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Saturday,
November 1, 2003 | Evening
Following a trip to the grocery store for some
usual weekly supplies lunchmeat, bread and . . . First Response Pregnancy
Test, we decided to 'dip the stick.' Nervously, Polly stepped out
of the bathroom, and we waited what seemed like an eternity, 2 minutes.
After the prescribed time had past, we discovered the worst possible
answer - not positive, not negative. See, a faint line is supposed
to indicate very early pregancy (low levels of the hCG hormone present
in expecting mothers), but for parents-to-be, it's just not good enough.
So to the web for an hour of research on the 'faint line.' hCG level
are higher by nature in the morning, but all signs were good. So after
learning everything there was to know about early pregnancy tests,
we went to bed impatient for morning to come . . . |
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Sunday,
November 2, 2003 | Morning
Another
trip to the bathroom, another line . . . this time, bolder and certain.
Could it be?! We couldn't believe it. What do we do now?! |
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Sunday,
November 2, 2003 | Evening
Polly
just couldn't be too sure. Another trip to Albertson's, another pregnancy
test. Back home, another bold line, each time getting bolder and bolder.
We are suspended in disbelief. |
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Monday,
November 3, 2003 | Evening
Ok,
one last test before we tell the families. I'm beginning to get worried.
I'm convinced, but Polly just can't get enough of these pregnancy
tests. Which is fine, except these things are like $8 a pop . . .
Confirmed for the fourth time, we get on the phone. What a great early
birthday gift!We call Ed's parents in London, Polly's parents in Taiwan
& China, Grace, Linda, Helen. Still too early for a public announcement,
but how exciting to call with the news! Everyone is elated, very exciting. |
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Thursday,
November 20, 2003 | 9:00 a.m.
Our
first visit to the doctor! Since the beginning of the month, we have
been poring through all kinds of literature, learning about what is
happening to Polly's body, what to eat, what not to eat. Our evening
tennis matches have been replaced by walks around the block or if
we're really feeling good, walks on Castro street.
The doctor confirms there's a little person growing inside Polly's
belly. More information about what to do, what to avoid. Then the
highlight of the visit - the ultrasound. She points out a little blob,
then the ultrasound picks up a flashing light, the heartbeat! Beating
about a hundred miles an hour, truly an amazing sight. Floating in
disbelief, we leave the office and I head into the office for a really
productive day . . .
The little one is shown on the left side, inside the dark circle.
The little ring is an amniotic sack that will disappear in a couple
of weeks. Current due date, June 27! |
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Wednesday,
December 3, 2003 | 11:00 p.m.
Not
wanting the kid's first sounds of nature to be the Caltrain racing
through the San Antonio stop, Polly & I went into contract on
a new home! Big, big changes in the past couple of months. I never
thought I would be in so much debt. So much so that Polly & I
have gone into operation financial hibernation, just one step below
complete financial shutdown. But we're super excited and can't wait
to move in (February 2004 assuming the loan comes through, there's
a part of me that hopes it doesn't . . .). The home is on Shoreline
Blvd, just 4 short blocks from Castro Street (downtown Mountain View). |
| click
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Monday,
December 15, 2003 | 10:45 a.m.
Another
anxiously awaited visit to the doctor's office. We met with Dr. Kaleb
for the first time since getting pregnant - she was very happy for
us. Lots of questions from travel to flu shot to eating fish. Pretty
routine visit - naively, we thought we would get another ultrasound
picture:). Instead, she did the coolest thing. She used a stomach
ultrasound (audio only) to listen for the baby's heartbeat. After
a few nervous minutes, she found it! Amazing! A loud thumping, on
top of Polly's faint heartbeat, coming from Polly's stomach! And beating
twice as fast - normal heartbeat at this stage is 120 to 160 beats
per minute. Our little one clocked 162. Already an overachiever .
. . Next official ultrasound scheduled for January 30, but so far,
perfectly normal and looking great! |
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Thursday,
January 17, 2004 | 11:45 a.m.
Routine
doctor's visit - we're getting used to idea of being pregnant, but
very exciting nonetheless! Polly got a cold:(, while in Europe over
the Christmas holiday, but she was fully recovered by our visit and
the baby is doing great. Another belly ultrasound to make sure the
heart still is beating strong. 152 beats per minute, all indications
are good. Polly's belly measures 17.5 cm and she is up to a whopping
110.5 lbs. Definitely showing a bulge though, very cool! Yet another
blood test for Polly, hopefully our last one. If it comes back negative,
no amniocentesis and maybe no more blood work at all. Big appointment
coming up on January 30 - the true ultrasound. Still haggling on whether
we will find out the gender. But more importantly, combined with the
blood work and pictures, we should have a good idea about the health
of the kid. As a side note, we saw Lord of the Ring, Return of the
King last weekend. We liked it so much, we are calling the baby Frodo
Baggins . . . |
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Friday,
January 30, 2004 | 10:00 a.m.
NOT
a routine doctor's visit at all. Morning started with Polly having
to drink 40 oz of water an hour and fifteen minutes before the ultrasound
and having to hold it. By the time we arrived at the clinic, Polly
was almost in tears and looked like she needed a diaper herself. But
she was a trooper and in the end, wouldn't go to the bathroom even
after the nurse said it was okay for fear that would somehow jeopardize
the ultrasound. But finally, she was made comfortable and the 45 minute
ultrasound began. No words to describe what we saw - truly amazing.
What started out as a dot has become a full fledged human being, about
10 inches long. All organs formed, a brain, a beating heart, spine,
fingers . . . At the end, we saw our little baby sucking her/his thumb.
As for the gender, we decided to torture ourselves by having the technician
look for the gender but then put the answer into an envelope. Polly
carries the envelope with her everywhere she goes, it's like the American
Express card. We haven't decided whether we will peek, but it sure
is tempting . . . |
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| click
to enlarge |
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Saturday,
February 14, 2004 | 7:00 p.m.
After
two weeks of wondering about the pictures above, we succombed to curiosity.
After celebrating Valentine's Day at
Delancey Street Restaurant in San Francisco, we decided to open the
envelope. It took a good 20 minutes, as we double checked and triple
checked to make sure we were ready. The anticipation was overwhelming,
it was amazing how fast our hearts were beating! Nervously, we opened
the envelope, and were thrilled to see the answer (roll over the left
image:). What a big change! Almost immediately, the pregnancy felt
so much more real, especially to Dad. Instead of associating the baby
with a he/she/it, now there was clarity. And now, we're even more
anxious for the baby to enter the world. Then, still stunned, we went
to listen to classical music (at an event I cannot disclose publicly
. . .). And the most amazing thing happened! Our little one kicked!
Five or six times - Polly was freaking out! I had my hand over her
belly wanting desperately to share the experience, but it wasn't until
we got home that I felt it! Incredible! |
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Tuesday,
February 17, 2004 | 11:30 p.m.
Brief
visit with Dr. Kaleb. Nothing super exciting, the normal weight check,
measurements and of course the urine sample. Polly's gained 13 lbs.
since embarking on this adventure and is measuring 21 cm, spot on
for the 21 weeks she has been pregnant. Heartbeat is at 144 bpm, again
normal. Next visit in 4 more weeks. |
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Thursday,
March 18, 2004 | 4:15 p.m.
Another
brief visit with Dr. Kaleb's RN. Everything normal - heartbeat fluctuating
between 140 and high 150's, what we want to see. Tummy is measuring 25 cm
and Polly has gained 16 pounds and now weighs in at a whopping 120 lbs!:)
Picture to the left taken by Aunt Linda a couple of weeks ago when she was
on her whirlwind visit. |
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Wednesday,
April 7, 2004 | 6:00 p.m.
Our
first of three birthing preparation class, aka Lamaze. 12 very pregnant
couples sitting around wondering how much pain the mothers are going to
go through. A scary video and a not realistic pain simulation later, everyone
is onboard for epidural. The pain simulation exercise was to place a clothespin
on the earlobe for 60 seconds and use breathing exercises to defocus the
pain. Polly's clothespin stayed on her ear for an entire 7 seconds . . . |
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Friday,
April 9, 2004 | 11:30 p.m.
I
must admit, I am writing this on May 16, so my memory of this visit is a
bit fuzzy. I do remember Polly being alarmed that she had gained more weight
(hmmm . . .). Heart beat checked in at around 140, and everything appeared
on track! |
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Friday,
April 16, 2004 | 4:00 p.m.
We
had an appointment with Dr. Charlotte Drew - I kept calling her Dr. Web
(after Charlotte's Web), and I'm embarrassed to say that I'm still doing
it. Dr. Drew came recommended from Marilyn Swartz, the RN that is teaching
our birthing class. We met with her, put her through the meat grinder and
in the end really liked her. So our baby now has a pediatrician! |
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Wednesday,
April 21, 2004 | 6:00 p.m.
The
second of our three hour birthing class. We spent half the class watching
videos that should come with a warning. The Subway sandwich I ate during
class almost came right back up. This week's video covered natural childbirth,
so Polly really didn't need to be there . . . I have to say, the entire
birthing process is pretty much a miracel. And really, reallly painful
. . . We finished the class with Lamaze breathing techniques, again important
for couples that have decided to go natural. We are looking forward to
the last class, where we get to learn how to say, "I'm ready for
the epidural."
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Wednesday,
April 28, 2004 | 6:00 p.m.
Our
last birthing class started with a tour of the labor & delivery facilities
at El Camino Hospital. Though we are not delivering there, it was neat to
see what type of environment we will spend 2-3 arduous days in. We were
disappointed that there were no babies in the nursery, but apparently these
days, that's pretty common. They are allowing babies to spend more and more
or all of their time in their mother's recovery rooms. Then we headed back
to the classroom to watch more disturbing videos. This week, we learned
about the assisted delivery experience, which we liked much better. |
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April
2004 | every weekend practically
It
was sometime this month that we decided that we should actually get prepared
for the baby's arrival. I had just put a tournequet on the new home spending
when it dawned on us that these little runts were expensive. And it's harder
to say that we should go with the cheaper this or that, since we'll upgrade
later . . . Anyway, to keep track, I started on a laundry list of to do's
and things to buy, which Polly is now referring to as a project plan. I
don't care if she and everyone else makes fun of it, without it, our little
baby probably would be wearing old t-shirts and sleeping in a Beaucoup box
the first week of life. |
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Sunday,
May 9, 2004
Polly's
first Mother's Day! Cindy Wang ruined it for me and tried to make me look
bad. She came over earlier that week all the way from SF to give Polly some
MORE baby clothes and to give her a Mother's Day card. I'm SURE Polly thought
I wouldn't have done anything if Cindy hadn't put the idea in my head, but
she is oh so wrong. But it didn't work out exactly the way I had hoped since
the glider/ottoman set I had ordered didn't show up on time (and still isn't
here). So I had to print out a color webpage and slip it in the card, which
thoroughly confused Polly. We had been looking at gliders and couldn't believe
how expensive they were, until we found a cheapo at Wal*Mart for $99 (I
was psyched!). Then I thought about it and felt a little guilty that we
had bought all this expensive gear for the kid, and we were about to get
a cheapo (not that I'm knocking on Wal*Mark, I love that place) for something
Polly is going to spend sleepless nights in (and me too). So I went top
of the line (too bad I was too cheap to upgrade the shipping . . .). |
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Monday,
May 10, 2004 | 3:30 p.m.
Another
visit to Dr. Kaleb. Surprisingly again, Polly's heavier still. She's almost
130 lbs. This was our first visit since Polly's bout with shingles, which
I failed to mention. She developed shingles the last week of April, out
of just sheer bad luck and probably being too tired. We had gone to see
a dermatologist and the blisters had pretty much cleared up by this visit.
Baby's heart beat clocked in at between 142 and 150, again very normal.
The baby is kicking harder and all the time these days - you can even see
her moving around inside. Very surreal and freaky. Dr. Kaleb said the baby's
probably is about 3.5 lbs and should be around 6 pounds when she is born,
which is great news since it's a good birth weight and it will be easier
on Polly. |
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Saturday,
May 29, 2004
Here
we are at Eric & Laura's wedding gala. We had a doctor's appointment
just the day before. We are going in once a week from here on out. Polly
measured 35 cm, perfect for being 35 weeks, and our baby's heartbeat was
a healthy 142 per minute. Dr. Kaleb still thinks she will be on the smaller
size, which we hope is true. Less than one month to go already, we're still
in disbelief. After a fun wedding in SF, we went on the shopping spree the
rest of the weekend, buying all kinds of bottles, pumps and other gear. |
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Friday,
June 4, 2004 | 11:00 a.m.
The
first of our now weekly visits to see Dr. Kaleb. Each visit will entail
a physical examination. To our shock, we are told that Polly has dilated
already and the baby may be on her way any minute. Polly measures 37 cm,
right on track, and baby's heartbeat is a strong 142. Oh, and we named
her too . . . But this weekend, we will be frantically getting ready for
our baby daughter's arrival. Getting the nursery ready, assembling the
last few items and of course, packing our bags!
Friday,
June 11, 2004 | 9:30 a.m.
After
an entire week of thinking each day that it was THE day, we're very anxious
to see Dr. Kaleb to what is going on. No major progression at this visit,
except that Polly now measures 38 cm and baby's heartbeat is again a strong
142-152. So I called up the world's expert Dr. Rob Silver who tells me
that Polly can remain in her semi-dilated condition for a few more weeks
. . . We're very anxious and ready to see our baby.
Friday,
June 18, 2004 | 11:00 a.m.
As
a result of Dr. Kaleb's prognosis, Poly's Mom has arrived already, fully
two weeks before the due date. That surely will ensure that we don't have
an early delivery . . . After seeing Polly's Mom, Dr. Kaleb asks us on
this visit whether during the physical examination, she should irrate
the membrane (?), which has a 50/50 chance of inducing labor (and also
bringing discomfort to Polly). I wasn't too hot on the idea, still hoping
for an early but natural arrival. So, perhaps to hastily, we decide to
wait (but we're, especially Polly, VERY ready at this point). Polly's
39 cm and baby's heartbeat still strong.
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Polly at 39 weeks! |
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Tuesday,
June 22, 2004 | Evening
Polly
felt her first set of contractions! Polly's Mom & I flipped out - we
were at the mall. All of our bags were at home, and even though we knew
that we couldn't go to the hospital until hours after the first contraction,
we all panicked . . . except Polly. Polly Mom wanted me to call 911, then
instead of going home, she wanted us to to go straight to the hospital.
Using better judgment, Polly asked to be taken home, where we went for a
walk and calmed the baby down. False alarm . . . |
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Thursday,
June 24, 2004 | Evening
Another
set of contraction, could it be?! Polly for some reason thought it could
be night. But after getting our adrenaline up, we all had to go back to
bed. Another false alarm . . . |
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Friday,
June 25, 2004 | 1:50 p.m.
Our
last official doctor's visit, and very well the last time we see Dr. Kaleb.
Getting a little concerned that Emily may come late, Dr. Kaleb asks if we
would like her to strip Polly's membranes - a natural way to stimulate labor
that works about 50% of the time. After much back and forth, we decide to
do it - Polly doesn't want to use drugs to stimulate labor anyway, which
is what would result if she goes too past her due date of June 27. We all
leave the hospital wondering if we may be headed straight back soon - if
it works, it is supposed to induce labor within 24-72 hours. |
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Saturday,
June 26, 2004 | 4:00 a.m.
I
am awakened and in my groggy state, I am told by Polly that she has
had cramps since going to bed and hasn't slept. It takes about 2 seconds
for me to become alert as a racehorse. We've been burned by false
contractions before, so we wait. The cramps turn into contractions.
And as our excitement grows, my heart breaks each time we time a contraction
and I see Polly wince in pain. We do our breathing to get through
each contraction. At first, they're irregular in length and frequency.
But as they get closer together and stronger, we all start packing
our last minute things. After the second call to the hospital, we
are given the green light to come in. We're headed to the mother ship!
I can't describe the excitement, anxiety and all of the emotions at
that point. At 6:00 a.m., there's no traffic on Central and we make
it to Lucille Packard Children's Hospital in record time. By the time
we get there, Polly is in major pain. She gets measured - 5 cm!!!
We're supposed to be at the hosiptal at 4 cm, which is considered
active laber. At 5, she's half way there - what a trooper, I felt
so very proud of her. She gets admitted and soon we're on the hunt
for the anethesiologist for that epidural. Is it really as good as
people say? You better believe it. The epidural went in a couple of
hours after we arrive, and Polly's pain free within minutes. She keeps
talking about how labor isn't as bad as she thought at all. But the
pushing still is to come . . . Aside from a minor headache, we all
just hang out in our delivery suite, sleep a little (not me, too rushed).
At around 3:30 p.m., Emily is ready to come out. She practically pushes
herself out. Two pushes into it (nurse warned us that most women push
for 2 hours or more), the nurse tells Polly to stop pushing so the
doctor has time to arrive. I'm hoping he's not trying to finish one
last hole . . . Finally after listening to painfully boring stories
of past births from the nurse (a distraction attempt to keep Polly
from pushing), Dr. Thom (attendant on call) walks in and like a stoic
hitman, instructs Polly to push once and out comes our baby!!! During
those three pushes, as I stared into Polly's eyes and helped her lean
into the push, I could not believe the gratitude & love I felt
for what she was doing and going through to bring another life into
this world. With the 3rd push, Emily's head popped right out, and
I couldn't believe it. Tears welled in both of our eyes, but soon
they were replaced with curiosity and wonder. Was she healthy? How
big was she? How much did she weigh? Was she CUTE?! She was beautiful,
clean as a whistle and wailing like a healthy little runt. She came
immediately to Mom's arms where Polly's Mom & I couldn't stop
staring. So many thoughts running through my head, so many emotions,
but on after thought, impossible to describe. She was perfect, absolutely
perfect. She was 20 inches and weighed 7 lbs 5 oz. She arrived at
3:52 p.m., just over 8 hours from her official due date - what a good
girl. The next few hours were filled with a lot of transition - it
would be a few hours before Polly & I could be in our room alone
(probably with another healing new mother & screaming baby next
to us, Stanford gets very busy . . . ) to get to know Emily. Emily
first goes to the nursery, and Polly heads down to her hospital room
after an hour of recovery in her delivery room. We're lucky! No roommate
for the first night. I stay with Emily for about an hour watching
warm up to 37 C under the heat lamp, get her first bath and watch
her get her shots. When it becomes apparent she isn't going down to
the room for quite awhile, I go down to check on Polly. With the epidural
wearing off, she is starting to feel sore and tired. But it's nice
to be able to eat and be able to see her toes:). Here are the very
first pictures of our little ladybug, Emily-poo! |
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check
out some more pictures! |
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