Day 68 ~ October 7, 2010

Here is a picture of Daddy and Rowen. These are the two most amazing and most important guys in my life. I could not imagine my life without either one of them. They both brighten my life in so many ways. Oh, how I love them.

Day 67 ~ October 6, 2010

Today was my due date. Today is also the day that we're going home!

Here is Rowen in his car seat, all strapped in and ready to leave. He's wearing his adorable going-home outfit, although it's a tad big on him. He's still adorable.

We were beginning to think that we wouldn't be going home today after all. Rowen was circumcised this morning and they told us that we could leave once he'd had one wet diaper. No problem, we thought, and began to pack all of our things and get ready to leave.

Hours went by and he hadn't had a wet diaper. I'd nursed him a few times, and still nothing. We tried holding his feet under warm water to try and make him go and that still didn't work. They finally let us leave before he'd had a wet diaper, and told us to come back if he didn't have one soon.

When we arrived at home, we laid him down in his crib for the first time. I thought it would be a good idea to get him out of his "nice" clothes and into something a bit more comfortable for the evening. While we had him undressed (in his crib, let me remind you) we decided to check his diaper to see if he had gone yet. While Daddy had his diaper undone (which was dry, by the way), the little tyke decided to let loose. He peed on Daddy, on Mommy, and ALL OVER his bedding. We had to change the sheets before he even had a chance to sleep on them.

At that moment I knew that I was going to have my hands full with this little guy. Welcome to motherhood, I thought.

Day 66 ~ October 5, 2010

I've fallen WAY behind on this blog, but I'd like to try and catch up. The next several (and I mean SEVERAL) pictures/posts are going to be random pictures taken over the past few weeks.

Today's picture is of Rowen and his Nana Lotz. We had many visitors while we were in the hospital and it was so nice to see everyone and show off our little angel.

Day 65 ~ October 4, 2010

Happy Birthday to our beautiful baby boy! Rowen Todd Lotz was born today at 3:12 pm. He weighed 6lbs 5oz and was 20 inches long. We're so happy he is here!

We arrived at the hospital at 6:00 am for our scheduled induction. The nurses started me on Pitocin through an IV to help stimulate my uterus to contract. They increased the amount of medicine about every 45 minutes because I wasn't progressing. Upon arrival at the hospital I was dilated to a 2. At 1:00, the midwife came in to check me and I was still at 2 cm dilated. They decided to break my water to help things along.

And boy did it! After they broke my water I was dilated to a 3. The contractions were getting much more intense and frequent. The labor pains radiated around to my back and down through my thighs. I could not find a comfortable position. After leaning on the birthing ball for a while I decided that I'd like to try out the jacuzzi tub to see if that helped ease my pain. I was in the tub for about 15 minutes when I decided it wasn't working. I told the nurse that I'd like to talk about getting an epidural.

They got me out of the tub and checked my progress. I was dilated to 7-8cm! I had a few more contractions and felt the urge to push so they checked me again: 9cm! After one more contraction I was fully dilated and ready to push. There was no time for an epidural or any form of IV pain relief. I had to do this drug-free! Once I started pushing, it was just a matter of minutes before he was born. With the help of the vacuum extractor (because his heart rate went down), I pushed for 7 minutes.

I was in active labor for about 2 hours, so it all happened very quickly. Zach and I were so excited to bring our bundle of joy into the world. Happy birthday, Rowen! Mommy and Daddy love you so much!

Day 64 ~ October 3, 2010

Today was our last day before the baby's arrival. We got up and went to church and we took my niece, Jeightlin, with us. After church, we met Zach's cousin and his wife for lunch at McDonald's and then went to my former roommate, Laura's, soccer game. The game was really exciting, and luckily the Leathernecks came out on top. Way to go Laura and the rest of the WIU Women's Soccer Team.

After the game, we took Jeightlin to Dairy Queen because we knew they'd be closing for the season soon. We all sat outside and enjoyed our ice cream together.

I knew I probably wouldn't sleep well tonight because of my anxious jitters about the baby coming. My plan was to go to bed early, but that didn't happen. Hopefully I'll get enough sleep to have the energy to get me through the day tomorrow! So excited!

Day 63 ~ October 2, 2010

Today started off with a trip to Chandler Park in Macomb for "Bark in the Park". It was a fun event for people in the area to bring their dogs to the park for a parade, pet contests, and pictures in the park. All the proceeds went to benefit the Humane Society. Our pups were a little rowdy at first, but they settled down and ended up having a great time.

After the park, we dropped the dogs off at home and headed to Spoon River Drive with our moms. We walked around at London Mills and "The Shed" for about 3 hours before heading home. I spent the early part of the evening getting a little more organized in the baby's room and putting on light switch/outlet covers that I received as a gift today. We had dinner at home with my parents and my brother and then my niece Jeightlin came over. She's going to hang out with Zach and I for a while tomorrow.

Overall, it was a very fun day. I must say, though, I'm exhausted and ready for a good night's sleep. Let's hope this little guy lets me get it.

Day 62 ~ October 1, 2010

Well today's picture was supposed to be of my beautiful baby boy, but since the doctor decided to get sick, my induction got postponed by a few days. I had an appointment this morning with the midwife and I tried not to get my hopes up about being induced. She told me that they don't like to do elective inductions on the weekends because anesthesia can refuse to come in for an epidural on the weekends for an elective induction. So, we scheduled our induction for 6 a.m. Monday. It sucks that we have to wait until Monday, but at least now it's scheduled and we know for sure it will be happening.

The rest of the day was pretty relaxing. We hung out at home for the afternoon and then went to Zach's parents' house for dinner and to play games. We ate yummy lasagna and played spoons (during which I moved the whole table with my belly in an attempt to grab a spoon).

Today's picture is kinda random, but not totally. It's of the diaper stacker that goes with my collection. One of the straps broke off under the weight of all of the diapers, so I asked my grandma to fix it and reinforce the other strap. She did, and she dropped it off today since it was finished. So hopefully it will be strong enough to withstand the weight of diapers for quite a while.

Day 61 ~ September 30, 2010

This is the baby's "coming home" outfit. The shirt is a long-sleeved onesie that looks like a button-up, collared dress shirt and the pants are a brown corduroy. So cute! Zach and I picked this out together at Kohl's this evening.

Today started off as a great day and then turned into a disappointing one this afternoon. I slept in this morning, got up and ate breakfast and then took a shower and got ready for the day. I ate lunch and then decided to pack my bag to go to the hospital tonight. As I've mentioned, we were supposed to go to the OB department after our prenatal class tonight to be induced.

Well, around 2:00 this afternoon I got a call from my doctor's office saying that they needed to reschedule my 4:00 appointment because the doctor was going home sick. I explained that I was supposed to be seen so that I could be scheduled for an induction tonight and she said she'd call me back. After speaking with the doctor, she informed me that he would not be able to induce me tonight. She made an appointment for me to see the midwife tomorrow morning at 10:00, so I'm really hoping she will agree to induce me sometime tomorrow. I'm worried that she will tell me to wait until Monday morning since it's the weekend and Dr. Eckman is sick. Our fingers are crossed that we will be able to be induced tomorrow and meet our baby boy very soon.

Since I was upset about not being induced tonight, Zach and I decided to take off on a little road trip. We drove north about an hour and a half to the Quad Cities and went to Babies R Us to exchange a product and buy a few things. Then we went to Kohl's and bought this adorable outfit pictured above. Then we enjoyed a *nice* meal at Pizza Hut. It was great to spend the evening with him and I'm hoping (no offense to my husband at all) that it was our last! I really want my baby boy in my arms as soon as possible!

Day 60 ~ September 29, 2010

This is my last baby belly picture! I am 39 weeks pregnant today, and we're going to be induced tomorrow night. We should have a baby sometime Friday!

Today was another pretty relaxing day (which is exactly what we need right before we have this baby!). Zach let me sleep in until almost 11 which was great! Then we met a friend of his in town for lunch at Italian Express. After lunch, we came home and took the puppies for a walk around town. They enjoyed it and the walking was great exercise for me. We watched a movie (The Prince of Persia) when we got home from our walk, and it was nice to just cuddle together while we watched it.

This evening we went to my bff Ali's house for dinner with her and her boyfriend, Mitch. Mitch and Zach cooked steaks on the grill and it was great to sit down and eat with the two of them. Afterward, we hung out and played a board game called Imaginiff. It was a fun game and I won! We visited for another hour or so and then decided to come home.

This is our last night at home before the baby comes. I hope we're able to enjoy it and get a good night's sleep. We'll both want to be as rested as we can be before this beautiful baby boy changes our lives forever.

Day 59 ~ September 28, 2010

Yesterday, September 27, was Zach's grandparents' 57th wedding anniversary. His dad's parents, Harry & Rose Lotz, are such a wonderful example for all of us to look up to. They've spent their lives together raising 9 children and loving on dozens of grandchildren and even a few great-grandchildren. I hope that Zach and I will someday be able to compare our lives and our marriage to this wonderful couple.

We celebrated with Harry and Rose by going out to eat at Ponderosa Steakhouse in Macomb with Zach's mom and dad, sister, and our sister-in-law. We had an enjoyable evening eating dinner and sharing conversations.

Earlier today, Zach and I pretty much just relaxed at home. We did a few loads of laundry to get everything ready for when the baby arrives and we watched a movie this afternoon. We went out to eat for lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings with Zach's mom, Cathy, and our sister-in-law, Stephanie. Just before dinner with his grandparents, we had a few maternity pictures taken by my friend Sarah. We'd taken some pictures before Zach deployed in June, but I wanted to have a few more now that I actually have a belly. Sarah did a great job, and I'm so happy she was willing to do those for us.

Day 58 ~ September 27, 2010

HE'S HOME!!!!! It's been very hard to keep it a secret, but Zach came home today! We've anxiously been awaiting his arrival and I'm so glad the baby waited until his daddy could be here for his birth. Zach's flight got into Peoria around 2:30 this afternoon. I went over with his mom and my sister-in-law, Stephanie, to pick him up! He was so excited to see his puppies and they greeted him with just as much enthusiasm.

I didn't sleep well last night because I was excited about him coming home. I was also restless because he was traveling and I hadn't talked to him much over the past few days. After his flight got in, he came home and took a shower and then we ran some errands in Macomb. Then we came back home and picked up the puppies and went out to his parents' house for dinner and to play some cards. We had a great evening with his family.

Now that he is home, this baby boy can come anytime he wants. It would be great if he came on his own, but it's nice to know that I'll be induced on Thursday night and he'll be here by Friday if not before. The next few days Zach and I will be enjoying our last bit of time together as just the two of us. After Friday, our lives will never be the same.

Day 57 ~ September 26, 2010

This morning I attended my last church service at The Crossing baby-free. It was such a great sermon and I believe that God is bringing about great change in our area!

This afternoon I went over to my In-laws' house to enjoy the afternoon. My mother-in-law and I made chocolate caramel bars (pictured) for my husband. He will be home soon and they are his all-time favorite dessert. They're made out of a German chocolate cake mix (not made like the directions on the box, but instead mixed with evaporated milk and margarine), caramel and chocolate chips. It's a yummy layered bar with a gooey, caramelly (yes I just made that word up) center. I hope he enjoys them when he gets home.

My evening consisted of the season premiere of The Amazing Race! My mom and I really enjoy watching the show together, so we spent the evening in the recliners relaxing and watching the race. It was a great way to wind down my weekend.

Day 56 ~ September 25, 2010

Today was a pretty normal Saturday. I slept in, got up and got ready, and then went to Macomb with my mom to get groceries. We went to lunch at Italian Express first and then went out to Walmart to get the things we needed. Overall, nothing exciting; just a typical Saturday afternoon.

This evening I went to a sex toy party with a friend of mine named Christy. I mentioned Christy in my blog a few weeks ago when she gave birth to her beautiful daughter, Graiclyn Marie (pictured). Graiclyn is now almost 6 weeks old and getting bigger and cuter every single day. She has a beautiful Momma who loves her very much and takes very good care of her.

Anyway, Christy and I went to a toy party (along with Christy's mom, lol) at our friend Lexie's house. It was fun and interesting to see all the different "toys" and we had some funny conversations. I'm glad I went and had a good time because this time next week, I'm going to be a mommy and definitely won't be going to any parties like this anytime soon!

Day 55 ~ September 24, 2010

Not a great one, but today's picture is of a movie case from the movie store. I went over to my friend Crystal's apartment and hung out with her, Brittney, Lindsey and Lisa all with whom I used to live in Thompson Hall. We hung out and talked for a little while and then went to Dairy Queen for some ice cream. Then we rented "The Bounty Hunter" and went back to Crystal's apartment to watch it. It was so great to spend one last weekend hanging out with my friends, baby-free.

I say this is my last weekend being baby-free because I got exciting news at my 38 week appointment this afternoon. My progress was minimal, but it was still positive change from last week. I am now 1 cm dilated, 80% effaced, and the doctor said he could touch the baby's head! My blood pressure was right where it should be, and I've still only gained approximately 26 lbs. My belly measured right at 38 weeks, so that's perfect too!

I asked my doctor a few weeks ago if it would be possible to induce my labor a few days early so that Zach has more time to spend with the baby while he's home on leave. He told me that he would have no problem inducing me in my 39th week. Well, I will be 39 weeks on Wednesday, the 29th. I asked my doctor if he would induce me the night of the 30th (after our last night of prenatal classes) so that we would have the baby on the 1st. He said that he could probably do that for us! Yay! I'm so excited! So, we have our last appointment on Thursday, the 30th and I will be checked again. As long as things are still progressing and I haven't gone backwards, we will be induced that night after our class and have our beautiful baby boy on Friday! I'm very excited that Zach will get to be here for the birth of our first child and he'll get to spend some time with our little boy before he has to leave again.

Day 54 ~ September 23, 2010

There's a full moon tonight. I mentioned yesterday that there is some belief in a full moon triggering a woman's labor. So far, that isn't proving to be true for me. Hopefully my little guy holds out for a few more days until his daddy gets home on leave from Iraq.

Today was another slow and pretty much uneventful day. I talked to Zach on Skype and washed some baby blankets and put them away in his dresser. Then my nieces came over after school and I helped them with their homework and we made tuna salad. They also helped me fold and put away the blankets I had washed. We ate tacos for supper and then their mom came and picked them up.

My mom and I went to a prenatal class on C-sections tonight. Of course, I don't intend to have a C-section, but since the classes are free (and I have nothing better to do on a Thursday night) I decided to go and get as much information on the subject as I could...just in case. After attending the class, I am much more open to the idea of a C-section, should it be deemed necessary for my health or the health of the baby. Originally, I had viewed having a C-section as a failure on my part. I now understand more about the procedure and I don't think I would be as hard on myself for having one, should it be necessary. The most important thing is having a healthy Mommy and Baby at the end of the delivery.

Day 53 ~ September 22, 2010

The last of the baby stuff arrived on my front porch via UPS this morning! This adorable swing was the last "big" item that we needed to get for the nursery. It's a Fisher Price Lil Lamb Swing. It features 6 different speeds, 8 different soothing sounds, a rotating mobile, and a mirror for visual stimulation. It swings front to back and side to side. I'm so excited to let my little boy try it out!

I spent some time in the nursery this evening organizing and putting away clothes. He has 30 sleepers ranging from newborn to 6-9 months! I arranged everything in his closet by age so it will be easier to pick out his outfits everyday and not have to look at the size tags. I spent time last week organizing the onesies in his dresser by age so that's all ready to go. I guess this would be considered "nesting" but in a mild form. I haven't felt the need to scrub things down with a toothbrush (yet!) so I don't think I've experienced true nesting.

The contractions have pretty much stopped. I have had a few throughout the day today, but I guess that's just part of being 38 weeks pregnant. I'm hoping he holds out until his daddy comes home next week, but I guess we'll see. Tomorrow is a full moon and I've heard stories of how a full moon can cause a woman to go into labor so I'm a little nervous about that. I'm physically ready for the baby to come, but I really want the support of having my husband by my side. I would hate for him to miss the birth of our first child. Stay put, little boy, at least for a few more days!

Day 52 ~ September 21, 2010

My glider and ottoman arrived today! I'd been waiting on them all day and the UPS truck finally showed up around 6:30! My mom is awesome and put them together for me while I went shopping with my sister! I came home and they were all assembled and in the nursery! Thank you, Mom! They look great!

I was still having contractions today. I woke up around 3:30am and have been up since (except for an hour nap). The contractions were hard to sleep through last night, so I'm hoping tonight is better. They're still irregular and not getting any stronger. That's the most frustrating part. I wish they would either stop altogether or become stronger and more regular. I just want some change, rather than having irregular contractions for the next 2 weeks!

Ok, I'm done whining. As I mentioned earlier, I went to Walmart with my sister, Mindy, this evening and she got me a few things I still needed for the baby. It was fun to just spend some time with her, and I'm glad we got to do so!

Day 51 ~ September 20, 2010

Today was a lazy day. I stayed home and rested because I wasn't feeling well. My sister stopped by this evening and my oldest niece, Jevani, decided to stay while her mom and sister went to town. Jevani, my mom and I spent time putting this little puzzle together and playing Math Bingo. I think this puzzle was more fun for my mom and I than it was for Jevani, haha! It was a fun review of our knowledge of United States geography.

On another note, it might not be long before my baby boy makes his arrival. Earlier this evening I had contractions about 5-7 minutes apart for about an hour. After that, they decreased in frequency, but increased in strength. The rest of the evening I've had several more, pretty strong contractions. They're not regular enough to time, however, and I've heard of women having these types of contractions for weeks before going into active labor. I guess I'll wait and see if they become more regular. Until then, I'll try to get some sleep that I'm sure will be much-needed very soon.

Day 50 ~ September 19, 2010

Today I met some relatives that I'd never met before. They're distant relatives on my dad's side that I had not had the pleasure of meeting before today. If I had met any of them before, it was when I was young and don't remember them.

Pictured is my dad with his cousin Tricia. We were all gathered today in honor of Tricia who is visiting for a few days. Tricia lives in Montana, but is undergoing treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for a treatable, but not curable, cancer. She had a few days off of treatments and decided to make a trip down to Illinois to spend time with family and friends. I keep up with her on Facebook, but it was nice to finally meet the woman I've gotten to know over the internet.

I ask anyone who reads this to please say a prayer for Tricia and all the other people around the world who are struggling with cancer or disease of any kind. Oftentimes, we think about those who are suffering only when we know them. There is always someone out there who could use a prayer, even from a complete stranger. So make someone's day by sacrificing just a few seconds of yours.

Day 49 ~ September 18, 2010

My family loves to cook on the grill. As soon as it warms up enough in the springtime (and sometimes even before it's warm enough) we get some chicken or steak and grill out. My dad got a new grill earlier this summer and since then, his love for cooking out on the grill has increased.

Here he is cooking our dinner for tonight: Italian sausage, chicken breasts in an Italian dressing marinade, and grilled potatoes with green peppers and onions. Cooking at home and sitting down together for a family meal is one of my favorite things. It may not seem like much, but it really is nice for all of us to sit down around the table and enjoy a home-cooked meal. I love evenings like this when we just sit around at home together; it's definitely a nice change after a busy week.