kaiya Grace's Grand Entrance

It seems odd to be doing something as everyday and normal as writing a new post for our blog, when our lives have so drastically changed in the last three days. Kaiya Grace was born at 10:39am, Tuesday May 22, weighing in at 6lb 8oz, and measuring 19.5 inches in length. My water broke at 11:45pm on Monday night, which was our first introduction to middle of the night awakenings by the baby. We arrived at the hospital around 1am, and got to meet Kaiya face to face at just 9.5 hours later! Alright, maybe not "just", as those were the longest and most painful 9.5 hours I have ever experienced - I really don't know how it's possibe that after hearing about the pains of childbirth for so many years, I could have still had some unconscious thought in my head that I would be the exception to that rule, but I learned the truth to all of those stories for myself.

Enough about the pain, though, and let's talk about the joys of parenthood! Hyatt keeps telling everyone how amazing it was to actually see Kaiya's entrance into the world. Apparently, it kind of resembled the opening of an airbag - beginning with a head, and then a whole little body unfolded just like that! Of course, I will have to take his word for it:) Kaiya is absolutely gorgeous, and actually really looks like she does belong here in Japan! The nurses were all commenting on the fact that she looked like she had some asian blood in her, and I explained that I looked very similar as a baby as well. It's all in the eyes:) We think that she has her dad's nose and lips, and then she has dark hair and eyes like both of us. We understand that their looks change from day to day, but as of right now, that is our take on it.

We came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon, after finding out that her jaundice level was not high enough to be put under "the light". However, we did have to go back to have her blood tested this morning so they can keep tabs and make sure that the jaundice is improving. In the meantime, we're doing our part by trying to get lots of food flowing through her system so we can get that liver functioning! Kaiya is sleeping very well, though - and our biggest challenge is just trying to keep her awake so she eats enough.

I'm sure I'm forgetting many wonderful things that I meant to share with all of you about the adventures of our last few days, and all of the new things that we're learning and experiencing, but I hear Kaiya starting to stir, as it's about the time for her next meal (it's really quite amazing how it really seems that as soon as one meal ends, it's just about time for the next one to begin). We'll try and post more pictures soon, because she really does get cuter everyday (just when we think that couldn't even be possible!)...

37.5 Weeks and Counting

I suppose that I have to take advantage of this lull before the storm, by updating our blog often now... because in a couple of more weeks, you may not hear from us for a while:) Well, you will probably hear some big news and see some adorable pictures, and then hear silence as we learn to function with a third voice in the house (even if that voice does not yet use coherent words).

All that to say that I am writing a post, when really there is not a whole lot to say:) Another week has gone by, which means only one more until my husband is home!!! And I thought that it would be nice to let you see what I am looking like these days... now that I am 37.5 weeks and counting. As of this moment, (well, this exact moment I have a bum being decidedly pushed out on the right side of my stomach, which is a common occurance these days) Kaiya has dropped a ways (and I now understand why pregnant women waddle, because it definitely is rather uncomfortable having her head so far down) and I have been having "fake" contractions for a couple of weeks. My doctor explained to me that that was what the tightening of the stomach was - but there is nothing to go into labour and delivery for until these tightening moments are also painful. My doula, Laurie, has made a valiant effort to explain what "painful" means in this sense, but it seems that this will have to be one of those things that I hopefully just know when I feel it. I was also a little concerned that my water may break while I was in the pool, and I would not know it. Apparently, though, as my very patient doula also explained to me, it just keeps on leaking... so I would know once I got out of the pool, because I wouldn't stop dripping. All of these interesting things that I never had occasion to know before now.

And as for my question about nesting, I think I have received the answer this week. I spent Wednesday afternoon cooking enough to fill our freezer with meals for when the baby arrives. And Thursday afternoon buying a new vacuum cleaner so our house would be nicely vacuumed, and scotchguard to protect our recliner/rocker chair in the baby room, and a vinyl cover to put on our mattress in case my water breaks while I'm in bed (thanks for the suggestion, Mom!). Well, the list goes on. I think that I'm beginning to feel that "compulsion" to have things prepared.

Well, not many more pregnancy updates to go... and then it will be baby updates! And rather than more pictures of me and my growing middle, there will be pictures of someone much cuter! Stay tuned...

Cherry Blossoms

I was holding out on updating our blog until I had more "news" to share (which would imply something "new" was happening, I would assume)... but, really, there's not much happening at the moment. Hyatt is not home yet (hopefully he won't be gone too much longer, though!), and I'm still home:) Lately I've been wondering about the nesting phase of the pregnancy - mostly just wondering if I will experience it, and how I will know if I am. Maybe the nesting phase only happens with women who have more of a natural tendancy to want their homes spic and span? (Not that I don't want that for my house, but I don't know that I feel the same urge to make it happen on a regular basis as much as other women I know.) I did pull a few weeds out in our front yard yesterday, and try to get our closet a little more organized, but I think that the force driving those actions was just that they needed to be done, and I don't know how much time I'm going to have to take care of them once the baby comes. However, I did not feel a compulsion to complete these tasks. Well, I suppose the nesting phase will remain a mystery to be solved another day.

The one "new" thing here is that the cherry blossoms are in full bloom! For those of you who don't know (which is probably most of you, because I can't think of any reason why you would know), this northern area of Japan is known for the cherry blossoms. I was hoping to experience them in their full glory at the festival in Hirosaki, but it seems that I may have to wait another year for that. So, instead, I ventured out to enjoy them in our own town (I know, what a concept), and in the surrounding area. I have included a few (maybe more than a few) of my favourite pictures from those outings - the small (it's a relative term - I did take a lot of pictures, though, so small in comparison) pool of choices from which I will pick out the "blow up" winner(s) for the baby room.