Birth Announcement

I mailed Abby's birth announcment out last week- hopefully you all received them by now. If not, here she is, Miss December! Thank you Andrea for the cutest onesie and to Erica for the design. At my OB/GYN this morning, my doctor commented it was a Top Ten announcement! Wow- she sees a lot of announcements. What a compliment!

With a Grateful Heart

Marcus and I are truly overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends and family as we celebrate our new baby girl.

I can not even begin to tell you the number of presents this sweet baby girl has received. Each day when we check the mail we are amazed that she has more mail. The gifts have all been so heartfelt and special. They are pieces we will treasure for a long time. The number of monogrammed pieces is almost embarrassing. If anyone else names their child Abby Lu, I've got a car load for you!

On top of goodies in the mail, we are enjoying such wonderful homemade dinners from our church family. I promise you Marcus and I do not eat this well on our own. It is definitely a blessing to have dinner arrive each night allowing us to focus on our daughter and each other.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us, called/emailed/texted to check on us, sent us such wonderful gifts, and brought over yummy meals to keep us going. We truly appreciate it all and are so grateful to have loving friends and family caring for us.

What is this zipper thing?

Today I took a break and ran out for one hour in BLUE JEANS! It felt great to not be in sweat pants or yoga pants. However, it has been months since I wore pants with a zipper!

Plus, I wore pre-maternity jeans because I weighed in today at my pre-baby weight. Amazing! I have no idea how, but if it is because I am breastfeeding, I may have to breastfeed until she is 20 or I weigh 120!

RSV is Scary

Kyleigh was unable to see Abby Lu in the hospital because she was showing signs of a cold or allergies. It broke my heart to see her so sad waiting in the hallway. Marcus hung out with her and took her on a special trip to get our lunch with him.

Having personal experience with RSV through Cohen, our nephew, Marcus and I are very aware of just how scary it can be. Cohen got RSV when he was less than one month old and was in the NICU for days. He went to the hospital by ambulance and was hooked up to multiple machines and was sedated. We want to avoid this at all costs for Abby.

We asked the pediatrician about it and she recommended we keep Abby Lu at home for the first six weeks, cover her in a blanket when waiting in the doctor's office, make everyone wash their hands, use lots of anti-bac, and of course avoid anyone with illness. Marcus and I and both of our parents had our flu shots and Marcus and I have appointments for whooping cough shots on Tuesday. Having a winter baby requires a good deal of extra precautions!

I know many of you want to see Abby Lu and we would love to show her off. Hopefully, the blog will suffice until we are beyond the 6 week point. We worked so hard to get her here that we want to be extra careful to make sure she is safe and healthy through this volatile period.

Abby Lu Comes Home

If we thought the car ride to the hospital was stressful, driving home with our new baby girl was extra stressful! We checked out of the hospital about 12:45 after getting clearance from my doctor and the pediatrician.

Abby Lu was strapped nicely into her car seat and seemed to like it just fine.... that is, until the car started!

She got upset and wailed all the way home. Nothing was wrong with her. It was just a new experience and it scared her. I sat in the back and did my best to comfort her. Poor thing.

It is nice to be home with her. We never relied on the nurses much, so leaving them wasn't as scary as many had told us. We just wanted to have our own shower, bed, and comfy chairs. We wanted to see our little girl in her room and on her changing table. We wanted to play with her swing and sit her on her boppy.

We'll see how our first night goes! It appears the neighborhood kids are welcoming her home with fireworks. How nice! :)

Official Hospital Photos

The hospital took the official newborn photos of Abby Lu on Tuesday morning. Thanks to my girlfriend Brandy, we had the most beautiful outfit picked out for her to wear. The photographers were so surprised to see a baby in bold colors! We liked pose #1 and #3 the most.

To check out the photos, click here. The password for her photos is: 04581254704650

Grandparents alert: We ordered photos and included plenty for you. No need to buy any on the site!

The birthing of Abby.....another perspective

Not to take away from the main story of Abby's birth....that is, Anna's post....but while we went through this home stretch to bring her into this world....there is another story to tell...the story....told around the Iphone.

Sunday morning, 11pm. Contractions? could be. Need to get a good baseline on the timing of them. Activate the clock application on the Iphone. I can track how far apart and how long they last. It records over 80 contractions during the course of labor.

Hmm...might want to call the doctor.....from Clock, go to Contacts, and activate speaker phone.

Sunday afternoon, we decide to come back in the hospital. They are going to keep us. Use Iphone for texting people, and phoning family.

Sunday evening...labor means waiting. Watch some clips of a movie from the Ipod on the phone. Also played Penguin Launcher when there is down time.

9pm Sunday...realize this is it....start looking at the weather for the rest of the week.....Use weather tracker on the phone to see....ah...70s in the day.

They are leaving us to rest for a couple hours. Activate night stand, an application that reads out just like a clock radio on a night stand, so I can easily see the time.

Bunch of crazy stuff, and we have Abby. Taking pictures like crazy, emailing them out immediately.

Listening to some music off the Iphone connected to the car stereo as I drive to get lunch. Tis a good phone....and a good tool.

I'm ready for my commerical deal Mr. Jobs...

Marcus

He Delivered

When Marcus and I started praying for a baby, we prayed for the basics- let IVF work. Once it did, we prayed for it to be a sustainable pregnancy. Then, you pray for a full term healthy baby. At that point, it is like you have been so blessed that you feel selfish asking God for anymore. However, He knows the desires of our hearts and loves His children even more than we do. He provided for us in so many ways. He delivered this weekend with us.

Abby Lu was born Monday morning, her induction date, but we did not need to be induced. I had contractions consistently on Saturday morning for hours. We spoke to the oncall doctor who advised us to call back when they were 1 minute long and 5 minutes apart for more than 1 hour. On Saturday, that never happened.

Saturday night, I went to bed and the contractions started again. Marcus and I timed them and when we reached the magic pattern we called the oncall doctor and were told to come in. It was about 2 AM. Proving my theory that nothing good happens after midnight, we saw 3 cops that had pulled people over and street racing on all 3 lanes of 183. Wow! At the hospital, they deduced I was in labor, yet my dilation was not moving so they sent us home after 4 AM to labor at home until my water broke or the contractions were noticeably stronger.

We spent the day timing our contractions while watching football. Thank goodness our fantasy season was over as I was a bit distracted. We were both so tired we would sleep for the few minutes in between contractions and then breathe them out. My Mom came over to sit with me for an hour so that Marcus could sleep and get ready for the long night to come.

About 4 PM, I asked Marcus to call the doctor because the contractions were really getting stronger and I wanted pain relief. We also knew that with a 7:30 induction appointment they were not likely to send me home. They checked me and since I was 4 cm, my epidural was given. He delivered again. God invented epidurals for people like me. I have the utmost respect for women who can go without, but I wanted the relief.

I was checked every few hours and moved along well with a little Pitocin. My water was broken by the staff. I slept like a baby. A little after midnight, I was proclaimed to be a 10, but the doctor was concerned Abby was not facing down. She was head down, but looking up. Since this makes for a harder labor, they had me roll over and lay still for 45 minutes in the hopes Abby would turn. Marcus prayed over us and promised Abby to spoil her for the next 30 years if she turned. You can imagine what happened- she turned! He delivered again.

A little while into the waiting game, I called the nurse and told her I really felt the need to push. I had heard that before and now I really know what it meant. I could just feel Abby moving down and getting still. I pushed for a few minutes and the nurse made me stop. She had to call the doctor to risk delivering the baby herself. In all, I pushed for 12 minutes and it was pain free. He delivered again. It was also the most powerful experience of my life. I felt God with us and willing our child into our arms.

They immediately let me see her, collected her cord blood and sent her to the nearby table to check her out. She was declared medically perfect. Her APGAR score was 9.9 out of 10. Anything above a 7 is considered healthy. He delivered again.

While Marcus was watching over her at the table, I asked him who she looked like. Marcus smiled, laughed and cried when he realized she has his chin. Knowing just one year ago that we may not be able to have children biologically and knowing how much Marcus wanted to see his features in his child, this was another prayer we asked. He delivered again.

After her first test, she was given to me to feed. I have been nervous about breast feeding because I feel ill prepared and because it has been a challenge for so many people. She latched on like a pro. He delivered again.

By 4 AM, we were sent to our maternity ward as a family of three. He has given us everything we have asked for and prayed for. He has given us all of this and now our job is to glorify Him through her. We will deliver.

Abigayle Lucille Jenkins

Glory belongs to God, whose power is at work in us. By this power he can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. - Ephesians 3:20

We could not ask for more. It is amazing what God can do. We were given a beautiful baby girl early this morning who is more than we could have imagined. I promise to blog more soon.

Abigayle Lucille Jenkins
December 29, 2008
1:18 AM
8 pounds, 3 ounces
20 3/4 inches

quick update

So the plan was to be getting the induction on Monday, which required a Sunday night check in at the hospital. Well, we are checked in alright. But Ms Abby Lu is proving that this is on her schedule, not ours. We are progressing along......and Anna is a champ on this. Don't want to do the full download, but we are looking close...relatively speaking....to baby time.

WE ARE THREAT LEVEL RED FOR BABY!

Probably not going to be able to answer calls and stuff for a while...so more details...and hopefully a grand announcement here shortly.

One of the best stories out of the day.....was during some home labor (again, we can give some greater details later) Anna is squeezing my hand...and looks teary..."This hand will be that hand that will be with her for so much, walk her down the isle, first day of school, swinging her through the parking lot to the car."

more to come.

Marcus

things to do while waiting...

so folks, we are at T minus negative 4 days now.  24 hours we make our way to the hospital to have our planned baby.  But this week...we have been pretty much been waiting around.  Anna isn't really into going to the gym right now...or...driving...or standing...and i can't blame her. And I excel at being a nervous nelly, so I am leaving in limited spurts.  We put a lot of effort into this overdo watermelon, so I'm not taking chances.  

So with a week on our hands, we have the following house activities.  Those of you expecting can maybe use em.

1. Football.  not really me, but for Anna.  Thank you bowl season.

2. World of Warcraft.  I've played so much WOW (in broken and controlled doses) that I think I'm about to get the final quest "Go out and get  life!"

3.  This only lasts for so long.  Then there is the Wii.  but you can only play so much trivia before you say "mmk...tired of getting beat...I quit.  At least for me.

4.  floor tile counting.  Don't laugh, but day 4, its not bad.   you learn things.

5.  Yea!  Theres dishes and clothes to take care of.

6.  Restock the diaper bag.  I approach it like packing a bag for a camping trip.  Be Prepared!

7.  Making homemade pencils

8.  Brushing up on my Discovery channel "the grubworms of New Zealand."

9.  sorting the music on the Iphone...the Ipod, Itunes..sort sort sort

10. talking to plants.

11. Polish and shine the plumming under the sink

12. Blog stalking....Anna's..not mine..

13.  watching wheel of fortune...Anna's like Rain Man with that show.

Mmk...back to some online Solitare or some "what spilled in the microwave".  I RULE that game.

Marcus