One Week Later

The first few days after Otis was born things were a little crazy around here. On Sunday we had a handful of visitors, mainly Jane and Dave and their daughter Molly. Dave is on crutches due to a broken ankle and he crawled up the stairs to see me and meet Otis! Needless to say, once he was up he was going to hang out for a while! I was still on "baby-high" and hung out in bed while he and Matt played chess; we ordered Indian food for dinner and all ate in the bedroom. It was very nice.
But Otis was having some very rapid breathing and strange tremors in his hands and legs. The midwives were concerned and thought it might be due to low blood sugar. They told us that babies over 11 pounds often have these issues before the mother's milk comes in. I have two breastfeeding friends and they brought milk to the house. We made a breast milk cocktail of the two mothers' milks and gave it to Otis. It seemed to help, but the 4 oz. we had wasn't enough to sustain him and we had a very rough Sunday night of 5 hours of off and on screaming.
By Monday morning his breathing had not improved and we were getting worried. Our midwives suggested we take him to our pediatrician, whom happens to be the husband of another one of our midwives. He is very supportive of home birth (obviously, if he's married to a midwife) and we trusted that he wouldn't just shuttle us off to the hospital. He felt that a chest x-ray would be good to make sure everything in Otis' lungs was clear. He also ordered a chest x-ray for me because my bronchitis was still hanging around! we made our way to the hospital for the x-rays, which went very smooth and Otis did really well in the car seat.
The x-rays came back clear for Otis and showed no signs of pneumonia for me, so we were glad to have that put behind us.
Tuesday was a turning point for us all. My milk came in and Otis was happy! So happy! He is a great nurser and seems to be giving us 3 hour stretches at night. Aside from a little gas from time to time, he is pretty much the perfect little baby.
In all of our runnings around on Monday, one of my stitches from the birth came out and I have been ordered to stay in bed a little longer than normal. The bronchitis wasn't clearing up with the first round of meds so now I am on Prednisone....but after 5 really good days of rest; very little walking, lots of sleep and water; I am beginning to feel really good. This next week will be very good for us all. Otis and I are getting downstairs some, eating with the family, socializing and it all feels like we're settling in to our family of five.

One week old




Matt's mom, Pat, is here helping...and boy is she a great big help!! She is really keeping the house running, with help from Matt (and Sam and Arlo). But she is amazing. It isn't easy to take over someone else's household and make it work, but she sure knows how to do it....and can the woman cook!!!! I am being fed like every new nursing mother should be! She'll be here until the 30th. Matt's dad, Jim, will join us on Thursday. They have plans to take Sam to see The Lion King broadway show that is here in Lansing for a bit next weekend! Sam is thrilled and I am thrilled that he gets to go.
The boys are adjusting well. It has been a good slow introduction for them. Now that I am a little more active and around them more with Otis, they'll get to help and interact a bit more. Arlo seems to be having a little more trouble with the adjustment (he's been acting out a little, but he's also sowing his 2 year old oats). Sam has been wonderful! He helps and wants to hold Otis. They have both been surprisingly patient as well.
I am still working on a birth story. It is harder to write than I though it would be. Time will help and in the next few days I think it will be done. I'll post with pictures then.

Spring Brings New Life

Otis James Haviland was born at home, as planned, at 10:36 this morning, weighing in at 11 lbs 14 oz., 22 in long...we are both just fine after 7 hours of laboring.
Not an easy labor, by any means, but an excellent reminder of how capable our bodies are when left to do things naturally.

We are all so excited to finally have him here. Sam and Arlo did great. Sam was a big part of the labor, holding my hand through contractions, watching Otis come out and cutting the cord!

Otis is nursing like a champ...a lot!
A more detailed birth story to follow.

Baby Update *UPDATED*

I have been waiting to make an update here about the pregnancy and the "waiting game" until I had a few more recent belly shots to share. It just so happens that my friend, midwife, and beloved photographer, Shelie came by yesterday, last minute and we had a little photo session! It was so much fun and I am really glad we got to do it before baby arrives (soon, we hope).
Have a look and enjoy! She is a great photographer and I don't think I have ever had nicer photographs taken of me (except by my dear love, Lisa!)...even as big and round as I am right now! I feel very lucky to have these images to document my final pregnancy. I am 39 1/2 weeks in all of these.
At last week's appointment my fundal height measured 44cm, which is the largest I have ever measured! For those of you who are pregnancy ignorant, you "usually" measure the same number cm as weeks pregnant you are! I was 39 weeks at that measurement. Now I usually measure a few cm larger than weeks pregnant, but this is a large jump for me. We have another appointment tomorrow and I will update again after that. I have been having lots of contractions, some just toning contractions and some that are pretty strong and require some minor breathing to get through. I can't tell when this guy will come. I feel like it could happen at any moment and then I also feel like it could still be a week! We'll just have to wait and see I guess! Please feel free to call and check in. I am not at the point where phone calls are annoying and I welcome the distraction! The boys are getting very anxious, as are we all!

*Updated Update* After a check up today with the midwife, I am 4 cm dilated and 50% effaced...things are moving along!

Back In and Still In

We've officially moved back in to our house! The move on the 21st went very well, nice and smooth with lots of help from friends and loved ones. My Dad arrived around noon and helped get beds set up and boxes moved around. The furniture was delivered without a hitch and now, a bit over a week later, we are feeling mostly settled. We have living spaces cleared and many boxes unpacked...enough to feel comfortable for now.
A few photos are below. I think they are mostly self explanatory, though I have to say that the bunk beds are Sam's and he is VERY proud! Our first night in the house he was in PJ's by 6 p.m. all ready for bed and LOVES sleeping on the top bunk! Arlo likes his bed as well and other a night or two of fit-full sleep, they have adjusted amazingly.


Today is my mother's birthday and she would have been 60 years old. I thought it would have been nice if Otis arrived today, but so far there are no signs that he will! He is still in! From the photos above I am sure you can see that the birthing space in the bedroom is all ready, the baby room is ready (minus a crib, which will arrive any day) and we have officially begun the "waiting for baby" game. I even finished the blanket I started for him a month ago (you can see it draped over the back of the rocker in our bedroom).
We'll certainly keep you posted and if there are any images you are missing let me know and I'll try to get some more detailed photos up here.

Quick note

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we hve finally moved in to our house!! The move this weekend went very well and we all feel so relaxed being back in there.
I will post pictures soon.
We have no internet at the house, just at the rental which we'll be completely done with by this Friday!
Sorry for lack of communication over the last few days.....

More to come!

Passing *Update*

Matt's grandfather, John Donovan, passed away on Wednesday, the 18th.

Over the years that I have been in the Grieshop family, I never really came to know Grandpa very well. He was a man of few words around me. He was a firefighter in NYC for many years and was a hard worker. In the years before his health deteriorated, he enjoyed taking very long walks and sometimes these walks would fill most of his day. I was always very impressed that he had such a contemplative past time and wondered what he thought about on his walks.

I know he enjoyed getting to meet his great-grandsons, especially Sam, as he outgrew the baby stages and am glad that Sam was able to meet him, even if just a few times.
Grandpa had a thick NY accent and I don't think I'll ever forget the way he always said, "Nice dinner, Patricia", after a meal, and she'd respond, Thank you, Daddy", despite her age.

On one visit I remember him telling me that he thought I was doing a great job with Sam and to "keep it up". Those words meant a great deal to me at the time, and still do, as it was the nicest and most sincere thing he ever said to me.


This weekend Matt's family is gathering to have a small memorial ceremony honoring Grandpa. Of course, we will not be there and it is very hard for Matt to be missing this event. It is really tearing him up inside. I hate to see him upset about it and it is hard for me to not feel like it is my fault. I know it's just timing.

Grandpa will be missed. He held a history of Matt's family, of my family now, that is gone in a way. I am sure he had some incredible stories of his years in this world and I am sorry I didn't get to hear more of them.

Moving and Knitting and Babies.

We have finally been given a move-in date! Our contractor has said we can start moving things in February 16; that is less than a week away. We will actually make the official move back into our house on the 21st...almost exactly 5 months since the fire!

A couple days after the fire we sat outside of our burned house, the air filled with that burned smell I'll never forget. Nothing like a campfire. It was a complex mix of burned plastics and paint and hair and fibers and sadness and memories. Just awful.
I was so nervous about meeting our insurance adjuster. I had this crazy image in my head of a pencil thin white guy in a suit carrying a clipboard and wearing a skinny little mustache. Of course he was out to get us, he was going to blame us for the fire despite what the fireman had determined as the cause.
With that fear came pure excitement to meet with the contractor that would rebuild our house. For some reason I had it in my head that we'd be back in by Christmas. That excitement was smothered by shock when Marv told us February. I lost it, tears streaming. I'll never forget the look on his face.
And my fears of the insurance adjuster were smothered when I met Brenda, a Midwestern mother of two, wearing a sweat shirt and jeans. She stepped aside for a moment in the middle of our meeting to take a call from her son. I knew then things were going to be okay.

Today we had the final walk through with Marv and Joe (the head carpenter). It felt so good to be walking through our house put back together, looking better than it did the day we moved in a year ago. New flooring throughout, freshly painted, new lighting fixtures and some bathroom remodeling....wow, I can't believe this is *my* house! It almost feels like we don't deserve to live in a place so nice...almost.

In the past few weeks of restricted activity I have been trying to get some knitting done and have managed to complete a few projects and start a few more! Sam lost a pair of socks I had knit him in the fire and he wanted a replacement pair. "Green this time, Mommy", he said. I dutifully knit him some green socks. It was fun and quick and he loved them so much he wore the first one for two days before the second one was even done, then he wore the pair of them for 3 days straight!
I managed to knit my first pair of adult mittens in December and am excited to start another pair soon. They are also a quick, satisfying knit. I started a baby blanket for this little guy, breaking my usual tradition of sewing a baby quilt. Since my sewing machine is still at the restoration company and I don't really have space to do one here. The timing is such that knitting one has been easier as well...though it will take a while.
I am knitting with a Kashmir Aran yarn that is so soft. I have wanted to knit with it for so long, but didn't have the occasion or finances to rationalize spending nearly $60 in yarn for one blanket!! The time has come and it will be a beautiful gift for my sweet, third son when he arrives.
In other knitting news, I have recently received two gift packages from dear friends across the country, both including some pretty fantastic yarns and sweet one-skein project book! One of the yarns is a blend of silk and seaweed! I am very excited to start some projects after the baby blanket is complete. I think I might have about 4 projects on needles by the end of this month! Whew!

Yesterday marked 36 weeks in the pregnancy. With one more week of restricted activity to go, I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. However, this whole experience has been hard for me. At first I thought I would welcome the rest and quiet and time alone. What big pregnant mother of 2 active boys wouldn't want that, right? But with the rest and quiet and time alone also came loneliness and seclusion and my spirits have been kind of low the last week. I haven't seen most of the women I usually see every week and I generally stay quite active. So to suddenly be very still and relying on others to do most everything for me, is just not in my nature!

I had a visit from a good friend in the afternoon yesterday and she brought with her a big bag of home made foods, farm eggs and her two sweet sons. Her younger son is just 6 weeks old and I was able to hold him while he slept on my chest for over an hour. It was so special and just what I needed. He curled his little legs up under his belly and rested his little head on my chest and sighed and slept and I could smell his sweet baby smell. I was reminded of why I am taking things easy right now and reminded of what is to come for me in the upcoming weeks. It was a perfect hour and I am more excited than ever to meet our little Otis (there you have, it.....Otis).