Landon Eating

Landon drinking his bottle, two days old.

He's Here!

We are starting this blog to update people about our growing family! We had website for "Baby Diff" so people could keep track of the pregnancy and information, however we thought it might be easier to switch to a blog. If you want to view the website: https://sites.google.com/site/babydiffenderfer/

Chad and I went to St. Joseph's Women's Hospital on Sunday, February 26th at 8 PM to be induced. On Monday evening around 6:30/7 Dr. Perkins did an ultrasound to figure out why the baby wasn't moving into proper position. They realized that the umbilical cord was wrapped tightly around the baby's neck and preventing him from moving. A c-section was performed by Dr. Perkins and Dr. Young.

Landon Joseph Diffenderfer was born Monday, February 27, 2012 at 7:19 PM (19:19 PM), 

weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces and 20.5 inches long.

The nurses loved that we were having a "surprise" baby

Daddy and Landon

Mommy and Landon

Handsome Boy!

Last Doctor Appointment!

We met with Dr. Solomon for our last doctor appointment! Well, for the next 6 weeks anyway! I'm still dilated 1 cm, but I'm slightly effaced which is good! She mentioned that the baby's head isn't down as far as she would like. She said she isn't sure if the baby's head just isn't fitting or if it will drop more. She measured me and said now I'm measuring to 42 weeks, not something a person who is almost 39 weeks wants to hear! We set up our induction, we have to be to the hospital by 8 PM on Sunday night with Crvadyl (sp). Chad is excited because he will still be able to watch the Daytona 500. Then on Monday morning we will start the potocin (sp). They told me that if I have the baby on Monday I won't go home until Thursday morning. So exciting! It's almost here!!

Bags are pack, we are ready to go!

We are almost to the end! One week from today and Baby Diff should be here. It's crazy to know that we will have a baby to bring home in a week. I am really glad we have this date though because I am getting super uncomfortable! Chad and I charged all the cameras this weekend so we are ready to go and my bag is pretty much packed as well. Both of the car seats are installed so we are ready to take the baby home! This will probably seem like the longest week of our lives :)

We have a date!

We called the hospital and they have a date for our induction! We will be induced on Monday, February 27th but we don't know the time yet. She mentioned that those things depend on how many births they have at the hospital and what else is going on. She said there is a possibility they could move it up as well, but I know we have to wait until we are 39 weeks pregnant to be induced, so I doubt they will change it to Friday, February 24th.

Let's Get That Baby Out Of There!

The doctor visit went well yesterday. The ultrasound was first, they measured everything on the baby. At first she said, “There is its little head!” and I said, “Oh, I like that you said little.” She then measured it and said, “Well, I guess its all relative. Perhaps I should have said there is its cute head.”

Chad was so cute, he said about 10 times down the hallway to the ultrasound room, "make sure you tell we don't want to know" and then when we got in the room he told the tech that we didn't want to know the baby's gender. She told him that since everything was so squished that she would have to really look hard at this point and it would be a guess.

The measured its head, bones, space from the walls of my uterus to the baby, how much fluid I had, and some other things that I have no idea. Since the baby was so smooshed in there I couldn’t tell anything. Well, that isn't true; I could make out a foot once. The baby’s head is in the proper position and has dropped. We couldn't see the face because it was too low (which is a good sign!) The lung function is great, the heart beat is strong, and my fluid levels are apparently good.Then they calculated the measurements and came up with 7 pounds 15 ounces.

We had our doctor appointment with Mary Jane Dobson and she had us listen to the baby's heart rate on the doppler machine. It is still 140s/150s. She checked my dilation and I'm 1 cm but I'm not effaced yet.

Since our appointment was with Mary Jane, and she doesn't deliver the babies, she had to get Dr. Solomon to go over all the baby's measurements and talk about different delivery methods.Dr. Solomon told me there is a ½ pound margin of error either way, but this baby is in the 90th percentile and they would like me to deliver prior to my due date. They offered me a C-section last night and I declined it. They went over all the risks of a larger baby, which I know they have to legally do. We decided to go ahead with being induced next week. They can’t legally induce until week 39 which is next Friday, the 24th. The lady, Sybil, at the doctor’s office is calling to set it up with the hospital so I should know the date soon. Although Dr. Solomon told me yesterday it is possible for me to go into labor on my own this week. Her parting words were, "Let's get that baby out of there!"  My next doctor appointment is Thursday, 23rd at 2:45 PM with Dr. Solomon.

Contractions!

Well, today Chad and I had an unscheduled trip to the doctor. I was woken up around 4 AM with what I later found out were contractions. They were painful, but not enough to stop me from going on with my morning routine, just very uncomfortable. They didn't stop until mid-morning, and I thought I should call my doctor to see if they wanted me to come in or not. Especially being a Friday, I would much rather see my own doctor than sit around in the hospital on a weekend for nothing! We saw Mary Jane Dobson the nurse practitioner. She said the baby's heart rate was doing well and that I was not in active labor. She said the contractions could have been caused by many things and I guess they can happen in the early stages of labor. I am not even a full centimeter dilated yet, so the baby wasn't coming that day! I also got my test results back for the Strep B test and I did test positive. So when I go to have the baby they will have to put me on antibiotics so I don't pass it to the baby. We go back on Thursday for the ultrasound to check how big the baby is and talk about whether or not we need to induce because of size.

Photo taken 2/8/2012

Pictures of Baby Diff's Room

This weekend we finally went through everything and opened all the boxes. Baby Diff's stroller, swing, and bouncy seat are now assembled thanks to Daddy! The car seats are out of their boxes and ready to be installed in the cars. All the blankets, sheets, and changing table pads are now washed and there is a crib sheet actually on the bed! We have about 2 dozen cloth diapers washed and in the changing organizer and all the plastic diapers are arranged by size for easy grabbing as well. The room is pretty much in working order! We have all the bottles sorted out by size, we just need to sterilize them and find a place to put those in the kitchen.

I still need to think about what I need to bring with me to the hospital and start at least gathering some stuff together. Toni Racy has also provided me with a list of items I should pick up and have at home for me after the baby, so I need to get on that as well. I feel like I still have lots of time left though until the baby actually gets here, so that is why I'm not really rushing around. Although I keep hearing stories about friends and family members that had their babies as early as 34 weeks, I just feel like it won't be this week (I'm 36 weeks) for me. Maybe I'll hear different when I go to the doctor today!

The baptism plans are coming together, Aunt Megan and Uncle Billy have both completed their classes and the paper work is being sent to both St. Mary's and St. Thomas Aquinas. Chad and I have sent in our request for the baptism and filled out the proper paperwork for both churches as well. Rev Wayne is working on his letter expressing his consent for the baby to be baptized in NC. I'm very thankful that is all coming together, it was a huge stress on Chad and I!
http://stacharlotte.com/Main/Home.aspx

Yay! Head down!

My appointment for Friday the 3rd was rescheduled until today at 3:45 with Dr. Young. I weighed in and lost another 4 pounds, I have been feeling so much bigger lately I'm not sure how that is possible, but I'll take it! Dr. Young and I talked about kick counts, basically make sure the baby is still moving around and active, even though they aren't hard kicks anymore. The baby feels like it is constantly stretching, because he or she is running out of room in there. He listened for the heartbeat, it was very loud and strong, but I forgot to ask how many beats this time. Dr. Young measured my stomach and said the baby is measuring about a week and 1/2 ahead of where it should be, so he wants me to get an ultrasound next time for measurements. He then performed the strep test (http://www.babycenter.com/0_group-b-streptococcus-screening_1647.bc) and then we went into the ultrasound room where he confirmed the baby was head down. I have to say, the baby's head is much bigger than last time! I didn't see anything else except the top of baby's head. Then we went into his office and he explained to me how their system of measuring the baby works and with those measurements they make some suggestions on how to proceed with the baby's delivery. He said that if the baby is measuring on the larger side they might suggesting to induce and depending on the size of the baby they might also suggest a C-section. He wasn't worried or anything, he just wanted me to know all the options. So, we shall see if this baby might be coming early! Our next appointment is Thursday, Feb 16th, we have our sonogram at 3:00 and then an appointment with the nurse practitioner Mary Jane Dobson.