Out and About

Friday night we had our first "date night" with Sawyer in tow. (Actually, our first date was last Friday night, but all we did was rent a movie...not as exciting!) We got Red Mill Burgers to go, and took our little son for his first picnic at Ella Bailey Park in Magnolia. It was such a beautiful, clear day, you could see all the way to Mt. Rainier. Jacob brought his guitar along, too, so we ate, enjoyed the weather, and had Jacob serenade us as we enjoyed the sunset.

Saturday, we spent several hours at Matthews Beach, celebrating our friend Sheila's birthday. The weather was amazing (summer seems to have finally arrived in Seattle!) We had a very relaxing and enjoyable time visiting with friends and cooling off in the shade.

Sawyer pretty much slept through our visit to the beach. We can hardly believe he's 2 weeks old now! He had his 2 week checkup on Thursday, and he has gained almost an entire pound as well as grown 1.75 inches since birth! He is doing incredibly well. Our pediatrician told us he is "advanced" in a couple of areas - smiling intentionally, and his level of alertness. But don't worry, we won't let it go to his head :) We just love having him with us.

To top off our wonderful weekend, we went over to Matt & Lynn's house and Sawyer was introduced to his "local cousins". These are kids I nannied for years. We are like family. Lynn, Claire, Micaela, Sam & Kaitlyn were delighted to meet Sawyer. We sat and chatted in their shady backyard while the kids splashed around in their new kiddie pool. Kaitlyn kept scooting close to me and then touching Sawyer's little fingers and toes. And Sam kept saying "he looks like a mini Jacob". We look forward to many fun times with these kids as the days go on. Funny thing is, now Claire and Micaela are old enough to babysit my baby! In a few months we might just see if they're up for it! Today will be Sawyer's first time going to church. I sure hope he likes it! Most likely, he'll just sleep through it! We had such a wonderful time getting out and feeling a bit more social this weekend. While still feeling a little sleep deprived, we can report that we are doing wonderfully. We are truly blessed!

Sawyer's First Photo Shoot

We turned our living room into our own portrait studio this weekend and the 25 shots of Sawyer you see above are the results. We wanted to make sure and remember his wrinkly newborn skin. He was sure a great subject! What a trooper he was while Mom and Dad did the 2 hour session! Hope you enjoy!!!

One Week Already!

It's amazing how time flies! We can hardly believe that as of last night, Sawyer has been with us for a whole week! It has been so much fun getting to know our little guy the past 7 days. He is so tiny. Everyone who meets him says he looks like a baby doll. He does! His skin is perfect and he is just so cute to look at. We love his wakeful time when we get to play with him. We've found he seems to like music, just like us. Last night we danced him around to the Beatles, which he thoroughly enjoyed. We are very much looking forward to all the days to come with our little son.

When you think about it, it's quite amazing how much newborns learn in such a short period of time. They learn to breathe, eat, smile, cry, use their body for various functions, etc. Tysha is actually feeling amazingly great. She even took Sawyer for his first outing in his Ergo carrier yesterday. It's hard to stay in the house and sit down when the weather is finally nice! But she needs to remember to take it easy a little longer as well :) Sawyer lost his umbilical cord this morning, and the past two nights he slept in 4 hour stretches, which we greatly appreciated. He smiles a lot for a little guy. Maybe he takes after his parents - who both love to smile :)

We thought we'd include a cute video of Sawyer. It's nothing that exciting - just baby. But it's exciting to us, since he's ours! We just can't get enough of him!

Until We Meet Again...

In life, we have great joys, and great sorrows. I think without one we wouldn't know the fullness of the other. Exactly one week ago today I experienced the greatest joy I think I've ever known - meeting my son for the first time. Exactly two days later, to the hour and minute, I experienced one of the greatest sorrows I've yet to know, as I held my little son in my arms and Jacob and my Mother told me the news that my Grandpa had passed away. Needless to say, I have been reflecting a lot about the circle of life. I know my Grandpa lived a full, long life that was wonderful. It was filled with hard work, goodness, and joy. Even though I know he can now rest peacefully and move on instead of in misery as he has the past several months, I don't think anyone is ever really ready to say good-bye. Especially to someone who changed your life, molded your character, and loved you unconditionally. So today I want to tell the world how lucky I am to have had such a great man in my life, to have called him my Grandfather. Because Sawyer is so little, we were not able to travel and attend the funeral service today, but we will be there in spirit. There is so much I could tell you about my Grandpa, but here is a little story to shed light on the kind of man that he was.

A few years back Grandpa gave me a fly-fishing pole for Christmas. I had mentioned I thought it would be fun to learn sometime, and he of course took note. So for the past few years I have made a special trip so that Grandpa and I could spend a day together fly-fishing each summer. There are two things I will never forget about our fishing trips. First, Grandpa’s sense of humor and indulging me in thinking I was a real fisherwoman. The thing is, we never caught a fish! But we couldn’t let Grandma know. So Grandpa had the bright idea of going to Ray’s Market and bringing home some King Salmon and claiming we caught it ourselves. He sure got a kick out of the idea of tricking Grandma. The three of us had a great laugh. Second, and most important, is what I call the Wildflower Incident. You see, the past couple of years Grandpa sometimes had a hard time saying the things he wanted to say. But, just like not coming home empty-handed from our trips, somehow he found a way to get his message across. So it was that as we took a break from fishing to eat some lunch, I found a bunch of wildflowers stuffed carefully into the seams of my backpack. For a moment I wondered, how did those get there? But then I looked up and I saw Grandpa’s face. I didn’t have to wonder anymore. I don’t think Grandpa could say it with words any better than he did looking down at me with his beautiful smile. I love you, is what he was saying, loud and clear. Now, whenever I see a bunch of wildflowers, I will always be reminded of my Grandpa and his love for me. I know he loved me more than anything. Grandpa – I love you, too, more than anything. Always.

Millard Roy Tope
The World's Greatest Grandpa

February 17, 1919 - June 14, 2008

You are greatly loved...
You will be greatly missed...

Sawyer's Birth Day Story

Forewarning: This is a long post.

I know some of you are curious about the details of Sawyer's entrance into the world, so I thought I'd share his story. Our story, really, because we both worked like a team to make it happen! I had always thought that when I had kids I wanted to do it naturally, without medication. My own mother did it with no problem, so why couldn't I? After following up with some research on childbirth options, I more surely felt aligned with the natural way, and decided that was the way I would do it. Recognizing that you can't always predict how things will go and if there might be special circumstances, I also had to be open to whatever happened that would be best for me and the baby in the long run. But I planned to have a natural birth, nonetheless. I wanted to have as much control as possible over my body and giving birth to my baby. Jacob was supportive of however I wanted to do it, which I was certainly grateful for! So many people either straight out said I was crazy for wanting to do it naturally, or gave me a look like 'are you serious?' Of course I was serious!

So, we took childbirth classes through the hospital. They were okay. They spent one quarter of the classes talking about the epidural - the most popular way to have a baby these days. Most people in the class did not seem to think they would need any other coping technique. I was slightly disappointed. Then, I learned more about hypnobirthing. We found a hypnotherapist who specializes in labor and birth, and met with her for a couple of sessions to learn and practice the Mongan hypnobirthing method. The thing is, just like training for a race or a marathon (which, come on, labor definitely is!) we needed to practice. It was definitely more of a commitment. We practiced about 5 hours a week. Ideally, at least 30 minutes a day. Hypnobirthing consists of learning the skills of deep relaxation, visual imagery, and the like. The basic idea is to learn how to relax all the muscles in your body so that your body can do the job it was meant to do - give birth. Learning to be confident and trust in the body God created for women, which was made perfect for birthing babies, is also a key element. As you learn to trust in your body and the natural process of birth (and understand the physiological aspects of the birth process) you can then relax and prepare for a calm and gentle birth for the baby. By learning these skills, the idea is that you interrupt the fear-tension-pain cycle created by our culture's ideas and messages about childbirth. That's the long and short of it anyway! Now...

I woke up at 2am on Thursday, June 12th, with a sort of crampy feeling. The crampy feeling happened about every 15 minutes for the next 4 hours. I didn't want to wake Jacob, but I couldn't sleep. By 6am I was curious what was going on...was this really it? By that time, the surges or contractions, were about 7 minutes apart. Jacob got up and found me sitting in the gliding rocking chair in the nursery. I told him I thought something was happening but I wasn't sure. He decided to whip out his watch and time the contractions. By 7am they were between 5 and 7 minutes apart. He wondered if he should stay home from work. I told him he should go. In the meantime, I had tried changing positions, and even showered and nothing seemed to stop the contractions. Jacob called our Doc's office. They told him not to go to work, and to call and check in if they got closer together. By 10am we had the okay to go to the hospital. They were about 5 minutes apart then. But we told them we wanted to stay at home as long as possible. During our time at home, we listened to the hypnobirthing CDs, and we baked a birthday cake for Sawyer. I had read somewhere about having a labor activity, and I decided it would be fun to have something to look forward to during labor - the cake seemed like the perfect idea. So, Jacob and I worked together and made the cake. Honestly, he ended up doing more than I did. But it was fun to do together. I still was amazed that today would be the day! At 2pm we started getting ready to go to the hospital. I felt like we should get there before I got too uncomfortable. We checked in around 3pm. They monitored me for about 30 minutes, during which time they said I was dilated to about 3cm and about 95% effaced. They told me the effacement was excellent. We met our nurse and discussed our birth plan with her. As we were doing so, my water broke! Then things really started to get rolling. We requested a nurse that was supportive of or particular to natural birth. And we got one - actually, we got 2 because they changed shifts not long after we got there. Our 2nd nurse was especially outstanding. Just like requested, I did not have an IV. I knew I would have to have a heparin lock anyway towards the end for precaution with bleeding, but they agreed I didn't have to have one for most of the labor (as long as I stayed hydrated, which I did). So Jacob did light touch massage and I used the birthing ball for a couple of hours. We continued listening to our hypnobirthing CDs with positive birth affirmations and quiet music. When things started getting more intense, we went to the Jacuzzi tub. Slipping under that warm water with the jets beating all around my body felt like heaven. But heaven didn't last forever. Things started getting really intense after 2 hours in the tub, and it was then that they checked me and told me I was in transition, or at 7cm. So I had to get out of the tub and get ready for baby to come! About an hour and a half later, they told me to do a practice push - and then the real thing! I couldn't believe how good it felt to finally be at that stage - pushing and knowing I would soon meet my baby. They dimmed the lights in the room and we had quiet music playing, as requested. I feel so so blessed that we had such awesome staff who respected our wishes. I also feel grateful that my body allowed me to have the natural birth I had planned for. Pushing was my favorite part (isn't it everyones?) It just felt so good. The pressure was strangely excellent. You hear of people saying they had a pain-free birth. I won't claim that it was pain-free. But I don't know that I'd use the word painful, either. More like some super-annoying sensations that I had to use all the power of my mind to get through, like riding some major waves, and anticipating when they might come or go. It is like getting wiped out pretty bad surfing, but knowing another huge wave is coming so you better get ready. And then, not knowing when the set of waves might end so you can escape safely to shore and rest. Anyway, after 30 minutes of pushing and at 8:50pm, Sawyer entered the world! They gave him right to me. He didn't cry. They followed our request of holding off on the eye ointment the first hour for optimal bonding time and instant breastfeeding. He was just so calm and alert. And CUTE! All the medical staff were amazed at how alert he was. That's what you get with a drug-free baby! I have to say, it was love at first sight. I am so enamored with my son. The day after we got home from the hospital, we had Sawyer's Birth Day cake. We sang him "Happy Birth Day" and the cutest thing ever was that when we sang, he looked right up at me and he smiled. He is awesome at nursing, and loves hanging out with his parents. After only 4 days, he just about back at his birth weight. Doc said that it usually takes 10 days and that he is really a great baby. Of course, I agree! He is a mellow little man, such a great baby! We certainly couldn't be more lucky or blessed. This is my dream come true - all I have ever truly wanted in life was to be a mom. Now, I am living my dream and loving it! And Jacob is loving it right along with me. Giving birth, no matter how it happens, is such a miracle! Hooray for life's miracles!!!

Welcome Sawyer

Sawyer James Carter
Thursday, June 12, 2008
5 lb 12 oz
18 inches
8:50 pm

Sawyer takes his first look at his amazing Mom. I'm so proud of her. She did the entire labor without medication.... Tysha will fill you in with the details later.

Hi everybody!

Sawyer gets his Apgar test.

Cute, little wrinkled feet.

First trip in his new car seat. Home sweet home.

Daddy makes a nice pillow.

Tiny guy.

Sweet D Day

Today is Sawyer's estimated due date. And it doesn't look like he'll be showing up to celebrate it! But it's okay. We celebrated without him this morning. Jacob made a stop by Starbucks on his way home from the gym and we had some yummy sweet cinnamon rolls and milk for breakfast before heading to our check up with the Doc. Jacob said the cinnamon rolls were to celebrate that I have fully baked a little person inside of me. He said that is something to celebrate - even if that little person takes a few minutes - or days - over what the recipe calls for cooking time. I suppose we just have to poke him a few times with a toothpick and check, and sooner or later he'll be perfect and ready to come out of the oven :)

Nothing much has changed since last week's appointment, except that he has moved even further down (maybe he's listening to Jacob after all). The Doc offered to "sweep the membranes" if I wanted to see if that would help jump-start things, but we decided to be patient and just see what happens this week. She also said she has a "good feeling" something will happen this week. I'm holding her to that! If nothing does happen this week and we go back next Wednesday, they would then do a non-stress test and check on the fluid levels. And then, she would do the sweep of the membranes. If nothing happened after that, then next Friday they would intervene. Since she knows and respects that we want to do things as naturally as possible, she would try all the tricks she knows before putting Pitocin into my veins. So we'll just see what happens! I figure perhaps Sawyer is perfecting his lungs or something spectacular these last few days, and I don't want to interrupt him. I'm feeling pretty okay. Not GREAT - but who does at this point? I have some good moments and of course moments of not feeling so well. But I'm trying really hard to be patient. I know that patience is an ESSENTIAL virtue of the practice of parenting...so it doesn't hurt to start practicing it now!

Wish us luck!

39 weeks (and 2 days)

These are the last preggo pictures you'll see of my belly - it's as big as it's gonna get! We went to our check up this morning and joked around while waiting for Doc to make it to the clinic. She had an emergency C-section to do this morning. Jacob and I were thinking it must be weird to be in an intense surgery and then just gallop back over to the office and walk into our room and be like "hey, how's it going?" She said it is a little weird, and that it certainly keeps her on her toes! I really really love our Doc, I feel so happy to have a Doc that I trust and that respects us. She's great! Anyway, this is the report: 1cm dilated, 50% effaced, and -1 station. Things are slowly progressing. She was honest and said there's a good chance we could go over the due date so not to get it too stuck in our heads. She said there's also a chance things could happen quickly and we could have him this weekend. Basically, she was trying to let us know it's better to expect he could be "late" than to get discouraged if he doesn't come on the due date. If he comes before, what a nice surprise. If after, no big deal. She also said she is confident things will happen on their own, and because she knows we are hoping for things to go Au Natural, she said patience will pay off. So that's the scoop! I am feeling pretty relaxed about all of this - Sawyer will come when he and my body are ready to work together in the best way to help him out into this world! In the meantime, he's having a grand old time doing Taekwondo in there. And my friend, who is due the day after me, invited me to go get a pedicure this afternoon. That way, we will at least have pretty toes to look at! And we keep making plans - tonight some friends invited us to the Fremont Art Walk, where we get to see a glass-blowing demonstration. Here's to good times, and baby boy coming when he's ready! Jacob keeps telling him "Swim down Sawyer, swim, swim, swim towards the light!" Do you think he's listening? Any bets on when he'll come are on!