Baby Sister is here! Just 3 hours after our last entry at 5:12pm, mommy delivered a beautiful 8 lb 2 oz little girl…

More updates to come shortly after we move into our recovery room…

Jon Q

Michelle asked me to update everyone on where we are. Well, they have officially gotten things started. As of about a half hour ago, Michelle is on Pitocin which starts the induction process. The good news is that Michelle was actually naturally half way there…so the baby knew! Now that we are on our way, it could be any hour (or day) now.

We’ll keep the updates coming…

Jon Q

Quick update: we’re at the hospital, and all is going well. Not much is happening (I was warned this would be a slow process), but I’ve filled out a bunch of paperwork, gotten some tests taken and talked with oodles of doctors. The exciting news: my platelets are up to 104K (!!), so there are no problems there. Next step: starting the induction process. We’ll keep you posted!

-M

Not only do they have room for us at the hospital for induction, but Michelle is naturally having contractions this morning! We’ll update you more as things progress…

Jon Q

Here are a few more Zoe photos – all from the last month or so – that haven’t been shared here. I thought I should post them before the site gets populated with Poppy pics – and the last one is perfect for the upcoming Father’s Day holiday.
-M

So, aside from feeling excited and anxious (as detailed below), I’ve also felt a little sad and nostalgic these past few days. It’s because of Zoe, who has been my one and only baby for these past 2.5+ years. If I’m being completely honest, the thought of cradling and caring for another, non-Zoe baby makes me a little sad – as does shaking up our happy little three-person family. I know Zoe is excited about being a big sister, and I know that a sibling is probably (cliche alert!) the best gift we will ever give her – but I can’t stop but feel a little bad that she’ll soon have to share our attention/love with someone else.

A friend with two little girls recently told me that after the second arrived it became impossible to imagine life without her; he said he could no longer remember what things were like as a family of three. The words were meant to be comforting, and they were to a certain extent – but the sentimental girl in me doesn’t want to forget what we have right now. And so this week, I’ve found myself trying to soak in all these pre-baby moments with Zoe – giving her extra tight squeezes and doing lots of one-on-one activities.

I’ve been assured that parents love their second baby as much as the first (which is comforting considering I’m a second child myself!), and I believe that this is true. But at least for this moment in time, I can’t imagine not always maintaining an extra soft spot in my heart for little Z.

-M

As Q previously mentioned, my doctor established an induction date for me at my last appointment. Though a scheduled labor was something we had discussed and planned for months ago, I was still somewhat blown away when an actual, official date was presented to me. (I felt almost as excited as when I first discovered I was pregnant!) I know, intellectually, that labor is inevitable at this point (schedule or not) – but knowing when it’s going to begin and (about) when the baby is going to arrive just makes things feel so much more real. (There’s no turning back now!) I feel more in control but also more anxious; as I’ve crept closer to the Big Day, I’ve sometimes had difficulty sleeping because I’m so excited/nervous/freaked. It’s like how you might feel before a really important, exciting trip – or before your wedding day.

No matter what happens, as long as I make it to Friday, I expect my labor experience to be quite different than the first time around. But as long as the outcome (a happy, healthy baby) is the same, I think I’ll be fine!

-M

Knowing this was likely our last pre-Poppy weekend, Q and I had a lot to get done around the house – but we also wanted to have some fun. After our zoo trip on Sat., Uncle Dan and Jenny were nice enough to babysit so we could go to a movie; then Sun., the three of us went to the Haight Street Festival. I think Zoe had a fun day: she got to spend time in the bouncy house (which she loves), nosh on some baby cupcakes and, later, play around with her dad. Here are some pics.

-M

I recently came across an old “what-I-would-have-done-if-I-knew-then-what-I-know-now” blog entry about pregnancy. I don’t believe we ever posted it, but I think I made some good points:

I would have stopped stressing about my expanding waistline and worrying about whether I would get any sleep once the baby arrived. And I would have talked non-stop to my belly, telling it that I just couldn’t wait to meet/hug/hold/laugh with her. I guess you can say I’ve learned a lot because of Zoe – and maybe I’ll get to apply what I learned next time around.

So, this time around – how did I do? I definitely stopped stressing about my weight at some point (I started avoiding the scale a few months ago), and I also haven’t worried quite as much about caring for the newborn and suffering from sleep deprivation. (We can get through that, I think.) What I haven’t done though is talk to my belly or even, as mentioned before, felt much of a connection to what’s inside. Like with my first pregnancy, I have a hard time imagining what the baby will be like and so it’s difficult to feel bonded to her in a meaningful way. But I also know from last time that this will change the minute the baby is plunked on my stomach – and I just can’t wait for that moment!

-M

…guess when Poppy will arrive! With less than a week to Poppy’s due date and induction a possiblity for anytime Friday-Monday there are many dates to pick. Let’s see who will be the closest to the date and time (Price is Right rules)…

Good luck!

Jon Q

When we asked Zoe yesterday morning what she felt like doing, she first answered “shopping” (music to my ears) before saying “zoo.” I’m not always the biggest zoo fan (mostly because it’s sometimes cool and foggy there), but it was a gorgeous day – and, more importantly, I knew this might be our last chance for awhile to take her. So off we went, and it wound up being a totally fun morning – highlighted by seeing Hasani, the zoo’s new baby gorilla. We did go shopping later in the day as well, but Zoe – exhausted from the excitement of the morning – wound up completely missing out!

-M

Not long ago, Dan, Jenny and the three of us went to a housewarming party outside the city. Our friends live right near a playground, and – since it was such a sunny, warm day – we couldn’t resist heading over and playing around a bit. Jenny just sent over some pics, and I thought I would share two here.

-M

It was inevitable, I suppose. After months of hearing us talk about my belly, Zoe decided this morning that she had a baby in hers as well. We were getting ready to head out when she grabbed one of her beloved little badgers (picture below) and stuck it under her shirt. “Look, Mommy – I have a baby in my belly!” she said excitedly – and she kept it there during our entire car-ride across town!

-M

I had to laugh when I read about a recent study showing that dads-to-be gained an average of 14 pounds during their partner’s pregnancy. Though I don’t think Q has gained any weight over the past few months, I can’t help but think of how my various cravings/food phases could have impacted him. He must have a lot of willpower – or maybe he’s just not that into brownie sundaes, donuts, root-beer floats and Honey Bunches of Oats cereal. Those are the foods that really got me at various points in the pregnancy (I can still eat the latter bowfuls at a time), and poor Q was right beside me as I eagerly munched away.

-M

One of the things I’m getting excited about is seeing Zoe in the big-sister role. I feel pretty confident that she’ll relish her new position; as mentioned before, she has already taken a great interest in the baby. The other day, she kissed my stomach and said, “I like you, Baby Sister.” And after she jumped on me recently and was gently reminded to be careful of the baby, she bent over my stomach and said, “Sorry, Baby Sister. I didn’t mean to.”

Zoe has been spending a bit of time with Elena’s newborn granddaughter, and Elena reports that Zoe likes to gently pat her and plant kisses on her forehead. Zoe has also been doing a lot of caring for her “baby” stuffed animals – just yesterday, she tucked into “bed” and sang to sleep her little badgers (which are actually part of a baby mobile). The badgers are still there today, serving as a happy reminder of Zoe’s nurturing nature!

-M