The last dance

This is my last post of the year as Maya and I get ready to embark on a 10 hour flight to Uruguay where we will spend the whole month of December and return January 7th. My parents will already be there to pick us up and Brian is joining us on the 23rd to spend the holidays and as extra bonus so will Lynn and Gib Hennessey making their first trip to South America visiting Uruguay and Buenos Aires. Maya will be surrounded by grandparents ( aka free babysitters) so Bri and I will have to take advantage and go out. Aside from being surrounded by family, the best part is that it's summer in Uruguay and we'll be spending most of our time in Punta del Este by the beach. A fun resorty town where beach life dominates. It's a great place to spend the holidays - it's summer, the kids are out from school and I have several cousins in the area, 2 of whom had babies around the same time I did. It will be a baby bonanza.

2008 was quite a year of change (perhaps the most overused word of the past 12 months) - but it was! We became parents and homeowners, Brian changed jobs (twice!), we witnessed an exciting and historic election and somehow survived it all. It was great fun to have two girlfriends from college, a work colleague, a grad school friend, two cousins and Brian's sister Lauren all have babies this year as well and see all the tots grow and change through the different stages (ok and Samantha had a litter of 5 puppies too in the Hennessey household). Making it back to Williamstown for homecoming with all the kids was a little surreal and real reminder that yes, the years really have passed since we left campus. Nevertheless it's hard not to feel like the best is still yet to come. Bring it on 2009!!

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a joyful new year.

Busy week

Happy Monthday Maya! 3 months today, kinda nuts. 1 trimester down so to speak.

We made it home from Boston Thanksgiving yesterday without any incidents - puppers and Maya asleep in the back which is really the best way to travel. Thanksgiving was great - Maya got to meet her cousins Anna and Noah who loved her and wanted to kiss and touch her, it was very sweet. Cousin Nathan, 5 months senior to Maya was very sweet as well and would reach for her when we put them down together. We also caught up with some of Brian's high school friends so they could meet her and spent the rest of the time chasing after kids and dogs, cooking, eating, cooking and eating some more and hanging out with the Hennessey gang.

This week is all about getting ready for our big trip down south - to Uruguay that is. Maya and I leave next Monday and the packing list for travel with baby seems endless. Luckily we were able to borrow a carseat and crib from cousins so I don't need to transport those. Maya is becoming ever more active however and I will need to bring her bouncy seat so that I can put her down at times. She's very close to flipping over and did yesterday although it was somewhat of a fluke. Another perhaps fluke was that she slept from 6:30pm to about 5am without interruption - who knows if that will last. It was good timing though as Brian started a new job today and the extra sleep was useful for his first day. Lots of errands to run today and the weather looks like it will cooperate - 50 degrees and sunny.

Politics, dachshunds and musical beds

Three months is right around the corner, how time flies. In that time the economy has tanked, we made history when we elected a new president, NC went blue and Congress has gone to the Dems. Somethings never change - Maureen Dowd is still trying to create Clinton drama and Sarah Palin is still all over the place (puh-lease go govern your caribou and get off my TV). Maya is getting good at doing things with her hands, mainly shoving them in her mouth - sometimes both at the same time which helps when the pacifier falls out of her mouth and it wakes her up. She gets an A in important baby skills such as holding up her head, recognizing her parents, smiling lots, staring at the pictures in books, being fascinated by her own hands and trying to creep. She gets a C- in the sleeping category. She's just not much of a sleeper. Cat napper during the day and wakes up at least 2 times a night for a bottle or to be nursed. Cause why should you sleep when you can let out a yelp and room service appears? It's almost as good as being in the womb. We're still playing musical beds at night trying to figure out the best sleeping arrangement and Maya inevitably ends up sleeping in 3 different places in a night. We're a little tired but we hear there is light at the end of the tunnel. Overall she's a very happy girl and keeps us on our toes as we try to find activities for her. Yes, it's amazing that such a young babe needs to be entertained but she lets you know when she's bored! I've gotten together several times with a co-worker who had a son 11 days before Maya was born to compare notes, have lunch and just plain get out of the house. Tomorrow we're headed to the Museum of Natural History as it is cold outside and strolling around the city is less of an option now.

We're really looking forward to Thanksgiving in Wellesley next week. It will be a full house with 4 kids (2 under 1 year of age) and 5 dachshunds to keep track of. We'll need security guards around the turkey so no puppers get any ideas as has been known to happen in Hennessey household. A dachshund will never understand that eating a bird that matches their own body weight can be a bad thing. Course - I could probably do that too when it comes to dessert, and I have already called planning that course. We put it up for a family vote but not totally unexpectedly the vote came back to do all three - pumpkin flan, coconut cupcakes with the kids and pecan squares with chocolate. Enjoy your turkey day everyone.

Just shoot me

Poor Maya had her first round of shots yesterday at the doctors office. 3 shots and one oral vaccine, 8 immunizations in all and 3 band aids. She was all happy and cooing and smiling at the doctor until - wham! She went from 0 to 60 in half a second and screamed her head off. She probably though she was being attacked. I picked her up after the first two and did the third holding her - boy was she mad!! She calmed down by the time she was dressed and back in her stroller, fell asleep on the way home and then woke up again feeling miserable. Luckily Aunt Roshni is a pediatrician (everyone should have a close friend who is a pediatrician when they have their first child) and we gave her a call to see if more Tylenol was ok. Great. A few more drops of that and Maya calmed down and slept pretty well, probably exhausted from the ordeal. Not a huge fan of medicine getting squirted in her mouth. I don't know why they bother making infant drops that are cherry or grape flavored as if they know what that is. Why don't they make them breast milk or formula flavored? Maya thought that was the weirdest tasting stuff ever and made quite the face.

Once again Maya is passing her growth markers with flying colors. Little girl weighs 13 lbs (90th percentile again) and is 23 inches long - ie she's huge! Her Tylenol dosage based on weight is for 4-11 month kids and she's only two! She's doing great. She's getting pretty good at holding up her head during tummy time and wants to crawl - she makes quite the effort moving her legs back and forth and pushing her toes into the ground but doesn't quite know what to do with her upper body. Getting her head up is one thing, coordinating her arms to push herself up is an entirely different story. One of her favorite activities has become sitting in her bouncy seat and kicking her legs to make the plastic spiders that hang over it move back and forth. She stares in amazement when they start to go and watches for a minute before kicking again. She's starting to figure out the whole cause and effect thing. Yesterday she was testing her baby einstein gym - kicking one of supports that hang overhead with all the toys to get the musical star to light up. Hilarious to watch. I bet she feels very powerful now that's learning how to make things happen. It is so much fun to watch them learn and discover the world around them.

A Williams Homecoming

Pretty amazing that Roshni, Meagan and I all had babies the same year. Even MORE amazing is that '01 Ephs Roshni, Katherine, Meagan, Elizabeth, James, 99' Eph Brian H. and honorary Ephs Joel, Heather and Brian G. all got together in Williamstown for Williams' homecoming. The weather was cold and grey (wouldn't be Williamstown otherwise) getting as low as 20 something at night (Maya wore her snowsuit) but held out enough to walk around campus and go to the football game on Saturday (we beat Wesleyan but who cares really). We had a great time catching up with everyone, somehow a year flew by since some of last saw each other in Seattle for Elizabeth and James' nuptials (when baby Henry was probably about the size of a lemon, baby Liam a ball of cells and Maya was a thought that hadn't yet materialized) which is just far too long for friends who lived together most of their college years. And now there are all these little ones in tow!! It really is nice to get back to campus every once in a while. Williams campus has changed considerably - new buildings have popped up everywhere. The coffee shop although operating under a new name in a new venue, thankfully still serves pretty much the same.

Time to plan a reunion for next year gang - who knows what (who) else will be under production ;) (you know who you are).

Happy Halloween!

Maya is two months today! Her skills currently include:

1. Smiling
2. Getting her hand in her mouth to suck on
3. Recognizing mom and dad's voices
4. Gurgling, cooing and baby 'talking' ( like little alien noises)
5. Being as cute as ever as she becomes increasingly more alert and interacting with the world.

Happy Halloween!

8 weeks and a house warmed

Maya is 8 weeks old and growing like a weed. We estimate that she is about 12lbs and therefore technically out of her 0-3 month clothing. With the weather turning colder I've had to learn how to layer her up and dress her warm enough to go outside. She hates hats but that big ol' baby noggin needs a hat - what can I do. The trick is getting her dressed and then jetting out the door fast enough to prevent her from overheating... (and screaming). Takes some practice and we haven't quite mastered it yet. Poor first child - always the experiment.

Last weekend we were thrilled to introduce friends and family to our new pad and to baby Maya. We had a great time at our housewarming and were happy to have so many out of town guests that made the trip! Not always easy to see good friends who have scattered after grad school so really it's good to have reasons to celebrate and get together.

My goal in the next couple weeks is to find a nanny for Maya since I plan to return to work in February but I'm traveling with her the whole month of December. A rather daunting and overwhelming task for a first time mom. We have a few interviews set up for next week and at least Brian is around and able to help screen candidates. He's been hard at work trying to secure a new position in this rather intimidating economy but it's great to have him around and spend time with baby.

Wednesday we're headed to a Halloween party for kiddies - I had to find something for her to wear her pumpkin halloween costume to and it will be a good opportunity to meet other new parents as well.

Our little jetsetter

Maya has been busy planning trips and getting to know her surroundings. She's official now as she got her social security card and her passport so she's set to go to Uruguay in December (take that Sarah Palin!!). Taking her passport picture a the post office was not easy. The clerk handed the camera over to Brian so she could tend to the growing line while we tried to get a picture with eyes open and not screaming - it was a team effort with Grandma Lynn making faces while Brian steadied the camera and I played with her pacifier and tried to keep her arms down (we had just woken her up to take the picture which she clearly thought was incredibly unfair, so the screaming was very justified).

We also introduced Maya to the Hamptons this past weekend. A welcome change of scenery since we hadn't gone since early August. It was a beautiful sunny warm weekend which was perfect for strolling around and window shopping. The Hamptons' farms are bursting with fall produce, pumpkins everywhere, apple picking, corn mazes and roasted corn on the cob. A lot of fun to see stores get ready for Halloween and families pushing wheel barrels of pumpkins bigger than they could carry. A great time to be out there and clearly we weren't only ones who thought so as the towns were packed. Also on the agenda is a trip to Williams for homecoming weekend and Boston for Thanksgiving. We're going to become pros at nursing and changing diapers in the car.

Maya who will be 7 weeks on Saturday has also started to smile at us which is incredibly adorable. She spends longer periods of time awake now and demands to be entertained. She loves to be held in your lap so she can see you and will make lots of faces and stare and study your gestures. She pushes up with her legs and tries to stand and while she still doesn't have much control of her hands which occasionally whack her in the face she has had a couple of successes getting her hand to her mouth. She clearly wants to be on the move and makes a great effort to hold her head up and push her legs to creep forward. I think we already know this girl is going to keep us on the move.

Here comes autumn

The weather has started to cool in New York City and we're feeling pretty cozy in our new place. We've enjoyed several walks along the water with baby and dogs. Maya is 5 weeks and got good marks at her 1 month checkup last week. She weighs 10lbs (!) and is 21 inches long putting her in the 90th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height. Of course as soon as we stripped her of her diaper to weigh her at the pediatrician's she peed on the table.. oops. But she's doing great and growing lots which is what she needs to do - how could she not when she's hungry all the time! Look at those cheeks!! She did give me a break last night and slept from 10pm - 3am - her longest stretch yet so hopefully she's getting the hang of sleeping at night.

Lauren came to visit this past weekend with baby Nathan - great to see them and see Nathan who was a little peanut, only 4 weeks old when we saw them last, and a great opportunity to take lots of pictures of the kids together and introduce the cousins... well, maybe just introduce Nathan to Maya since she's still pretty oblivious. But he certainly acknowledged her and was reaching for her when we put them on a play mat together - so cute!! We strolled around the neighborhood and even made it out to dinner Saturday night with the kids in their strollers. It will be fun to get the whole gang together for Thanksgiving in Wellesley where the kids and dogs will outnumber the adults.. but it would be much to quiet any other way.

Made the move

After a whirlwind couple of weeks we are getting settled in our new apartment in Long Island City. Luckily my parents were around to help and did a lot of work to get us packed and then to get us unpacked so we had a functional apartment. Not easy to find the time to pack with a newborn - but we made it through. Everything is pretty much in it's place and just requires organizing at this point, but we are out of boxes thankfully and managed to get blinds installed and our cable, internet and phone up and running (just in time for tonight's presidential debate). The dogs not surprisingly our pretty confused - Kahlua still turns the wrong way out of the elevator and doesn't know what to do on the other side of the elevator bank when he is confronted with a new hallway. Bailey was a little quicker to catch on. But we've enjoyed our walks along the East River, it's a peaceful neighborhood that doesn't have the traffic that 37th street did in Manhattan where the Midtown tunnel let's out.

Maya has slept in her crib in her own room every night this week which adds a little extra sleep time for mom and dad since we don't hear all her little grunts and gurgles that keep us up. Inevitable the louder yelp that says ''I'm hungry, feed me" I do hear at least twice if not three times a night, and I somehow make it to her room and into the rocking chair Grandma Lynn and Grandpa Gib gave us to nurse. She's adjusted well to her crib and a tight swaddle helps get her down. She's going to be 4 weeks tomorrow which is hard to believe, I still feel as if the birth just happened. Here's the pumpkin trying to relax after a meal in her bouncy seat (pacifier veeeery important for digestion apparently).

What day is it today?

We've reached the end of week two - and the days are somewhat of a blur. Brian went back to work and Grandma Carmen stepped in to keep me company and help out with baby. We made it out for lunch a few times during the week which was fun, gave Maya her first bath at home, and have continued to pack the apartment during Maya's naps (around the daily chores of laundry, more laundry, meals, shopping, dog walking and cleaning)- we move next weekend to our new place in Long Island City. We had a couple of rough nights and days as Maya seems to have found her voice this week and is not afraid to use it! And at other times she's relaxed and goes from nap to feeding to changing back to feeding without much fuss. Guess we all have good days and bad days. Overall I am not feeling that sleep deprived since she does conk out for 3-4 hours at a time after most feedings, and sleeping when the baby sleeps was the best advice I got. Brian is perhaps a different story. We're still figuring out our nighttime routine to maximize sleep for all. We inherited a couple of key items this week from some of Brian's coworkers - topping the list is a vibrating bouncy seat which came in the nick of time and really seems to soothe Maya. We also got a baby gym mat with a canopy that you hang toys from and the promise of a co-sleeper which will come in handy in our new place because her crib won't fit in our new bedroom. So much stuff!!

The dogs have taken to Maya better than expected - they sniff her and otherwise pretty much leave her alone. Kahlua has been quite curious and even jumped on the couch (which he hasn't attempted in a long time) to get a better look. Bailey on the other hand approaches her rather shyly and appears worried he'll do something wrong. But they've been great - dealing with less attention and rolling with the punches. We'll see what transpires after our move, that's a lot of changes for two pups who are accustomed to a daily routine and lots of attention. Might require another trip to the pet store for some new toys. Overall we're doing pretty well and adjusting to our new schedule. We're looking forward to the next couple of months and introducing Maya to friends and family.

1 week already!!

Tomorrow is the one week mark of Maya's birth! How did that happen? The week flew by - we spent the first 48 hours just trying to get things done - errands to the pharmacy, some shopping for basic easy meals, laundry - lots of laundry and trying to figure out the whole feeding, sleeping thing and of course I was recovering from the birth itself (total body work out - my ribs hurt, who would have expected that?). Yesterday we had a visit from our doula Mary Esther, who was with us for the birth. A fantastic and experienced woman who was also our Bradley childbirth instructor. She was incredibly supportive during the birth and allowed us to take our minds of any real worries with continuous encouragement and reassurance that everything was going fine. Yesterday's visit focused on feedings for the little peanut so that we're both comfortable during and after (mom less sore, baby less gassy - because Maya is a little barracuda!!). It was great to see her and get some advice as well as talk through our birth story with her.

It was interesting how I remember the birth somewhat differently from those who witnessed it - she commented that I started out being very detailed in my story and then my memory became hazier on the events as the night went on and I was less clear on what had occurred in what order. All in all it was a quick labor with organized contractions that started around 9pm and became close together very quickly. We called Mary Esther around 10pm to let her know we were having regular contractions (for the first time they were 6, then 5 mins apart). Within an hour they were 2 mins apart lasting a good minute and we called her back and called our midwife. Brian was on the phone with everyone while I was laboring any way I could in our living room. Mary Esther picked us up in her car a little after 12 (we were waiting for her downstairs outside the building and several people stopped to ask if we needed help - pretty funny to see a women in labor clinging to the poles of our building canopy) we were in the hospital by 12:30 and Maya was born at 7:10am. Could not have asked for a better natural delivery. We had a great birth team with our midwife who hung back and gave things time, doula and the intermittent nurse and were lucky enough to have gone into labor in the nick of time to have our baby in the birthing center at Roosevelt hospital. I was 1 day shy of 41 weeks which although not uncommon for first pregnancies, you are 'risked out' of the birthing center and have to go to regular labor and delivery. Instead we were able to labor, deliver and recover in a room that looked more like a bedroom than a hospital room - complete with queen size bed and jacuzzi tub (which we definitely used).

After the birth we were able to nap in bed with baby in the middle which was really nice. My parents came over with lunch from Whole Foods and we spent the rest of the day relaxing. The baby never leaves the room for measuring or other tests - everything comes to you.

Yesterday grandma Lynn arrived in New York and Grandpa Gib is on his way today. We made it out for breakfast this morning with Maya asleep in her stroller (first meal out - whoo hoo!). All in all I'm feeling fine 1 week out and loving watching the scale go down everyday - I've lost 24 lbs in 6 days putting me within 6 lbs of my pre-pregnancy weight (yes, my ankles were very swollen) and was able to put my wedding rings back on last night! Maya is truly amazing and we feel nothing but incredibly lucky and incredibly blessed to have her.

A new addition...

After a couple of weeks of contractions, Maya Sophia Hennessey was born Saturday, August 30th at 7:10am, weighing in at 8lbs and 20 inches long... fat, pink and perfect. We just got home from the hospital, a slightly longer than expected stay due to a stubborn placenta that wouldn't release. We had really great care at an in hospital birthing center with lots of great nurses. We're resting and doing fine and getting used to life with baby. More pictures soon to come.... first a feeding, then a diaper change, then a nap.. oh no wait another feeding... :)

Baby watch...

39 weeks and 1 day and still playing the waiting game. Baby Maya has started to show some signs that she wants to come out but she still seems pretty cozy and comfortable with her current accommodations to really make the effort. Hopefully that will change this week. I hoped Friday's full moon would tip the scales - that's what the old wives tales say anyway, something about gravitational pull and the start of labor, but alas no. Still feeling pretty good and relaxed, and pretty mobile, sleeping well, and trying not to go crazy waiting for her arrival. In the meantime - there are lots of olympic games to watch, and plenty of things to do to get ready for our move. We move to our new apartment Sept. 13th and it's been a useful week to get some packing done and shop for a few items for our new place - blinds, a dining room table, some barstools for our counter and inevitably more baby stuff. You'd think she would want to come out and check out her gear!

The weather in NY has been beautiful - sunny and pretty cool for August so at least I've been able to do lots of walking - always with a specific goal in mind. Hopefully this will be the week although I'm trying to accept that it's very common for first timers to go past their due date. We'll see what she has in store.

Double milestone week!

Last week we closed on our apartment and were handed keys and our garage door opener. We're homeowners! Saturday also marked 37 weeks of my pregnancy, the golden number, when you are finally full term and baby is free to come out at any time. Although I've had some contractions here and there and people have commented that I've been carrying lower, this baby is still most likely a few weeks away. Not that I'm not ready for her to come out - but it would be nice to get a couple errands out of the way like curtain shopping for our new place. We're doing well and looking forward to all the changes soon to come. We spent the weekend in East Hampton and Sunday at the beach reading and relaxing and watching lots of little kids play in the surf. One dad of two very young little girls told us to enjoy while we could - because our days of reading on the beach we're soon going to be over. Indeed.

36 weeks, and a big pregnancy lie...

36 weeks = 9 months, right? Right! and you think you'd be done, right? Right! But you're not done. You still have 4 weeks to go technically to your due date at 40 weeks gestation. 40 weeks = 10 months. Why do we perpetuate the lie that pregnancy is 9 months!! It's not! Of course, most women find this out after they become pregnant. Doesn't seem very fair.

Of course you can go into labor before you hit the 40 weeks mark (here's hoping), and a some unlucky ones go to 41, 42 weeks (really, really not fair, although due dates can be wrong) . Still here I am at 36 weeks and doing well and feeling fine although looking forward to the end more than ever as certain everyday tasks do get a little more challenging. I'm really looking forward to not having to go to work anymore. I'm going to try to make it another 2 weeks unless Maya has her own plans, but commuting everyday does get rather tiring. At least people give me their seat on the subway. We're pretty ready for this baby to arrive, we finished our gear shopping, have done some research on pediatricians, filled out health insurance forms and overall have spent so much time anticipating her arrival and what our life with offspring will be like that it would be nice to get going already. We close on our apt Tuesday and then we'll really have nothing else to take our mind off baby stuff. 36 weeks, the size of a crenshaw melon.

And finally... the walkthrough

In what seemed like a surreal event after months of delays and waiting- Friday afternoon we were able to walk through our completed apartment at 5th Street Lofts in Long Island City, Queens. Our brand spanking new 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment is finally complete and we examined every inch of it with a representative from the builder (Toll Brothers)- looking for scratches in the floor boards, lose door knobs, wobbly towel racks, holes in window screens, any paint touch-ups needed and working appliances. We're especially looking forward to the washer/dryer and the dishwasher. He was much more meticulous than we were and cited things on our punch list that we didn't think to ask for - like replacing all the wooden floor boards in the kitchen because they were scratched when they put in the big appliances (it was hardly noticeable if you ask me - but hey - knock yourself out), to replacing the window knobs if they were too tight to turn. It was a relief to have someone go through the apartment so meticulously and agree to replace or fix things without even having to ask. A good ending to an arduous process.

Brian was really intent on testing the shower since our current shower leaves a lot to be desired and managed to test it first hand, fully clothed when the shower head which was pointed outwards nailed him when he turned the faucet. The Toll brothers guy commiserated and said that he had done that many times during walk throughs. We have another walk through sometime next week and then a last inspection the morning of our closing scheduled for July 29th! 7 Months late but finally happening.

The mortgage situation is another headache that took a while to straighten out as the economy and mortgage banks in particular are in a downward spiral - somehow we managed to get lucky and lock in a good rate. We decided to wait until after the offspring is born before we move, too hectic to try to do it in August, so we'll move sometime in September. We're in pretty good shape otherwise for her arrival, and one of us in particular really looking forward to her inhabiting her own body.... 34 weeks and counting (the size of a cantalope).

Fighting with Furniture

So as we hit the 30 week mark in our pregnancy this weekend (head of cabbage sized baby), the baby furniture we ordered hit the front door. First came the biggest box I have ever seen containing our new crib all disassembled, then came the delivery truck on Saturday with a matching dresser/changing table ensemble. We spent the majority of the weekend moving furniture around like jigsaw pieces in our apartment to get our computer desk out of our bedroom and into the living room to make room for the baby's furniture in our bedroom. The dogs were scurrying to stay out of the way and looked rather concerned throughout the whole process. Luckily the dresser came assembled and the delivery guys just attached the changing topper to it. The crib was another story, and the pack n' play (I know, I know, there shouldn't be anything to assemble, it's supposed to be easy to transport and pop up and break down) was another story all together. Or maybe we were just tired of fighting with the furniture at that point and could care less how it was supposed to fit back into it's carrying case, which didn't speed things up.

I think it was a good idea to do this in stages, otherwise somebody would lose it! We still need a stroller and a car seat which will require some assembly or installation. But we've had some practice with frustration at this point, maybe we'll be better prepared for those challenges. Still - it's starting to feel very real. Some of the couples in our Bradley childbirth class have had their babies already so our numbers are dwindling. I guess these little things really are on their way! I have 9 more weeks of work (if I make it that long) before taking off for my maternity leave, August 15th - one week before my due date of August 23rd. A great motivator for wrapping up some projects at work I've been procrastinating on!

Birth Plans

So after all the doctor visits, the lab tests, ultrasounds and hospital tours I’ve decided to switch healthcare providers and hospitals, and go with a midwife at the birthing center of St.Luke’s- Roosevelt rather than a traditional Ob. No easy feat at 28 weeks along (I called everyone in town and begged). Reason being we’re hoping and planning to have a natural child birth and the more I’ve researched birthing practices in this country the more appalled I became at the state of maternity care pre and post partum and how challenging it might be to actually have the child birth experience we’re hoping for without the right environment. It's not guaranteed that we'll get into the birth center as they are very restrictive on the patients they admit (you have to be very low risk) for fear of being shut down if they have bad outcomes. Any sign of a stalled labor and your shipped to the regular L&D floor in the hospital. But the move was instigated by the very high rate of unnecessary interventions in most hospitals, supposedly meant to improve outcomes for mother and child but often having the opposite effect. There is a stark comparison in the birth outcomes of the US to other industrialized countries such as Japan and western Europe where 70% of births are attended by midwives. The US infant mortality rate in childbirth is 5 in 1000 births, about the same as Latvia, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. In Japan it’s only 1.8 per 1000 births. What is going on people?

Epidural rates are as high at 95% in some NYC hospitals. C sections rates in the city’s best hospitals between 30-50% (the World Health Organization recommends C-sections rates for industrialized nations should not exceed 15%, a safe range is determined as 10-15%. It is major surgery after all which although relatively safe is not without risks not to mention longer postpartum recovery times.) The c-section rate at Lenox Hill hospital where I was supposed to deliver was reported at 28% in 2005, although a doula I spoke to said a nurse there told her the unreported rate is closer to 50%, and pretty much everyone gets an epidural. Epidurals are knows to reduce fetal heart rates, increase the likelihood of needing a c-section, increase the likelihood of meconium, or even eliminating uterine contractions and stopping labor all together often requiring labor augmenting drugs such as pitocin to start it up again which in turn can cause overly long arduous contractions and fetal distress. Ummmm….. no thanks. It’s not to say that these drugs can’t be helpful, they can mean all the difference between a successful outcome (healthy mom and babe) and a not so successful one in the right situation. What needs to be questioned is the frequency of their use in otherwise normal labors.

An excellent documentary came out earlier this year on the subject titled the Business of Being Born that looks at the international comparison (we do have outrageously expensive health care in the US afterall – why are we pushing for more interventions instead of less?) but also the history of birthing practices in the US and all the unnecessary interventions that were later suspended as doctors realized they were doing more harm than good. Things like x-raying of women’s pelvises to determine if they were big enough to birth their babies until they realized the x-rays gave the babies cancer – no joke. Medications to deal with morning sickness that caused debilitating birth defects. Now there’s an ongoing debate on the effects of ultrasounds on babies (the norm is to have one at 12 weeks, 20 weeks and often at 32 weeks). It seems when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth women are the lab rats and doctors tend to do first and ask questions later. I can’t help but think that adequate prenatal care and birthing is a topic that’s been somehow left behind policy discussions on women’s rights. How much of the debate is being driven by insurance companies I wonder? The US after all has a lot to learn it seems from other countries with lower health care costs and better childbirth outcomes.

Puerto Vallarta, Me-hee-co

Brian and I got back last night from 5 days in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We had beautiful weather throughout, 80 degrees and sunny, and stayed at a really nice hotel, Casa Magna, on the beach in a marina community just north of town which we would definitely recommend if you are ever planning a trip to the area. We spent most of our time lounging by the pool and on the beach, reading and relaxing, and taking advantage of the amazing hotel spa. Brian even joined me in a yoga class. We went out to some excellent dinners in and around Puerto Vallarta town including La Palapa - a whole open restaurant with tables on the beach that served excellent scallops, in the older area of town known as the 'romantic zone' that had some cute cobblestone streets and shops with Mexican crafts where we bought a couple things for our new apartment. There are live bands every night in town, and gigantic sand sculptures that attract the crowds along the boardwalk where the waves craves against the stone wall.

Puerto Vallarta certainly revolves around beach life and many of the shops cater to tourists while mega hotels line the beaches and try to out do each other with elaborate pools and gardens and lots of palm trees lining the beach front. We took a trip to Nuevo Vallarta, about a 20 minute drive north to see the area there which is less developed and includes many all-inclusive resorts. Baby was thankfully well behaved throughout - probabaly wondering why she felt so light floating in a pool but the relief for me was great (7 months and counting!!) . We made it back late last night to JFK only to discover that Brian's suitcase never made it. An unfortunate hiccup to an otherwise perfect vacation.

Growing and waiting...

May is ticking right along despite the weather refusing to let go of the cold. Next week we leave for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for 5 days of rest and relaxation in the sun and on the beach and I'll get to try out my maternity tankini swimsuit. It's been a-while since we've gone on vacation, and we're both feeling a little bit beat and very ready for one. Brian is more settled at his job now and it will likely be our last vacation as a couple without junior in tow, well at least she's still extremely portable. Our next trips will likely require more 'stuff' for baby Maya.

The belly continues to grow and has settled on a very round basketball shape and size. Overall I'm feeling really good at 6 months. We're in week 25 (rutabaga week) and 30 weeks feels right around the corner. This weekend I had my first baby shower with grad school friends from Duke in DC, which was a lot of fun. Maya's wardrobe already looks better outfitted than my maternity one, complete with terry cloth bathrobe for lounging, caps and gowns and matching booties, coordinated towel and wash cloth sets and a onesie that reads "tiny democrat". Having the international do-gooder friends that I do, gifts were also delivered from Bangladesh from Ann who is in the foreign service and Loren from her trip to Tanzania. Won't find that at babies r us. It was a great weekend trip and I made it back in time on Sunday to attend our Bradley childbirth class which we have been doing for the past few weeks and we're both enjoying, perhaps more than we thought. All to get ready for D-day.

Still no word on whether we'll be in our apartment by then. The latest from our developer was that we'll have a July move in date, but we're becoming accustomed to being lied to. Still - the building looks good, lobby is done and apartment units on
the 4th floor are finished so one would assume the 5th floor (our floor) isn't far behind. The hallways are still a mess and I have no desire to move into a partially completed building with infant and dogs in tow. We shall see...

Babies everywhere! Liam is here!

Roshni had a healthy baby boy on Friday, Liam Thomas Guerry weighing in at 6 lbs 14 oz... he didn't want to come out and took his time making his way into the world,but alas he arrived long and lean. I think this is the first time Joel has been documented smiling for a picture. Happy daddy. Mom and baby are home and doing well, albeit a little sleep deprived but happy to have their little guy home. Congratulations you two! Can't wait to meet him.

Chicago

Some pics from our trip to Chicago this weekend where we met baby Nathan (adorable little cherub), and got to catch up with the Breits. The weather cooperated and although it was windy and chilly we went into the city by the lake front and the kids frolicked in a playground. Good trip all around.

Maya's 21 week ultrasound

Some snippets from out ultrasound that we pieced together... enjoy.

It's girl!!

An ultrasound this morning confirmed what we already suspected... baby Hennessey is going to be a little girl, and we've decided to name her Maya Sophie. Not sure why we suspected girl, parent's intuition? But we both were thinking that way, and today we got the money shot. She was all curled up, a little camera shy and kept putting her hands up to cover her face, sticking her hands in her mouth and yawning. She sat modestly crossed legged until the technician made her role around so we could see the goods. There were a lot of measurements to take today, so she did some more of those (kidneys, blood flow in and out of the heart, 4 heart chambers, length of bones in arms and legs, spine, cranial shots, etc...) and then checked her gender from a different angle that was a little clearer. Pretty cool to see the heart working double time and watch as blood flowed from one chamber to another, heartbeat was 143 and strong and she weighs about 12 ounces.

I've just started to feel her move in the last week or so, sporadic little kicks and punches. Makes the whole thing feel very real now... We took a video of the ultrasound that requires some editing because it's long but we'll post it to the blog this weekend.

Ok, time to shop!

20 weeks down, 20 to go!

The belly has hit the half way mark this weekend, 5 months and counting, and Hennessey junior has started to make his/her presence known with soft but now unmistakable flutterings. Brian can't feel the baby move yet but I have stopped questioning those strange sensations from within, especially after meals or when I sit or lie down. Very alien like. This coming Friday is the big ultrasound and we're really looking forward to finding out the baby's sex. Watch out stores! Maybe it's a good idea we're not moved yet as we have less room to store stuff in our apartment! We did have fun registering last weekend in preparation for showers and what not and walking around the babies r us with a scanner gun, all too reminiscent of wedding planning and gift registering. Didn't we just do that?

I took a trip to Albany this weekend for Roshni's baby shower. Roshni is now 36 weeks pregnant, fully outfitted with all the necessary baby gear and ready to get the party started! The end of her pregnancy journey finally right around the corner.

Here we are belly to belly. Who'd a thought we both would be expecting at the same time when we were college freshmen?

Happy Birthday Nathan Gilbert Breit

Nathan Breit has arrived! Proud momma Lauren gave birth to Nathan on March 20th
at 7:27pm CT, weighing in at 7 lbs 5oz and measuring 21 inches long. He made it home from the hospital in a late spring Chicago snow storm and is already settling in with his siblings Anna and Noah. Some pics of the happy family.


Happy Easter!

Happy Birthday Brian!

BSH turns 32 today - whoo hoo! His birthday present to himself - he started at Litespeed (sounds like Star Wars terminology) partners on Monday, a smaller private hedge fund in midtown Manhattan where he will be working on distressed investing. There seem to be a lot of 'distressed' investors out there, so it seems like a good time to get into it. We're headed to dinner tonight to celebrate.

We've also been busy battling out baby names.... at the top of our list are Mary Mee, Please Cope, Helen Troy, Ima Nut, Candy Stohr, Cash Guy, Mary Christmas, River Jordan and Rasp Berry. Ok maybe not....

Nuts, fruits and Vegetables

Someone, somewhere took the time to figure out what nuts and fruit comparisons can be made to a growing fetus. You start out the size of a poppy seed at 4 weeks, then you move on to sesame seed, then lentil. At 7 weeks you're a blueberry, at 8 a kidney bean. Then comes grape, kumquat, fig and lime. Then you graduate to your 2nd trimester and move on to shrimp followed by lemon, and finally at 15 weeks (where I am today) an apple. Now - apple sounds huge!! No wonder my pants don't fit. And somehow I have to get through all the squashes, some root vegetables, a pineapple and all the way to pumpkin. Sheesh.

At 20 weeks (banana size) I get to have my anatomical ultrasound and we can find out the sex of Hennessey junior. That's scheduled for April 11th, can't wait for that. At 26 weeks (English hothouse cucumber) we're heading to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for some sun and R&R.

In other news, Brian got an early birthday present last week, an offer from a hedge fund in midtown he is really excited about, and likely to start next week (avocado week). Bye bye Citi and good luck to ya, doesn't look good though.

Other than that, we are looking forward to the arrival of Breit baby #3 very soon (a Pisces thank you, like Aunt Verena and Uncle Brian) and navigating all the ups and downs that come with the prospect of a new job, home ownership, a move, scheduling a couple trips abroad and the arrival of a mini watermelon or pumpkin sized new roommate in late August.

Edited to add a quick congratulatory note to new mom and dad Meagan and Brian Gemborys, the first of my Williams crew to welcome their little bundle of joy, on March 2 in Boston. Weighing in at 10lbs 4 oz is Henry Shaun Gemborys.... pumpkin sized and all. Congratulations all and welcome Henry!!
http://www.thebrothersyz.blogspot.com

Getting Bigger

The Hennessey bean is now 12 weeks, weighs half an ounce and is about the size of a lime. We had our second ultrasound screening on Friday and had a somewhat more cooperative baby that allowed the technician to get the measurements she was looking for. We also got some 3D ultrasound pictures which were pretty cool. You can see the little umbilical cord going over the baby's shoulder. Luckily I'm feeling fine, just a little tired every so often, but glad to be welcoming the 2nd trimester in another week, and reaaally looking forward to warmer weather and looser clothes!

The end of winter... hopefully

Although New York hasn't seen much snow at all this winter, it finally decided to get cold, really cold, dipping to 11 degrees and below with the windchill... bbrrrr! Doggies don't want to go out in that weather, and either do their owners. Still it was colder in Rochester where we spent the weekend visiting friends, Roshni and her husband Joel who are expecting in early May, and Katherine who we managed to pull out of her chemistry lab and joined us in the artic circle from DC. It was great to see them and to see Roshni's house, not to mention her belly and some of the maternity clothes I'll be inheriting in the near future. I'm 12 weeks and counting and the waist band is getting tight!

Brian's mom is in town for the Westminster Dog show and getting her daily updates on Samantha, who has gone into heat and is flying down to Florida later this week to meet her champion boyfriend and hopefully breed some more champion puppies. It's a busy year for babies, human and canine, in the Hennessey clan.

I go back to the hospital for round two of an ultrasound as part of my first trimester genetic screening. The bean was punching and kicking up a storm last week when we went, but did not want to turn over to let the technician measure the thickness of it's neck, which tells you the likelihood of having several genetic diseases. Oh darn,.... have to go back for another look at the bean on Friday. It is fun to see it.

Happy Valentine's Day all!

Introducing the Hennessey bean

Ready or not - here we go! Brian and I got a little Christmas surprise of our own, and it's already been to Paris! We're getting ready to welcome the newest member of the Hennessey clan, 10 weeks and counting, estimated due date for the bean is August 25th. A Chinese zodiac gender predictor predicted a girl.... we'll see. But everything looks good, we saw it's little arms moving and waving - hi guys!!

Luckily the first trimester has gone on without much incident and I'm feeling fine. Looks like 2008 is going to be a busy year. Now we just need the apartment to be done in time! They're estimating March/April.... fingers crossed.

Hope you are all well.