Pre-Caleb Pictures

As you had read below, I went into labor after we had our pictures taken at Celebrity Kids studio in North Hills. I'm so excited about how they turned out that I wanted to share them with everybody!

A Quick Note to All Who Have Been So Generous

I just wanted to write a quick note to all who have been so generous. We have received so many unexpected presents for baby Caleb and we are so touched that people are thinking of us during the holiday season. We have have been kept busy with Caleb and it's hard to believe that it's already Christmas Eve!

We are expecting Caleb's first visit from Grandma Annie today. She is braving holiday air traffic and coming to visit us armed with Jay's baby sweater and pictures of Jay when he was a baby.

Caleb's also seeing the doctor again today. It's going to be a busy day.

Introducing... Caleb Edward Sennet!!!!

HELLOO!!!!


As some of you may already know,...our son was born on Sunday December 18th, 2005 at Rex Hospital at 7:03pm.

My contractions started (mildly) during our photo session on Saturday when Jay & I went to Celebrity Kids Photo Studio to take pictures of my pregnant belly around noon on Saturday.

At first I thought that I had drank some bad milk in the morning and I felt like I had tummy gas. As I was driving home, I had my first recognizable contraction. I know now why they say that pregnant laboring women should not drive themselves to the hospital.

Jay came home from work at 4:30pm Saturday evening and I told him about the contractions. We started timing even though I said that they weren't that bad yet. Nicki (Luis' wife) had said that if I didn't think that I was dying yet, then it probably wasn't the real thing yet.

The contractions were spaced 8 minutes apart right from the beginning. Around midnight, Jay went to sleep and I woke him at 3am screaming for sympathy. Time from then until the hospital admission was a blur. I remembered begging for my mommy (what girl wouldn't at that point?) and I remember asking Jay to call the doctor and tell them that even though I was 8 minutes since they had said that once I was 5 minutes, then I could go to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital at noon on Sunday and there were 4 other pregnant people in the waiting room. (counting 12 hours since the first signs of pain) Two women had their waters break and that's why there were there. They were laughing and gossiping and having way too much fun. The other woman was in pain like me. There's nothing that annoys a laboring woman than to hear 2 other women say that they were in no pain and laughing in the hospital birthing admission room. My bittersweet consolation is that one of the laughing women had a problem with her blood pressure so she had to deliver without an epidural. I would not have wanted to switch places with her.

The epidural (YAY THE EPIDURAL!!) came at 3pm and Caleb Edward Sennet arrived at 7:02pm weighing 6lbs 3oz. He measured 19 1/2 inches and his head was 32 cm.

We had a bevy of visitors who came and brought flowers, clothes & stuffed animals. What amazed me was that Queenie (in NYC) sent flowers even before I had gotten a chance to talk to my mom!! Queenie, when you read this, tell me how you found out so fast!!

We were released the next day and the first thing I ate was a Chirashi sushi bowl at Waraji! (To all those at Tyco, I had told you what my first meal was going to be!) Sushi, and a large Coke. Susan, I was thinking of you the whole time since I used to watch enviously as you ate everything I wanted to eat when were in New Jersey. :)

Another thing....Caleb's birthday is the same day as my sister's birthday!! What were the chances of that? For those of you that read my blog regularly, she's "Roadie".

My parents are coming to visit in the first week of January and my sister is coming at the end of January. We are still awaiting news of when Jay's family will be coming to town.

As much as I have to write about Caleb and all the news I'll have to leave that to another blog posting. He's fussing now to be fed and this little booger has already amazed me with how often he likes to eat.

Fresh from the Doctor's Office

Just got back from the doctor's office this morning. They are predicting that my baby will come late. They said that the baby's 'sitting on the fence' regarding whether he'll come before or after new years. Apparently if I set my mind on him delivering sometime around or after the 7th of January, then I'll be happier during the holidays since I then won't be worrying about going into labor at any moment.

They also mentioned that I should take my belly ring out. :( Boo. I had anticipated keeping it in for as long as I could but they said that the stress of labor combined with the uterine wall pressing up against my belly button during these last few weeks may result in scarring that I won't like anyways. So after we take pictures this Saturday, I guess I have to pack my belly ring away....Hopefully temporarily.

The doctor said that if I deliver on time, that I can expect the baby to weigh around 7lbs - 7 1/4lbs. I just want to note that to see if they can actually make an accurate prediction or not.

My blood pressure was elevated but they said that since my maternity leave starts on Monday that it should be back to normal by the next visit, which is in a week. So....I actually took a sick day today seeing as I'm having trouble sleeping and I'm very tired today. I had intended on going into work but changed my mind as I was driving from the doctors office to downtown.

I have some Hospital Pre-Registration forms to fill out today and see about these free tours that they give to familiarize myself with the Birth Center. Hopefully Jay and I can check that out next week sometime. It would be cool too if we could see some other couples and their babies.

So this baby may not come until January(ish). That will give me time at home to relax and sleep before the big day since I heard that sleep is a valuable commodity once the baby arrives.

One More Week of Work before Maternity Leave

One more week of work before my maternity leave!! I'm pretty excited about that even though that would imply that birth/labour/pain would be imminent.

Jay and I are scheduled have pictures taken this Saturday.....so as long as the baby comes after this weekend, we'll be all ready.

Other than appearing ungainly, there's not much to report on the pregnancy department. It appears now that we're just waiting for this baby to be fully cooked and ready to come out.

Getting a Little Anxious

It's getting close to that time now......I'm 36 weeks this week and according to general consesus, the baby is considered to be full term as of 37 weeks. Now that we have the hospital bag packed just in case, it feels a little scary.

The thing is, it could be early, or it could be late. Therefore, it could be any day now,.....it also could be more than a month away. The not knowing is a little nerve racking.

I've also been having strangely vivid dreams. In some, I've already had the baby....in others, I'm not pregnant at all. I don't know how to interpret that other than I know that the end is near, so I really won't be pregnant for much longer.

The last month is UNCOMFORTABLE! I've had very little complaints up until now, but walking to the bathroom makes me huff and puff and just the mere act of rolling over in bed will give me a cramp if I do it too fast.

It's hard to reconcile being pregnant to having a baby. It's one thing to know that you have a baby incubating inside. It's quite another to assoicate that with all the little babies one sees other people carrying around.

Jay and I can't wait to see what our little one looks like. As long as he's healthy with 10 fingers and 10 toes, we'll be happy.