2 Weeks Old!

HBH | born 3/11 @ 7:06pm | 7 lbs 11 oz | 21 inches long

Definitely my favorite picture of him so far

Name: Hart Barnett Heeter

Hart - We found Hart on my dad's family tree. It is our little Hart's great-great-great-great Uncle on my grandpa's side. We thought Hart Heeter had a great ring to it. It's a unique name, but also classic. The whole pregnancy, we steered toward surnames as first names, and this one was always top of the list.

Barnett - My mom's maiden name! My mom has one brother who had all daughters, so we wanted to keep the Barnett line going! Jon thought "Hart Barnett" sounded like a movie star, so what could be better?

How old: 2 weeks tomorrow :)

Hart's weight: 8 lbs 0.5 oz! He was 7 lbs 1 oz last week, and the doctor was really happy that he's been gaining about 2 oz a day rather than the typical 1 oz a day. What a champ!

Sleep: Hart is getting on a schedule already at 2 weeks! He eats every 3 hours, and naps 1.5 hours after each feeding. He's very active and alert right after he eats, and prefers a pacifier after he's been awake for 1.5 hours to soothe himself into a nap. At night, he has longer stretches anywhere from 2-3.5 hours. He's currently sleeping in a bassinet next to our bed because he never really cries, only whines. We weren't sure we would be able to hear him from the nursery, but have plans of moving him over around 1-2 months. I'm laying him in his crib for naps during the day to get him used to sleeping in the nursery. 

Hart usually wakes up and babbles/grunts to himself for 10-30 minutes before really wanting to be picked up or fed. He's already a self-sufficient little guy! 

Best moment this week: I think the weekend was the best. Since Jon was off work, we got to sleep in and hang out in bed until late morning as a family of four. Jon's family was here this weekend and part of this past week, and we did a lot! Hart went out for dinner in the city with a stop at Little Man after, a fancy dinner at Seasons 52, visited Jon at work, the Breckenridge Brewery in Littleton, Snooze for breakfast, and to Daniel's Park. 

We were here when I was 7 weeks pregnant, 36 weeks pregnant, and when Hart was 9 days old! Definitely one of our favorite look out spots :)

We are so thrilled that he is doing well when we go out and about! That was a huge thing for us, getting him out and acclimated to noise and being in different environments. 

Reading Harry Potter with dad

Happy is OBSESSED with his baby. These two are going to be best buddies.

Worst moment this week: I may have cried on our way home from the city Sunday night because Jon had to go back to work. Hart is a super easy and relaxed baby, so I'm not very overwhelmed during the day, but I just love having Jon around. Luckily, he worked from home Tuesday (while Hart, Happy, and I took an afternoon siesta) and a half day Wednesday so that was awesome.

Eating: Hart is eating like a champ! He's not shy about latching on, and even takes a bottle already. Anything for that milk! He is VERY hard to wake up when he's sleeping, so sometimes he'll go a little long between feedings. I usually pump and then feed him a bottle when that happens, which is probably every other day at most. The doctor encouraged us to do one bottle a day to make sure he's able to take a bottle and nurse. I'm hoping to transition to bottles for night feeds in the next few weeks. He eats a bottle so much faster than he nurses. He likes to eat a little, snooze a little, chomp a little, so I'm excited at the idea that night feedings might go a little quicker.

Looking forward to: My parents come to meet Hart on Sunday night! I'm very excited for them to meet him, and be able to do some fun stuff while they're in town. We don't have any solid plans, but it's nice knowing Hart is able to go out and just hang easily. I think we'll meet up with Jon in the city for lunch one day, maybe go to Daniel's Park again or Lookout Mountain, and I'm even entertaining the idea of a Breckenridge trip (we'll see in grandpa is up for the higher altitude)!

Our relationship: Everyone told me that after baby Jon and I would fight and be at each other throats and that I would love Hart more than Jon. While I DO love Hart, the love I have for him doesn't surpass what I feel for Jon. It definitely helps that Jon is the best. He's always changing diapers (I probably change 1 to every 4 he changes), asking if I need anything, and offering to hold a fussy HBH while I shut my eyes for a few minutes or shower. We were talking before bed how we both are sharing the duties that go with taking care of a newborn, so there's no feeling jealous that he's sleeping all night while I do it all, or feeling frustrated that he won't help more. Jon's mom asked if we've ever loved anything more than Hart, and I said Jon. And it's true. Without him, Hart wouldn't even be here. Seeing how loving he is as a husband and father makes my heart swell. I guess all this to say, don't expect your relationship to struggle after the baby. Talk about what might make your relationship harder BEFORE little one arrives, and hold yourself to changing those things after he/she shows up. Marriage first.

Labor & Delivery: I had probably the easiest first time labor and delivery ever. This was very exciting because my whole pregnancy was spent with people telling me their delivery horror stories. I was totally mentally prepared to be rushed into an emergency c-section just in case something dramatic happened. 

I'm not entirely surprised Hart is so chill, because delivery was too! We thought I would be induced right when we got there, but they needed me to be on 2-3 hours of medicine (for Strep B) before inducing. Luckily that meant some room service before getting things going!

They started me on Pitocin around 11:30, and I was very vocal about my reservations of being on the drug, so they started me at the lowest dose and contractions started right away. They only upped the dose twice (from 2-6, usually women don't start contractions until a 20), and then turned it down once. I was never on a lot of it, just enough to give my body the signal that it was time for a baby.

Unfortunately, I didn't progress much further from just the Pitocin and my doctor broke my water around 2:00. This was probably the most painful part of the whole labor process, which is funny because everyone told me they didn't feel a thing when the doctor broke their water. It was miserable, and I was crying a lot after that. However, that got things moving FAST. I tried a few contractions with nitrous oxide, but I think at that point I was already at the worst of the contractions, and it just made me nauseous. 

At 4:00, I shamelessly asked for an epidural. The hardest part was staying still during the worst contractions while they inserted the needle. I was nervous about getting an epidural until I felt the pain. I probably would have done anything to get rid of it!

45 minutes later, I was 6cm dilated and 90% effaced - active labor! I felt pretty good because of the epidural, minus my right leg going completely numb. I could still feel mild contractions, but I could breathe through them.

Our nurse joked that she got off work at 7, so we had to have the baby before then, so I asked to be checked again at 6:30, and I was 10cm dilated and 100% effaced (along with my nurse saying "OH! There's the baby!")! Our nurse had me push once, and immediately told me to stop so they could call the doctor. 

Our doctor showed up around 6:50, they got the room ready, and three pushes later, Hart Barnett was born at 7:06pm!

One thing I loved about delivery was that our doctor never announced the gender, he just held up our baby so we could see ourselves. Another thing I loved was that while I was in active labor and pushing, it was just Jon, our doctor, and the nurse who started the day with us. The delivery nurses came in after, and they said they had a list of all the women who were in labor and I was at the bottom of the list. They said this would be a delivery to remember :) 

Jon and I peeked at the list of names we had brought with us to the hospital, but I think we both were pretty set on Hart Barnett once meeting him.

Just a few hours old

About a week old <3

40 Weeks, 1 Day Pregnant! (Last pregnancy post!)

40 week belly

How far along: 40 weeks, 1 day

One of the apps I've used this pregnancy has put together a time-lapse of all my belly photos! Check it out here! (Don't be fooled that it says baby is 7.6 lbs...)

Total weight gain: +37 lbs

Stretch marks: It's a miracle people. I only have stretch marks above my belly button. Well, it's where my belly button used to be before it got stretched out. Very interested to see how this turns out post-baby.

Sleep: Great. I cannot believe I made it through 40 weeks of pregnancy with less than 5 sleepless nights. The "pregnancy insomnia" was something that terrified me (note: I am a nightmare when sleep deprived... get ready Jon), so it was an incredible blessing not to struggle with that.

How could you not sleep great with this little cuddle bug?!

Best moment this week: Getting a deadline for baby! The hardest part of being pregnant this late in the game is not knowing when it will end. I'm so thrilled that things will get moving, and I'm truly not super nervous (yet). I feel so good about being 4 cm dilated (that was as of March 1st, so maybe even further now!), and am incredibly hopeful that will speed up labor. Our doc said the longest part of labor is getting to 5 cm, so cross your fingers for me! I'm also really excited because March 11 was my grandma's birthday, so I can't imagine a more meaningful date to (hopefully) bring little one into the world. Although if he/she decides to show up early, I wouldn't be too upset :)

We had our final doctor's appointment on Tuesday and saw baby one more time. The ultrasound was pretty rough because baby is totally squished in there, but we saw the baby BLINKING at us. Jon was pretty impressed and weirded out ("What is it looking at?!"). I would post a picture of the ultrasound, but I seriously can't even make out what it is and I was there.

Worst moment this week: Jon was very sick this week, which was a bit stressful with not knowing baby's timeline. He had a fever and incredibly runny nose, and we were worried he wouldn't be allowed to touch baby if he wasn't better! Luckily he's on the mend, and feeling a lot better.

Food cravings: Not so much this week. I've been feeling nauseous lately, but that hasn't stopped me from indulging in some sweets. Iced coffee is probably the thing I have needed/craved the most this pregnancy. I was never a "coffee-a-day" kind of girl, but this pregnancy I was! Luckily, they know now that one coffee a day is okay for pregnant mothers, or else I would have been very sad. I thought my baking kick was over, but Jon and I made our famous angel food cake with berries and homemade whipped cream. Deeeelish! One really exciting thing was that our doctor said he doesn't mind if I eat intermittently during labor. He did say the nurses don't like it, so we'll have to sneak it, but that was encouraging to hear.

Contrary to what Jon thought, and you are probably thinking, this is an acceptable single serving.

Movement: Still going strong. Especially when it's bedtime now, baby is going nuts! It's very easy to see now that baby is, well, the size of a baby, and my stomach is at capacity.

Labor signs: My hips feel like jello, which means they are loosening for labor. I also have a lot of cramping, but no real contractions. I'm taking Happy on our first long walk since Sunday (it has been below freezing here the last few days), and am wondering if that will spur something on. As of yesterday, baby was measuring 8 lbs 3 oz, so I'm excited to see how accurate that was. I was 8 lbs 11 oz and my mom said I FLEW out (after two big (like, larger) brothers), so I'm hopefully a smaller babe will be no problem at all. 

Wedding rings on or off: Still on, and not coming off. They don't hurt and aren't squeezing my finger, but they are not going anywhere until some swelling goes down!

Happy or moody: Happy! Now that we have a definite end day, if not sooner, I'm getting so excited and feel I can really knock out these last few days with less complaining and more grace. I'm not even sure we'll make it to Saturday. I feel like baby has dropped even further, and walking can be difficult. Maybe our walk today will do something...

Miss anything: Not being pregnant! I know I will strangely miss the belly and feeling little kicks all day, but I cannot wait to regain my balance and sleep however I'd like (when baby allows us to sleep). I wake up with a lot of abdominal pain because baby has been squished to one side all night. That will be great not to deal with. I know my body will go through many changes in the next few days, weeks, and months, but I'm so done with having a human live inside me.

Looking forward to: If we make it to Saturday, Jon and I will drop Happy off at Joe's on Friday night and do a last HURRAH in the city! We don't have any plans yet, but it will be fun to have a "final date night" before little one arrives. Also, last weekend we bought my favorite beer, so that's been taunting me in the fridge. I cannot wait to sip on that! And of course, baby coming. I can't wait to see if we'll have son or daughter and finally see his/her face. We've seriously NEVER gotten a good look at the face or even profile, so I'm just praying baby has one!

Induction: IF I make it to Saturday (my personal estimated due date is still March 10th!), here's our plan. We'll go to the doctor Saturday at 7:30am. They will check my cervix, get me all hooked up to IVs and then break my water. Our doctor said they'll let me walk around for a few hours in the hopes that contractions will start on their own. He seemed very confident things would move along since I am so dilated already. If contractions don't start, they will give me pitocin. As I've mentioned, I'm terrified of pitocin and the way it speeds up and makes labor harder on the woman, so please say endless prayers this isn't needed! Hopefully we will have a sweet little babe in our arms before the 11th is over. We will certainly let all you know once things settle, but don't expect a text the minute baby arrives. I will do an hour of skin-to-skin, they will monitor baby, and then we will get moved to a recovery room where we will spread the joyous news!

I don't think it needs to be said, but we would really appreciate keeping the news, and especially photos, off of social media until we're able to disclose it in our own time. We are in no rush to "let the world know," and appreciate the privacy and intimacy of this time when we will first be a family of four (don't forget Happy!).

He just can't wait to be a big brother!

I do intend to keep up the blog after baby comes to keep family and friends in the loop. It may not be as consistent, but it will be a good way to document baby's days and have you all be a part of his/her life :)

39 Weeks, 4 Days Pregnant!

How far along: 39 weeks, 4 days

Total weight gain: +36 lbs

Stretch marks: No new ones!

Sleep: Even better now that I'm on maternity leave! I still wake up to take Jon to the train, but I can skip all the getting ready hassle. Averaging 9 hours this week!

Best moment this week: Sunday was fun because I was extremely tired and took a midday nap with Happy. Jon did all the grocery shopping and carting his buyings up three flights of stairs (plus a surprise Starbucks run) all by himself because he's just the best. We also got desserts from Eddie Merlot's and watched the Oscars!

Jon snapped this right before he left for grocery shopping

Peanut Butter Cup. Also, please note Happy's hopeful sniffing.

Wednesday was probably my favorite. We had a morning appointment, which we never have, so I picked up Jon from work around 9:30 and we went to the doctor. The doctor went well, and then Jon picked out this little sandwich place, Olive & Finch and it was not only delicious, but healthy and adorable too! It was fun to have a lunch with him midday before dropping him back at work. Since being off work, I've gotten a lot done and a lot of resting, which is really great.

The Ankara. Turkey, brie, apples, and arugula. YUM!

Worst moment this week: Um... not having baby? Everyone has said they'd be shocked if I go any longer based on how dilated and effaced I am, yet here I stand! It's not awful though. I'm not in any discomfort, it's just hard to wait.

Food cravings: Sweets! I got some macaroons, meringues, chocolate covered bananas, and have been chowing down on pineapple like it's never growing back. That's more because I heard it can spur on labor, but it's still delicious.

I didn't save any for Jon. Not. Even. One. 

Movement: Still pounding away in there. Not as violent or harsh, but baby is still moving a lot!

Labor signs: Some very inconsistent and minor contractions (I can talk, walk, and move around easily through them). I am now officially 4 cm dilated and 70% effaced. I read that being 4 cm dilated means you're in active labor, but I can tell you there is nothing active about the labor I'm having over here. I've been walking over a mile daily with Happ, and we went on a nice long walk today, so I'm hoping that spurs on something!

There are a ton of walking trails right outside our apartment, so it's been nice exploring them. Plus they all go in little loops, so I'm never far from home just in case something happens!

Wedding rings on or off: On!

Happy or moody: Mostly happy, with some moodiness sprinkled in for good measure. Like I said, I'm feeling totally fine. This waiting game is rough though. Especially when ladies who were due weeks after me are welcoming their little ones now! Luckily for me, and unfortunately for her, Grace still hasn't had her sweet one, so we're in the same boat there.

Miss anything: Getting real excited at the prospect of beer! Really looking forward to my first Breckinridge Vanilla Porter after baby shows :)

Looking forward to: Baby's arrival! If baby doesn't show, we'll have another appointment Tuesday with a definite ultrasound to check on little one and fluid levels. That'll be really fun to see him/her one last time before it's in real life! Plus if I make it to then, we get another date in the city! Pros and cons of having to wait.

9 weeks ~ 19 weeks ~ 29 weeks ~ 39 weeks