Baby Velazquez: The Arrival

TIME TO "WEIGH IN"

2009-03-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

So here we are -- March 20, 2009 -- and Dr. Janis Fee says that Wendy could go into labor Sunday or Monday, putting us well ahead of our April 12 due date. But don't worry -- it's fine. Wendy is nearly full-term (37 weeks) and ultrasound measurements put Ella at around 7 pounds already. She's gonna be a little fatty, regardless of her actual birth date!

For those of you in to juicy details, Dr. Fee based this prediction on the fact that Wendy is already 2.5 cm dilated and Ella's head is definitely low and ready to go. Naturally, this prediction has Wendy tickled. So this weekend will entail lots of walks and, just in case we don't get another chance, a trip to the movies courtesy of Auntie Emily Babysitting, Inc.

So it's time to drop your predictions on birth date and other vitals. Will you let the doc's haphazard prediction sway you? Or will you stick to nature's rule with a date closer to April 12? Leave your predictions below in COMMENTS.

Just for fun, here's what you guys predicted last year ahead of Mya's big day:

Mya Audrey Velazquez
Born: February 25, 2008 @ 1:22 p.m.
Weight: 8 lbs. 3 oz.
Length: 20 1/2 in.

Gwin, you were close with your guess of February 24, but Jenny Pearson, you nailed the delivery date. Yes, it still counts even though it was an induction.

Sergio, by going with the "under" on Melinda's guess, nailed the 8 lbs. 3 oz. birth weight.

Mama Val, you got her length correct at 20.5, as did Gwin.

We'll keep everyone posted! Prayers for a safe, swift and (relatively) pain free labor are appreciated!

P.S. Someone also asked earlier if we were registered and where. We are registered for some stuff -- mostly necessity items -- at Babies R Us again. Ella will have plenty of hand-me-downs from her big sister, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind a few items of her own!

ELLA'S ALMOST HERE!

2009-02-28T14:08:00.000-08:00

My little red riding hood at 31 weeks. Hot mama!

The last few weeks have been very hectic for the family Velazquez. We are realizing that we are ill prepared for the arrival of Ella Grace, which is slated for April 12 but is more likely the end of March. We still need to install the new car seat for Mya, get her bassinet in place, pack our hospital bag and sleep (at least once) for eight consecutive hours. Wish us luck!

Wendy's belly is just about as big now as it was when she was full term with Mya, so that puts Ella's predicted birth weight at just short of a metric ton. This pregnancy has been difficult for Wendy -- her ligaments never fully healed in her pelvis after Mya, so naturally with each ounce Ella puts on, there is extreme pressure and pain on Wendy's nether regions all day long. But she's a trooper and still rubs her belly and talks to Ella all the time.

Meanwhile, Mya -- who turned one this week -- is walking around and getting into everything! Other parents weren't lying when they told us that life would be way different once she started taking steps. But alas, we're managing and happy to see her developing those leg muscles for Olympics 2024. You're our cash cow, Mya Moo! No pressure...

On a side note, the girls took some Valentine's day pics for me as a gift (see below). Amy, Wendy's sister, is an amazing photographer -- we wish she would start making money doing it! The pics are of Wendy, Mya and the baby belly!

But first -- our first 3D peeks in at Ella in utero, courtesy of the ladies (Terry, Kim and Ashley) at Before the Stork 4D (www.beforethestork4D.com). We had all the grandparents there to watch on their big screen! Enjoy, and be sure to start checking more often as the due date nears!

Little Ella was all over the place during the ultrasound, but we managed to catch this serene moment with her sucking her thumb.

This one we can't really explain. Several times during the ultrasound, she just stuck her tongue out, a la Air Jordan. Maybe she was invoking her inner Bud Man with a "Whasaaaaaaap?!"

Look at how plump these cheeks are already!! Depending on when she comes, she could out-plump her big sister's birth weight.

Tongue...again.

This was the final image of the exam. We'll see you soon, Ella Grace!

Mya loves showing off those two bottom teeth, even when she's getting into mischief.

In general, Mya hates hats, bows, clips and rubber bands and anything else in her hair or on her head -- unless SHE'S the one putting them on! Stubborn little moo moo.

Our little girl. Life is good...

THE BEST TIME TO BLOG

2009-01-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

My lovely ladies posing for a pic at Melinda's New Year's gathering.

What is the best time to blog? Over your morning coffee? Just as you're settling into bed, perhaps? Maybe you should blog whenever the urge hits -- when your thoughts are most blogworthy. Is it all of the above? We contend that the best time to blog is...(drum roll)...

...whenever you can. And when you're spending most of your day wrangling around your 10.75-month old (that was for you, Paterson), moments of digital creativity are few and far between. I'm sure the other parents out there know wht I'm talking about. In any event, we wanted to update you on what's been going on at Casa de Velazquez.

Mya went from dragging to crawling to standing in what seemed to be a week. She hasn't taken any steps yet -- she can step pretty well with help -- but she is cruising on all the furniture, reaching for everything and eating anything she can get her hands on. Her latest non-edible indulgence? A rubber band that she pulled out of her hair. (insert shameless rubber poop joke here)

Mya just visited her new pediatrician. She'd just gotten over a cold and was feeling very social, waving and smiling at the entire staff. We found out that Mya is 23 pounds (she's lost 2-3 pounds) and 29 3/4 inches -- both place her, not suprisingly, in the 95th percentile for her age group. Olympics 2024, here we come!

Wendy, as you can see from the pics here, is getting bigger by the day. Her belly is absolutely in full bloom and I'm loving it. She is bigger sooner than she was last time, which is fun for me (and me alone). Back problems have kept her from exercising as much as she did last time through but she walks when she can and chases Mya plenty, so her weight gain is pacing just right.

Doctor Fee -- our new OB, who sports an ironic, if comical, name -- says that little Ella Grace is growing at a great pace and may even make her debut 1-2 weeks ahead of her April 12 due date. We're back in church here in the OC and feeling very much at home again. Despite how crazy things are right now, we feel incredibly blessed and all of you reading this are a big part of that.

Stay tuned for more updates! We'll try to be better about it, but again -- time for blogging is tougher and tougher to come by!

You guys may see this holiday pic resurface next Christmas card season. Thanks for looking at the camera, Mya.

Wendy's bulbous belly in all of its glory, circa week 26. "Love Child" is right! (except for all the cheesy, hippy connotations)

More belly photos -- just because. This was taken around Week 25.

Mya getting all "crazy eyes" on us. What? Like you don't give your kid a cup of Taster's Choice in the morning?

Nothing too exciting here -- it's Mya looking into the big tank on her first visit to the Long Beach Aquarium.

ESTROGEN-OPOLIS!!!

2008-12-23T23:09:00.000-08:00

Mya orders a chimichanga.

Estrogenopolois (noun): Home in which the man is overrun by females and, as a result, is subjected to Real Housewives of Orange County, candles and feelings.

This is where Eric will live. Last week, we got final confirmation...we are having another girl! Our previous OB in the valley -- the lovely Dr. Russo (she will be missed!) -- gave us a 90% chance that we were having a girl. That 10% margin of error was shattered when the latest ultrasound revealed a huge lack of penis-osity.

Penis-osity (noun): Anatomical ownership of a penis.

So we'll end up with a second girl! Pretty sure that Wendy is going to be sneaking chemical castration solution into all of my beverages from here on out, so don't go counting on us adding a boy to our litter. We're very excited. Wendy is due April 12 or 13 and, despite grandma Patsy's objections, going to be naming her Ella Grace. (Sorry, mama...it's not after your mother-in-law, we promise. We just like the name!) In other news, we're spending Christmas week in our new home without the benefit of health or immunity. We're all sick.

Plague-ified (adjective): Household-wide cold or flu infection, often accompanied by a week of sleeplessness, clothes covered in vomit and barely-legal doses of immune-boosting supplements.

BUT...we're looking forward to seeing Mya -- now 10 months old! -- rifle through Christmas presents in the next two days, even though she'll have far more interest in the wrapping paper than in any of the zillion gifts her grandparents are going to get her. Here, you'll see a few recent pics of our growing Mamu. She's a handful. She went from doing the Army crawl to a regular crawl pretty quickly, and overnight seemed to start pulling herself up into a standing position. Now, she's standing on her own for around 30 seconds at a time. But she often becomes so impressed with herself, she starts clapping and falls on her bum. Here's some recent pics and video for you to peek at. Her two-tooth smile and goofy grin are just -- to quote Wendy -- "the bees knees!"

Anyone see the resemblance between this shot and the cover for Michael Jackson's Thriller album?

Mya enjoys a morning laugh with her daddy.

Don't worry...if this black cat crossed your path on Halloween, it meant good luck for the year to come! (Or another baby for mommy and daddy...)

Even after getting scratched on her face by our kitty Bengal at grandma Patsy's, Mya-moo is still all smiles in her new house. Life...is...good!

Her little giggles are the perfect cure after a long commute or a rough day at the office.

BOUNCING BABY (BOY?)

2008-10-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

So here we are again. Baby No. 2 is on the way. By the ticker to the right here, you'll see that we're expecting somewhere in mid-April. Our O.B. -- Dr. Joie Russo -- predicted April 12, but that will likely change a few times before baby shows up.

This time has been a bit different. We know what to expect and are understandably less paranoid about every little thing. This week marked the start of Wendy's second trimester (where did the time go???) and, thankfully, Wendy's finally starting to feel better. She endured about eight straight weeks of 24/7 nausea and general pregnancy-induced malaise.

But new baby is doing great (see above pic), bouncing up a storm in his mama's belly. During this 13-week ultrasound, we got quite a treat. At one point, he "jumped" from one side of his sac to the other. It was an amazing, athletic move that left us laughing and, once again, amazed at how the Lord builds babies. Today, a little fetal leap. Tomorrow -- because that's how it will seem -- a pair of squishy baby thighs, diapers and gummy smiles. Wow.

(NOTE: The word "his" was a deliberate and shameless attempt by baby's daddy at the Jedi mind trick. In fairness, this ultrasound session didn't yield any conclusive evidence one way or the other on baby's gender. Dr. Bradley, our perinatologist, gave us an admitted poor estimate of 60% that we're having a girl.)

Stay tuned for more updates!

PICTURE THIS...

2008-10-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

We interrupt your normal text-heavy helping of updates in place of this picture-caption installment. Also included: Video of peek-a-boo and evidence of Mya's drinking problem. Enjoy the Mya...she turns 8 months next week!
Here's a shot of Mya, doing a wardrobe test-run for her future at the convent.

As you may have gathered, Miss Mya absolutely hates the camera. (NOTE: Mya absolutely loves the camera.)

The only thing she likes more than looking into the camera lens? Looking at herself in the mirror.

Mya loves trying on hats now. Here, she sports her mom's diva Rhythm Nation lid.

Pictured here in her new room in Orange, Mya holds her future -- and our retirement plan -- in her hands. Yes, that is a mini-Wilson beach volleyball. Olympics 2028?

We caught Mya tangling herself up in her floor gym. Her embarrassment is evident.

Mya and her daddy enjoy a quiet weekend morning on the couch. Not pictured: the obscenely-soiled diaper she gifted us upon waking.

"I love wearing dad's fedora!" coos Mya. "Uhh, wait...why does dad have a fedora? Is this the 20s? What's wrong with this guy? I'm surprised he's not using a gunpowder flash camera."

Mya's an easy mark for dad's primitive sense of humor.

Video evidence of Mya's drinking problem.

LIFE AND TIMES OF A FERTILE FAMILY

2008-09-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

The brown-eyed beauty you see shooting adorable glances at you here is now nearly seven months old, if you can believe it. We believe it because hardly anything she has in her closet fits her anymore.

Mya, at a doc's appointment just two weeks ago, was 18 lbs. 7 1/2 oz. and 27 1/2 inches long. Interestingly, at the same age, her mother was 15 lbs. 12 1/2 oz. and 26 1/2 inches long. Those differences are amazing! Just goes to show that Mya is putting on baby chub at an alarming rate, but that her height is keeping up pretty well.

Also, as you know from the previous blog entry, we are currently expecting our second child. Wendy is now 9 weeks prego with our second offspring, according to our OB, Mya's delivering doc, Dr. Joie Russo. We had the privilege of seeing our new baby on screen for the first time. Seeing that little heartbeat is no less breathtaking the second time through. No one can tell us that life begins anywhere but conception...

So needless to say, it's fun and exciting times in the Velazquez household. Stay tuned for more. In the meantime, please help yourself to these photos selections of miss Mya Moo from the last few weeks. Also posted are two videos of her enjoying tummy time with mama and her cracking up at daddy's Elmo giggle. Comments are welcome...

UHH...YOU'RE WHAT?

2008-08-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

NO, this is not our baby, BUT...

For those of you who haven't heard yet, we're crazy people. On Sunday, August 10, Wendy informed me that she is, in fact, with child. More to the point, she shoved a positive pregnancy test in my face and said "I TOLD YOU!" Point taken. (Seven weeks now, hence the random, Google-pulled pic of a 7-week ultrasound.)

We had blood drawn twice that week -- on Tuesday and again on Friday -- to check her hCG levels to make sure. And what do you know? Her levels had nearly tripled and we were officially, lab-confirmed preggers.

To answer your questions:

1. Yes, we are a little bit crazy.

2. Yes, it was a little bit of a surprise.

3. Mya is six months old.

4. Yes, we ARE excited...thanks for asking.

Initially, we were taken aback but we are an awesome team and are really happy to have been blessed with another pregnancy. Wendy is getting back into pregnancy mode. She's eating better, exercising, and resting. But she's also already enjoying the perks of early pregnancy: fatigue, nausea, sleeplessness, temperature fluctuation and vertigo. Ahh, the joys of motherhood.

So we appreciate everyone's prayers and well-wishes. We plan to keep everyone up to date, as always, right here on the blog. Our first doctor's appointment for this one is September 3 -- stay tuned!

(NOTE: When speaking to Wendy, do not under any circumstances, reference the several instances of twins on her side of the family.)

FROM THE VIDEO LIBRARY

2008-08-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a small assortment of our favorite short videos of Mya from the last month or so. Included are her first real giggles, her lovely singing voice, her first trip to the beach and the first -- although certainly not the last time -- she decided to punch her dad in the face for a half hour. Enjoy!

MYA'S SWEET 16

2008-07-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

That's right...this lovely little face belongs to a little girl bordering on 16 pounds. At just over 21 weeks old, she's still growing at a pretty good pace. In the span of a week and a half, she put on almost a pound and a half, likely due to the fact that she graduated into the glorious (and messy) world of baby food.

This past month, she also had her first swim! On the 4th of July, she took a dip in grammy Ethel's pool. Then on the 5th, she went in my aunt Vickie's pool! It was utterly hilarious to see her kicking her little chubby feet and splashing around in the water -- she definitely enjoyed it. See our family photo below for a peek at her swimsuit!

On the development front, we're "encouraging" her to say "mama" as her first word, but who knows how long it'll be before that happens? She has made the "ma" sound with Wendy's encouragement, but we wouldn't be surprised if her first word was "donut" or "nap" -- just because we talk about those things often in this household. For now, enjoy the new pics and as always, feel free to leave us comments.

OUR FAMILY SCRAPBOOK: MONTH 4

2008-06-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

Below is a small selection from our family scrapbook -- all of it from the last month or so. Mya is four months old now and is getting, well...fat! Her thighs are blowing up like she's the heir to the Michelin empire and her chins are multiplying like a mogwai thrown into a bathtub. (Yes, I referenced Gremlins.)

It's all good though. She's still a healthy eater, but is taking in more and more formula since her mama's back at work now. With both of us parents back at work, life has been pretty hectic, but we have great bosses and we're managing our schedules very well. Amazingly, we find time to take pics occasionally. See below and enjoy! And if you have comments (read: compliments!), please click "Comments" at the end of this post and drop us a line!

"I love my mommy! She sings to me and cuddles with me all the time. Plus, she's the milk...which is great for helping me grow strong bones, fat wrists and chubby thighs."

"Sometimes, when you're a baby, you hit yourself in the face with your rattle...it's for fun."

"I hate tummy time, but I LOVE taking photos!"

"Daddy took me with him to a photo shoot for work. I didn't see what was so exciting."

"Of course I can sit up on my own. I can also topple over onto my side without help. I'm good that way."

"I have every confidence that double chins will come back into style by the time I'm out of diapers. So really, I'm ahead of the game."

"Musical butterfly plush toys -- they're what's for dinner."
(Click the play button on the player to view video.)

A "MODEL" CITIZEN

2008-05-28T21:48:00.000-07:00

Well, Mya is just over three months now -- 13 1/2 weeks to be exact -- and is just blowing our minds with how cute she is. She's 13 pounds even and 25 inches long, the latter stat putting her in the 90th percentile (not a surprise considering how tall her mother is).

Her incredibly talented Auntie Amy is also nuts about her and has gone snap-happy with her camera. Here are some of the pics she took recently. And as you can see, Mya still loves the lens.

ANYONE SPEAK BABY?

2008-05-07T22:03:00.000-07:00

Anyone speak baby? Because I'm really wondering what the heck she's talking about. This is what happens when Mya gets chatty so I decided to try to capture the moment on film. More video to come soon...

BABY DIVA GOES IN FRONT OF THE LENS

2008-05-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

Yes yes, little baby Mya had her first "official" photo shoot. And by "official," we mean "paid for." While auntie Amy has been wonderful at taking about a billion photos for us, our wedding photographer Candy Cordes (www.candycordes.com) stopped by on Saturday (May 3) to take Mya's "newborn" photos.

I won't give too much away -- let's just say there were naked baby butts involved. And in what was perhaps the pinnacle of the shoot, Mya peed on her dad's back. Don't ask how. The first few pics are from the shoot. The remaining few are just a random sampling from the last two weeks. She turns 10 weeks tomorrow!

TWO MONTHS IN THE BOOKS!

2008-04-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

Today (April 21), Mya is all of two months old (that's eight weeks to the pediatrician crowd out there)! As you can see from the pics below, she is growing fast and getting painfully more adorable by the minute.

Her eyes are getting lighter and lighter but we think they're more likely to end up a light brown or hazel instead of her mom's crystal blues. She's mixed in a few giggles, which is absolutely heartwarming. But the coolest thing yet? She is watching TV!!! Baby Einstein is a sure bet but tonight we sat and watched Finding Nemo with her. Between her love for TV and her love of naps, it is abundantly clear -- she fits right in with the existing family dynamic.

But enough yapping -- we'll dive in with one of my favorite pics ever. It's her cross-eyed face that she does from time to time, usually when she's trying to drop a deuce. Another photo in this post shows you the danger of the dreaded nappy-hair gene (carried by her father, of course), which sometimes rears its ugly head after she has a bath. Enjoy!

THE CHRONICLES OF MYA

2008-04-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

Mya turns six weeks old on Monday (April 7)! To sum things up, things are going very very well. We've had a few rough nights -- including an all-night screaming party last Monday that kept me out of work for a day -- but other than that, she's been a great little sleeper. Is it wrong for that to be the thing I love most about this little girl?

Below is a sampling of pics from the last week or so, including one of Mya and I heading through Fryman Canyon in Century City on a hike with mommy this weekend. We are quite the fun little family! As you can see, she gives us quite a few smiles which is simply awesome. She's approaching 11 pounds now and is pretty much right down the middle on all her growth charts (insert joke about short dad here).

FOUR WEEKS OF FUN!

2008-03-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

Today (March 24), Mya is four weeks old. Here are some pics to show her evolution. She's getting fatter and fiestier everyday and we love it! She continues to be a healthy eater, she's sleeping well at night and is probably on course for some kind of record for soiled diapers.

In the first pic, Mya is striking her signature "front double biceps" pose. We follow that with another we took at home today and then some from Easter Sunday.

3 WEEKS OF MYA

2008-03-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

As of today, Mya is three weeks old. Other parents have told us repeatedly that "they grow up fast." Man, they ain't lyin'. Mya quickly made it back up to her birth weight of 8 lbs. 3 oz., which is awesome. She's continued to eat like a champ and seems to be growing by the minute! She's getting more and more and more expressive everyday. So far, she's been wonderful! Aside from the standard first-week fussies, she's been a pretty tame infant (thank the Lord!). Below are some of the shots we've taken from the past week. Please feel free to leave your comments at the bottom of this post.

GRATUITOUS PHOTO GALLERY!

2008-03-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

Well, we haven't been shy about taking photos. Here are some of our favorites from the last few days. Thank God for little baby feet! Mya's monkey toes are quite edible, as mama Wendy demonstrates below.

AT HOME WITH BABY MYA

2008-03-01T05:48:00.000-08:00

Hey wait...nobody told US that babies were this much work! Alas, we the proud but sleep-deprived parents plod on...

We brought Mya home on Wednesday afternoon and are working hard at getting into a bit of a routine. That was tougher in the first few days when mom and baby were still getting the hang of breastfeeding, but it's getting better and better -- feedings are coming every 2-3 hours as prescribed and Mya's on her way to getting fat and happy. Having her home -- despite the fog of only getting sleep for a few hours (at most) at a time -- feels wonderful.

As you may be able to tell from a few of the pics here, her color is normalizing. She's definitely more Velazquez than Ames in that department, which everyone says is great, especially if she ends up with blue eyes. For some reason, that only seems strengthen my resolve to lock her up in a dungeon through puberty. Wendy's been doing great with breastfeeding and mothering. Daddy, meanwhile, has become something of a pro with diaper changes.

We've also had some visitors to the house already. Grammy Ethel came and spent the night on Thursday, Auntie Emily stayed the night before that. Dave, Jeff and Tiffanee have all stopped by the house to see baby Mya, too. We'll be taking plenty more pictures in the weeks/months/years ahead -- I've just left a random sampling of our first few days as a family here.

IT'S ABOUT TIME!

2008-02-26T10:37:00.001-08:00

After only 40 weeks and 5 days, Mya Audrey Velazquez decided to join us! Not surprisingly, she is GORGEOUS! I mean, look at her parents.

Wendy didn't push for very long -- about 35 minutes. And for the record, she was a silent pusher! No screaming, no cursing at her husband -- just focus. This chick was in a ZONE!

Anyways, the vitals:
Mya Audrey Velazquez
Born: February 25, 2008 @ 1:22 p.m.
Weight: 8 lbs. 3 oz.
Length: 20 1/2 in.

Gwin, you were close with your guess of February 24, but Jenny Pearson, you nailed the delivery date. Yes, it still counts even though it was an induction.

Sergio, by going with the "under" on Melinda's guess, nailed the 8 lbs. 3 oz. birth weight.

Mama Val, you got her length correct at 20.5, as did Gwin. The jury is still out on her first words...

I can, without hesitation, tell you that Wendy and I spent the next hour crying and/or fighting back tears of joy. To see her bring our daughter into this world...well, I don't know if I'll ever be more amazed at something. Both mom and baby are doing fine and are recovering here at the hospital. Not surprisingly, our first night as a family was a rough one -- Mya was either wanting to eat or needing a diaper change all night. And parents, you know how fun those first few diapers are!

Thank you so much to everyone for all your thoughts, prayers, texts, calls, gifts and visits. She's our child but this was very much a community effort and we feel blessed to have such great family and friends to share this experience with. We're parents now and that's a tough thing to wrap our brains around. But we are both so in love with this little girl already that we are looking forward to the journey!

I will try to post more pics of this little love bundle soon. Time to get back to my girls -- I smell a full diaper!

Blessings,
Eric & Wendy

HOSPITAL TIME

2008-02-26T10:26:00.000-08:00

Is this blog two days overdue? Yes. But bear with me and I'll give you the play-by-play in sequence.

Wendy and I checked into the hospital to start the induction process at 9:15 on Sunday evening after watching No Country for Old Men win all of the Oscars. Before we headed out, Wendy was really nervous -- it was go time and like any first-time mom, she didn't know what to expect.

After checking into a lovely room with two pee-proof beds -- and don't think I didn't test it out -- they started the induction process. But by morning, the hormones that they had given Wendy hadn't provided the punch they'd hoped. She was, by that time, still only 1-2 cm dilated -- as she had been for the past two weeks. So in came Dr. Russo on Monday morning to break Wendy's water. And because she knew what Wendy could expect after that, she recommended the epidural immediately. Wendy politely accepted. As you can see from the photo, she was pretty excited to get medicated because her contractions became incredibly intense within minutes after breaking her water. She took the epidural like a champ.

From there, things went fast. Wendy went from 2 cm to 10 cm dilated between 9:30 and about 12:45. That's when it was time to push!

40 WEEKS

2008-02-18T22:23:00.000-08:00

How long are women supposed to be pregnant again? I read a few places that it is 40 weeks -- 10 months total, contrary to popular belief. Wendy is 39 weeks and 5 days along now. Mya is due on Wednesday! Of course, she'll come when she wants to come -- not when WE want her to.

This picture was taken during one of Mya's busy spells on Monday evening. At one point, she performed some of her token acrobatics, which seemed to completely reshape Wendy's belly.

We have an appointment with Dr. Russo on Tuesday morning. Wendy's hoping for a best case scenario in which Dr. Russo says we have to induce, or that Wendy's dilated and ready to be admitted. But based on the absence of contractions since Saturday, when she had nine that were about four minutes apart, it doesn't look like Mya's going anywhere quite yet. Her Braxton-Hicks contractions have become more frequent but are still very mild and never in regular intervals (except Saturday). Let it be noted for the record that daddy (that's me, kids) predicted a February 22 arrival date.

At the hospital, I'll have wireless internet access and plan to post to the blog with updates as often as possible. That means I'll post news whenever I'm not holding Wendy's hand or coaching her through contractions. (At least that's the plan!)

What I can say is that I already miss feeling Mya moving around inside Wendy's belly. I'm WAY excited for my wife that she'll be able to enjoy life's simple pleasures like sleeping on her stomach, exercising and breathing like a normal person again -- but these last 40 weeks have been so awesome, so miraculous for me. I will miss it for sure. But I'll get to hold our little girl soon, so I think I'll survive.

Remember to keep this link handy for updates. Remember -- our due date is Wednesday!

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GIRL?

2008-02-08T22:26:00.000-08:00

Okay...38 weeks and still no Mya. Would it be a first to put the face of an unborn child on a milk carton? These are the things we wonder. So here are a few bulletpoints on what the increasingly anxious parents-to-be are going through:

1. Why so anxious? Well, it depends on who you ask. For Wendy, it could be the fact that it feels like Mya is trying to tunnel her way out through her floating ribs so naturally, she is ready for the birthing and the pushing and the screaming. While some of the mid-pregnancy fun -- like hip pain and extreme fatigue -- hasn't completely gone away, it all seems to be overshadowed by this lingering rib pain for this poor mommy. But she's on maternity leave now. Which brings us to #2.

2. Wendy's on maternity leave. She went in this week for another baby shower, this time put on by her co-workers, but I don't think that counts as work. Now that she's home all day, she's been bored out of her mind but has been channeling that boredom into the house -- creating new storage, coming up with interesting new Mexican food recipes and finishing Mya's room. Onto #3.

3. One of the biggest reasons for the anxiety definitely has to do with the fact that the nursery is done and we are ready to receive! Okay, it's not ENTIRELY pristine. We have a few things to find room for still and, oh yeah...there was a leak in the ceiling.

4. THERE ARE LEAKS IN THE CEILING! I don't get the valley. For 11 1/2 months out of the year, it's 135 degrees and you can cook an egg on the sidewalk. But for two straight weekends, it poured buckets on our heads. Happily, it helped us find every single design flaw in our home. We had buckets, bowls and sponges out in full force for like 10 days but one of the worst leaks was in Mya's room. Yuk. Here's to the next 11 months.

5. Finally, Wendy's been having Braxton-Hicks contractions far more often. These practice contractions have given us both a chance to practice our breathing techniques for labor. She had three that were all pretty close together after the Super Bowl party at Jeff's -- they were all three minutes apart. But then the next one didn't come for another half hour. We're hoping that we only end up making ONE trip to the hospital. (insert Dave's "yeah right" here)

Aside from these things, we've just been watching movies (Cloverfield, Michael Clayton and Juno to name a few), playing poker (damn that Jared Evans) and relaxing when we can.

We really can't wait to meet this little girl.

The Waiting Game

2008-01-30T21:54:00.000-08:00

So here we are -- Week 37. One week from now, Wendy will be considered "full term" -- not as OF today as I'd previously reported. (I'm a rookie dad, give me a break.) But I digest...

Though Wendy may protest, it looks to me like her belly growth has slowed considerably. It'd make sense though -- at this point, Mya's pretty near her birth length but still putting on her baby "phat" at a rate of about a half ounce per day. At our 35-week diagnostic ultrasound, she was 5 lbs. 13 oz. and Dr. Russo is predicting her to be around 7.5-8.0 pounds now. We'll soon see.

Alas, now we are playing the waiting game. Wendy is likely in her last week of work now. She's gone as long as she can -- trooper that she is -- but is becoming more uncomfortable by the day. She's feeding Mya the good stuff -- whole grains, milk and, as you can see here, peanut butter.

Papa Eric has been taking as many opportunties as possible to have a little fun while he can. Uncles Dennis and Dave took him snowboarding for the first time a few weeks back. The photo below, taken in Big Bear, is one of the only times that he wasn't face down in the snow. Learning hurts when you're 30.

Eric would also like to thank his cousins David and Jaime for kindly relieving him of $50 in a recent poker game. Hey, at least we kept it in the family!

Again, Mya's due date is February 20. We plan to e-mail folks with updates from the hospital -- rumor has it that they have a wireless connection there.

A special thanks to everyone for all the great gifts we've received for our little daughter. And we have 24 total votes here on who Mya looks like (the 3D/4D video and pics are below). If you haven't voted, please do so! Also, there's still time to drop your predictions on her birthday, length, weight and first words. Scroll down to "Betting Time" then click on "Comments" to leave your two cents.

Hot Mama!

2008-01-14T13:26:00.001-08:00

These are a few of the photos taken by Wendy's sister Amy Ramirez on Sunday, January 13. Wendy, 34 weeks and change at the time these photos were snapped, is looking beautiful and ready to burst!

We're now just days away from turning the corner into Week 35. At Week 36, Wendy will be considered "full term." Mya could come at anytime -- in fact, Wendy would prefer sooner than later! -- but we figure she's gonna take the weeks she needs to finish cooking. Wendy's ready to push. Her rib cage is constantly achy, which makes it even tougher to sleep at night. As if the kicking baby, hip pain and leg cramping weren't enough, right?

We also want to say thanks to all the friends and family who have gotten us gifts already! To all you ladies who planned and participated in Wendy's shower over the weekend (Gwin, I'm looking at you!), thank you so much for your generosity. Next stop: the big shower, courtesy of grandma Patsy and grandma Ethel! We're going to need to add space to keep up with everyone's gifting! Do you think they'll let us add on to our condo?

Finally, to those of you who haven't voted already, there's still time to give your predictions on Mya's birth stats. Eric Biederman mercifully predicted that Mya would be here on February 9 -- Wendy loves you for that -- but then also said she'd be in the 8-pounds-plus club. Grandma Patsy, not surprisingly, is pulling for a 9-pounder, but predicted a birthday of February 28. Get in on this action while you can! Simply scroll down to the "Betting Time" post and click "Comments."

UPDATE: Today (Jan. 17), at our last visit with Dr. Bradley, our perinatologist, Mya measured 17 inches and weighed in at 5 lbs. 13 oz. At this pace, Dr. Bradley predicts that Mya will weigh "around 7 pounds." Uncle Dave Paterson is the closest to that mark, predicting 19 inches and 7 lbs. 3 oz.

Nursery Furniture: Just Add Baby

2008-01-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

So here we are, just six weeks or so away from Mya's big cameo. In preparation for her arrival we are in full-blown nesting mode. It started a few weeks back with the arrival of her wonderful new nursery furniture (see photo). Thanks to grandma Patsy and grandpa Dave for buying it, thanks to uncle Jimmy P. for helping to get it to the house! Believe it or not, Eric actually put all of this together by himself. (In all honesty, the dresser pretty much came in one piece.) Miracles ARE possible!

In addition to the furniture assembly, we've been busy remodeling the closet for extra storage (that was ALL Wendy) and getting all of her new clothes washed. (Thanks to the family and friends who have already bought her some wonderful little outfits!)

In other news, Wendy is growing increasingly uncomfortable. The belly photo here, taken at Week 30, should show why. Early term hip pain and shortness of breath has now taken a backseat to rib pain on her right side. Nights? Not so great. She's usually only cozy in the same spot for an hour or two at the MOST. We think it'll make her a "motivated pusher" come delivery day. This little girl is growing fast!

MYA IN 3D

2007-12-13T13:55:00.000-08:00

Here's a short clip from our 3D ultrasound with Dr. Bradley. About 5 seconds in, Mya starts to look bored, letting out a HUGE yawn!

And below are some of the still shots from the ultrasound. She was generally uncooperative with the doctor -- her head was settled pretty far down in Wendy's pelvis AND she was facing the posterior wall of the uterus. But eventually, she did give us some good looks at her little baby cheeks! The bottom photo is of her little foot. She has a giant toe! The consensus seems to be that she has my nose and Wendy's mouth. What do you guys think? Leave your thoughts by clicking on "Comments" at the bottom right part of this post.

Mya's First Christmas?

2007-12-05T21:45:00.000-08:00

Okay, maybe not quite yet -- but we're getting there. We snapped this shot on December 5, the day after we got our Christmas tree. It's hard to believe that we're about to start Week 29. We're definitely in the homestretch. Childbirth classes start next week and we're looking forward to it. Next Christmas though...we'll be holding little Mya in front of the tree! (And we'll look GREAT!)

Merry Christmas!

Betting Time!

2007-12-03T12:07:00.000-08:00

While we can no longer guess about the whole boy/girl thing -- unless we get a HUGE surprise when she's born! -- we can still make guesses on a few other things like when she's going to be born, what time, how much she'll weigh and how long she'll be. Below are the projected due date and the specs for Wendy and I when we were born. Click on "comments" in the bottom right portion of this box and leave your guesses. The closest ones win an undisclosed amount of babysitting opportunities.

THE WENDY FILE
Birthday: May 10, 1978
Birth time: 9:30 a.m.
Birth weight: 8 lbs., 6 oz.
Birth length: 21 in.

THE ERIC FILE
Birthday: August 17, 1977
Birth time: 8:40 a.m.
Birth weight: 7 lbs., 12 oz.
Birth length: 20 1/2 in.

MYA'S PROJECTED ARRIVAL DATE: February 20, 2008

* THE ERIC FILE and THE WENDY FILE are subject to angry dispute by our mothers who might expect us to know this stuff by now.

The Mya Registry

2007-11-20T17:32:00.000-08:00

It's almost baby shower time! Many of you have been asking where we are registered. Until now, the answer has been "nowhere." Now, the answer is Babies R Us. You can access our registry by going to www.babiesrus.com and clicking on the baby registry in the top, right-hand corner.

The registry is under the mommy-to-be's name: Wendy Velazquez.
If that doesn't work, try the registry number: 68972374

We are so grateful for everyone who has already decided to purchase gifts through the registry. Being new at this, Wendy and I really had no idea how much STUFF you need to get ready for a child. Good thing our condo is like 23 square feet.

NEWS: Our next doctor's appointment is at the end of November. We hope to post new ultrasound video soon after that. Then, in early December, we get our 3D/4D ultrasound and we DEFINITELY intend to share that with everyone.

NOTE: If anyone wants to just drop the expectant mom a line to see how she's doing, she's fast becoming the queen of e-mail. You can reach her at wendyames8@aol.com.

BABY TICKER

2007-11-09T23:49:00.000-08:00

To the right, you'll notice a new feature -- a baby ticker, courtesy of babystrology.com. I got the idea from my good friend -- the two-time Olympic athlete and insanely hilarious Heather Petri. Thanks, Petie! Check out her blog at the link below and be sure to follow her and the girls as they get closer to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing! (Shameless plug, I know -- what can I say? I used to be her publicist.)

http://hpeatree.blogspot.com/

Now, you guys can check back to see Mya "grow" as we head toward her projected due date of February 20. We should have new belly photos and ultrasound videos up soon, so check back often.

IT'S A GIRL!!!

2007-10-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

Today, October 15, 2007 -- a day that will live in infamy. The Velazquez Family was suddenly and deliberately told by their doctor that they were having a girl!!!

Though this rough ultrasound view won't have any really "telling" images for you at home, her lack of a penis had the doctor pretty certain (98% she said) that we were having a girl. Baby was just over 10 inches head to toe and weighed in at 14 ounces -- both right on schedule. Baby's heartbeat was crazy strong and we couldn't be happier. Now, it's time to get started on the nursery!

http://www.youtube.com/v/Fs1I9BVYDbA

Baby Belly -- Week 21

2007-10-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

And here's the outside belly view in Week 21. It doesn't look drastically bigger from this angle, but the sides of her belly are so much harder. At our Week 21 ultrasound (above), the doctor said that the baby weighed a healthy 14 ounces already. And yes, many of you have made comments on how brave Wendy is for showing her belly to the masses -- but those of you who know her know that her belly has always been FANTASTIC (Eric's words, not Wendy's). Long, slender and lean, her belly is one of the things Eric fell in love with first! Now, it's full of baby! Feel free to leave your comments on our board here.

Belly or Basketball?

2007-10-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

Okay...here's her belly at Week 18. At the bottom of the page, you'll see Wendy's belly at Week 13. Look at what a difference five weeks makes! Week 21 photos are above.

A Trip Down Memory Lane...

2007-10-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

Long before little Neutron was even a thought, these two incredibly handsome kids took their vows. Let us then reminisce -- let's go back to May 28, 2006 when these two got hitched. Visit their wedding photos here:

http://www.ericandwendy.net

A View of the Womb

2007-10-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a few peeks at our Week 13 ultrasound. Baby Neutron -- that's the latest nickname because of the head-to-body ratio here -- was active and not at all shy during this close-up. In the third video, you'll see the bones of the baby's face -- baby looks a little like Skeletor, but we love him/her anyway. You'll also catch Eric chatting up the doc like a rookie dad. Our next ultrasound at Week 21 should show us the baby's sex!

We apologize...some of the images get shaky at times since they were done with a tiny digital camera.

http://www.youtube.com/v/R9D5khJvCIE

Week 13 Belly

2007-08-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

Here's Wendy's belly at the start of Week 13. Notice her barely-there belly button? She's excited because that means it won't be a giant outie during her last few months. This was the first week we noticed any change with her tummy but after this, it started feeling and looking different everyday!