Otto's Arrival!

Last Sunday, July 17th, at 2:55pm, our family had it's newest edition arrive: Otto Allen Hill-Stach! Otto weighs in a 9lbs, 1oz, and is 21 inches long and is, well, amazing.

I'm sure that Sarah will want to tell the birth story in more detail at a later date, but here are some rough details for those of you who are interested: Her labor started around 12:30am, and we headed in to the hospital around 3:30. From there things progressed steadily, until they stalled out a little before noon, with Sarah dilated at 8 centimeters. Around 1:30, the mid-wife suggested breaking her water to help move things along, and -once broken- things progressed very rapidly, with Otto making his appearance at 2:55pm after only 10 minutes of pushing.

Like Stella's birth, Sarah managed the whole thing with out any sort of pain medication and amazed not just me, but also the nurses and mid-wife, who were heard commenting things like: "Can you believe she's at 8cm, and still walking around and talking like this?" I am, again, amazed and inspired by her.

Anyhow, on to the baby photos!

The man himself! (Or should I say "Otto-man"?) What a handsome fella! It's amazing how much different he looks than Stella, he's very much his own little person.

Stella meets Otto. It's crazy to think that these two little people will likely spend their entire lives hanging out together and being best friends. And, here they are, just meeting.

Stella seems to really like Otto overall. There have been a couple moments since his arrival, that you could tell she's a little jealous of the attention he receives and the amount of time he spends on mom's lap, but overall, she seems to really like her "baby brother Oddo."

Sarah looking stunning the day after giving birth. Anyone who believes the stereotypes that men are strong while women are prone to tears should watch Sarah and I in the delivery room.

The Birthing Room, with my parents and Otto on the left. I thought I'd include this so I could mention a little piece of trivia: This was also the same room that Stella was born in, and both Stella and Otto ended up being delivered by the same mid-wife. Continuity!

Anyhow, I'll end this by saying that we are all happy and excited to be settling into our new life as a family of four. Someone asked me the other day, if I felt a sense of pride because I have a boy now, and I while I sort of go back and forth on that (since, honestly, I would have been just as excited about having another girl); I will say that I feel sort of a sense of completion now. Both Sarah and I have always imagined ourselves with two children, and now we have them. We've arrived at our imagined goal... and now, we are all looking forward to our shared future opening up to us, together as a family.

But, first, I probably need to check to see if Otto needs his diaper changed.

40 weeks!

Today is Baby Number 2's due date, and it doesn't look like anything will happen before the day is over. I'm not too impatient yet--honestly, I was happy to have the past few days this week with Stella in child care and me being on maternity leave to take care of some last minute details and get some extra rest.


40 weeks! And ready, physically, mentally, etc....

The added time has had some advantages:


A little more mommy-Stella time before I'm officially having to share my attention with the new one


Checking out the fantastic new Bar del Corso pizza place that opened this week on Beacon Hill

Taking long walks with Tyler around Seward Park, getting a pedicure, meeting friends for lunch and brunch. And if nothing happens in the next 24 hours, I figure my reward is to see the final Harry Potter on the big screen. (And I'm superstitious enough to hope that means I'll go into labor before that can happen!)

So, baby--if you're listening--we want you to come when you're ready, but we're ready for you any time now!! And hopefully I won't be doing any 41 week entries....

Preparations

A week ago, we thought we'd have a one-day-old baby today. But we found out last Wednesday and Thursday that things had, in fact, changed--my uterus had grown in such a way that my placenta went from being .77 centimeters (too close) to my cervix to over 4 centimeters away, well outside the dangerous zone. As probably most of you know, this was a major relief. While I had accepted the need for the surgery and was excited to meet this new baby, I did experience a profound sense of relief to get to go back to the original plan and back to the midwives at Swedish Ballard.

With that came the funny feeling of having both more and less time--we suddenly didn't know when the baby would arrive and needed to start figuring out things like birth plans and contingency plans for how we'll juggle Stella and labor. It's also meant that we've had (hopefully only) a few more days since I officially finished up work for my maternity leave to finalize last minute details.


39 weeks! Stella fits snugly under my belly where she likes to "bonk heads" with the baby.

Like setting up the baby's space. As most of you know, we're in the process of remodeling. Someday we'll go from a 2-bedroom 1.25 bath house to four bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. But that day isn't going to be in the next week or so, so Baby #2 will be formally living in our room with us for the first 3-6 months. In reality, that's where Stella spent all of her early days as well, so we've just been making a more formal space for it. We have the changing station, clothes and the Moses basket ready to go!


I'm standing in the corner where the Moses basket is, but you can see the dresser and changing station. While Stella had a fully decorated room, I think this is cozy and practical and will work well for a few months at least!

And I'm pleased to say I finished the baby's quilt. I had a long period of procrastination but was able to finish it all up the week before the due date, so baby, like Stella, can have this as a special gift right away.


The pinwheel quilt! If I'd had more time, I might have been a little more ambitious with some of the quilting, but I'm pleased with how it turned out.

We're still trying to prepare Stella. I think she knows and understands as well as a 2 1/2-year-old can. She'll talk about being a big sister and how when the baby is around she wants to hold it and burp it and kiss and hug it gently. But we'll see. I think it's going to be a pretty major adjustment...


Stella "hugging" the baby--she'll say "hi" to the baby when prompted, but she mostly still wants to be on my lap and the center of attention....


And now we're preparing for birth. I'm hoping that the experience is as good as it was with Stella--14 hours, no interventions necessary, everyone healthy and happy. Because of the c-section plan, we had cancelled our child birth class, but today we met with a friend we met when pregnant with Stella who has since become a doula and are really diving into thinking about the birth plan, how I'll cope, and how Tyler can again be an invaluable support to me during the process.

But mostly we're getting very excited to meet this new little person and get started on this adjustment to having a newborn again and a family of two little ones. I remember when Stella was born being overwhelmed by how much I loved her and how amazingly it didn't decrease the love for anyone else in my life. I know that will happen again, though knowing it intellectually is still different than really feeling it. I know this will open my heart up to people and the world again in a way that is such a gift. So even though I'm going into this whole baby venture with eyes wide open (which includes remembering that it's not always lovely and fun) I'm feeling thankful to have the opportunity to experience pregnancy and birth again and share this journey with Tyler.

Mad Dash

Something clicked in May, I think, and suddenly as the reality of having an impending a new edition hit, we found ourselves in a mad dash to try to enjoy as many activities as we could, see as many friends as we could and get the house into some sort of shape before we re-enter that duck-and-cover world known as "having a newborn." We've already talked about our trip to Mexico here, but here are a few other events and activities that have filled up the last month or two...

The Bay Area
At the start of May, even before our Mexico trip, Sarah had to make a trip to the Bay Area for work, so we leveraged that into an opportunity to visit with her brother and sister-in-law who live near San Jose (in Fremont). In edition, Sarah's dad and step-mom ended up coming in to town too, making for a quick family get together, as we hung out in the Bay Area and made a day trip to Monterey.

Stella disembarks at San Jose airport. Someone's getting to be old-hat when it comes to flying. But, notably, this marked the first time that Stella and I flew together without Sarah, since she had flown down a day earlier for work.

Walking on the beach in Monterey. (To golf fans: That's Pebble Beach on the bluffs in the background.)

Stella strikes a pose by a small pond in Monterey.

Smokefest
No, this isn't some variation on Seattle's Hempfest. But, instead, it was a backyard BBQ party (or rather smoking party) organized by several of our friends who have become masters of smoking meats.

Jason and Todd, the SmokeMasters™, do their thing.

The Ribs! (There's was brisket too, as well as a huge spread of food provided by the rest of the guests.)

Stella, and her friend Lucy, try our the John Deere. Note the bungee cord which kept them safely circling in place.

I've got my fingers crossed that this becomes an annual event.

Dry Falls Camping Trip
Shortly after returning from Mexico (literally, three days later), Sarah, Stella and I traveled to Eastern Washington to do some camping with our friends, Shahaf and Pnina, at the Dry Falls State Park. While the campgrounds themselves proved to be more of a glorified parking lot, the hikes were amazing, and reminded us -yet again- how different and varied the terrain, climate and wildlife can be within our own beautiful state.

Stella stops to smell the flowers, or at least point them out, on our first hike

Sarah... 8-months pregnant... carrying Stella... through the desert. Stella's definitely able to do more hiking herself this year, but we still spend a lot of our time with her riding on our backs.

Shahaf and Pnina trail blaze on our hike the second day along a stunning lake.

We're not sure if we are going to have the chance to do more camping this year, with the baby set to arrive. But, we can still hope and dream!

Art Projects
In addition to being busy professionally, I also had several exciting illustration opportunities that I got to take part in in early June. First off, I was part of the Gallery (206) Project which featured art by over 206 local artists. 20 artists created pieces for the glass panels on the outside of a re-purposed phonebooth, while the rest of use contributed pages for the "phonebook."

My piece. You can see more pictures of the booth itself on the website linked above.

In addition, I also took part in the Bureau of Drawers "Economy of Line" one-night exhibit, the conceit of which is that we started the night with a blank gallery, and attempted to fill the walls with our drawings which we creative live at the event.

The space at the beginning of the night. There was also a second group in another room upstairs.

Gallery goers take a look at our creations as the night went on. All the pieces were made available for sale for anywhere from $1 to $20. Though I only sold one piece in the "Things Wearing Underpants" series.

Alki Point Light House
Sarah's coworkers also hosted a baby shower for us at the Alki Point Lighthouse. Normally, this lighthouse is closed to the public, but someone that Sarah works with lives there, since her husband is an Admiral in the Coast Guard, so we got the rare opportunity to walk the grounds, tour the lighthouse itself and get quintessential Seattle photos like this...



4th Annual Housewarming
We also held our 4th Annual Housewarming BBQ, which -true to tradition- we barely took any photographs of. Since the party was being held exactly one month before Sarah's due date, I offered to do most of the organizing and food prep... which I promptly delegated to the guests by making it a potluck.

The backyard waiting for the party to start.

We always do the same thing, where we take a bunch of pictures right as things are starting, then set the camera aside and forget to pick it up again, until after everyone has left. Maybe we need to hire a photographer for them. Still, it was definitely a success, with probably our biggest turn out yet (over 50 people, easy) and perfect sunny weather (despite ominous predictions that morning).

This year was a major sausage fest... er, wait, that's not what I mean. This year, I organized a "Build Your Own Hot Dog" bar, with a variety of hot dogs and more toppings than a person could ever want.

Stella enjoys the festivities, in the "sherbet-cupcake tutu" she picked out for the occasion.

The Remodel
The remodel of our basement continues in fits and starts. We're still excited about what it will eventually look like, but at times we still feel depressingly far from ever reaching that point. Most recently, we've had the old oil furnace replaced with a new, electric one. And, then had our basement floor literally jack-hammered up so that plumbers could lay in new pipe work for the future bathroom. We've still got our fingers crossed that the plumbers will be able to wrap up their work before the baby arrives. But, if working on this remodel has taught us one thing its that things never move quite as fast as your like.

On the upside, we feel like we've finally rounded the point where we are disassembling and demolishing things in our basement and are now adding to and improving on it. Hopefully, it'll only get better from here! And, someday, we'll have exciting pictures of our new basement to share.

...and on, and on...
In edition to all that, it feels like we've done a million other things: Sarah's Birthday, Father's Day, yard work and, oh, we bought a new car! As the weeks have passed, we've started changing gears from travel and adventures to just trying to get our house and lives in order and prepared for the new edition to our family. Nesting has definitely started to take hold, and both Sarah and I find ourselves doing all sort of random and unexpected cleaning activities in preparation. Cleaning and organizing random cupboards. Endlessly dusting. Building IKEA furniture.

Tomorrow, Sarah has a final ultrasound to determine if she'll have to have a C-Section for sure, or if there's a chance she can have a natural childbirth. We're trying to stay realistic about it, but also can't help but cross our fingers that something has changed. Regardless, we'll probably be meeting our newest family member in the next week or so. Egad!

Probably July 11th

This week I started the 9th month of this pregnancy:


36 weeks!

We also got some news--the c-section has been scheduled for 11AM on July 11th. 7/11/11. Of course, this birthdate is likely but still not totally certain. I could go into labor before then (though I hope not). They'll check the location of the placenta the week prior, and it could have moved and they'll cancel the c-section and then I'll just wait until I go into labor (unlikely, but mathematically possible). But probably this baby will make an appearance mid-day in a little over three weeks!

We have plenty to keep us busy in that time. Three weeks just doesn't sound very long!!

Week 34 and a Change of Plans

I might have mentioned this before, but one thing that's been interesting about this pregnancy is that I've been much less focused on being pregnant and much more aware of the fact that there's a new little person developing inside me that we haven't met yet. At least, that was the case until last week.

At my 21 week ultrasound, the ultrasound tech and midwives told me that I had marginal previa--a fancy name for the placenta being too near the cervix. I didn't have full previa, where the placenta is covering the cervix, and in most cases, the placenta will move away as the uterus grows with the baby. But, because they'd found that, it was important to call if I ever had any bleeding and to be sure to let the person on call know that this had been found earlier. So I've been going along my merry way, optimistic that this would resolve. I probably worried more at the beginning, but then I met three or four people who had had a similar finding early on but in all cases the placenta moved far enough away for it to not be an issue.

And I hadn't had any bleeding. Until last week. Wednesday I was planning to drop Stella off at home then run out to an evening work event but I wanted to run to the bathroom first before diving back into traffic. And I saw a tiny bit of spotting. I thought, well, I better call, but I'm sure they'll tell me that it's not an issue unless there's more. A conversation later, and Tyler, Stella and I were all loaded up in the car to head to the childbirth center to check things out.

We arrived, got put into the exact room that Stella had been born in (which was kind of cool), and then waited for the on-call ultrasound technician to show up. The nurse on duty even seemed very blase--I had the distinct impression she thought the midwife was being overly concerned--and they monitored the baby for awhile. (Now we had medical proof that "little kicker" is an apt nickname--baby was moving and grooving almost the entire time.)

Finally the tech arrived and she did an ultrasound. I'd been a little excited to have another ultrasound, thinking that compared to the early one, we'd really be able to see more. In fact, we could see less distict body parts, and it didn't seem like the kind of situation to ask for more baby peeks. As soon as she saw the placenta, she said it looked close. Too close. And the midwife later confirmed that it needed to be a minimum of 2 centimeters away, and it was only .77. If it had only moved that much in 11 weeks, it was unlikely to move significantly further. Which means a scheduled c-section.

I know I'm lucky to be in a position where this is known and can be addressed. In other parts of the world and in older times, this kind of thing is serious enough that it can mean death for mother and/or baby because of heavy bleeding. I'm adjusting to the idea, but I'm still bummed. It's the polar opposite of what I would have hoped my birth plan would be (like with Stella, med-free vaginal birth), and I'm not looking forward to more time in the hospital and longer recovery when I'll already have a toddler at home. For some, this would be a welcome option. For me, not so much. I have to change providers, probably have an earlier birth, and anticipate surgery instead of labor.

So now I'm spending *lots* more time thinking about the birth than I probably would have otherwise. And, to be frank, in a way that has more dread than I would have otherwise. Which makes me really sad. Fortunately, I have friends who've been in similar situations who can provide advice and support, and I can have one of the midwives assist with the c-section even though I need to move to having an OB as my provider. I know that I can still make this the best birth possible and that having a healthy baby at the end will make it all worth it. But I'm still adjusting. It's really a fallacy to think I could plan any of this anyway--I guess I'm just getting an early reminder that a new baby is going to require many adjustments.

So, stay tuned. I'll probably even know next week when the birthday will be, which seems odd but should also appeal to the planner in me. Until then, I'll just spend a little bit more time mourning and adjusting. Soon enough I'm sure I'll be able to focus on all the positives, which will still include meeting this new little person and watching Stella transition into being a big sister.

Introducing Baby #2

This morning Sarah, Stella and I hopped in the car and drove to Swedish Ballard for Sarah's ultra-sound appointment. I could make small talk, but instead, let's jump straight to the images, since I know that's what the Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles are all eager to see....


Boo! OK, so this image is a little skeletal, and that blur above the baby's head makes it look like it has my haircut, but look at all the amazing detail, you can see babies head, and left forearm and hand really clearly (and the their respective bones). Baby is giving us a little wave!


Here you can see the baby's lower right(?) leg and its foot while it pushes off of the inside of Sarah. While we were watching, at one point, it gave a little kick that Sarah could feel. She said it was pretty cool actually seeing the little movements she's been feeling increasingly. Recently, holding my hand to her belly, I've even felt a little kick or two.


I love this little detail. The perfect little hand. While not one of those fancy 3D ultrasounds you see ads for, its still amazing the level of detail that will flicker into view. Like this...


Here you can see its head, with its right arm sort of reaching toward us, and its left arm folded up around its head. While most of the head images looked like little skulls, this one you actually get a sense of the heads shape more (though the lower lip and jaw appear to be hidden by "darkness." Still its interesting to see how this baby definitely looks different than the ultrasounds of Stella. As Sarah observed, "its already its own little person."

And, just to compare, here's a little profile that matches up pretty closely with Stella's from her ultrasound (though flipped):



As for Stella, she was pretty non-plus about the whole thing. I'm pretty sure the images were too abstract, and she's still trying to get her head around the idea that there is a "baby in mommy's belly." Its funny because sometimes she doesn't seem interested, other times she seems excited by the idea and occasionally you can tell she feels a little threatened by the whole thing. For example, during the ultrasound she suddenly exclaimed "don't want baby!" ...Much the same way she would declare her dislike for a dinner she didn't want.

And, just so that this isn't all just pictures of the inside of Sarah's belly, here's the outside!


Sarah at 21 Weeks!

Quilts! (a suprisingly non-baby-centric blog entry)

I started quilting when Tyler and I returned home from our round-the-world trip. I had two weeks before going to back to work and, besides getting over jetlag, finding an apartment and moving our belongings out of storage, I had plenty of time. We were staying with my in-laws, and my mother-in-law, Susan, is a master quilter. It seemed like the time to take a crash course (and to have the perfect opportunity to raid her fabric stash, use all her supplies and have her tutelage readily available!). I didn't start small; my first quilt was a bed-sized quilt Tyler and I still use. The pattern was probably about as easy and forgiving as one could be for a beginner: cut many long strips of fabric, cut them in uneven lengths, sew together, and--ta-da!--quilt top made.



My first quilt: a Kaffe Fassett pattern in various blues, creams and some browns.

Before then, I had dabbled in various crafts, but mostly when I was much younger. Some sewing, some cross-stitching, but I hadn't really done really anything craft-y since middle-school. The first hook was probably set when Tyler and I got engaged. It was tradition for Susan to make a wedding quilt for her sons; the fiancee got to pick the pattern and the fabric. I was in heaven amidst all the fabric options. I loved finding fun patterns, quirky combinations and using lots of different colors and designs.

My second quilt was a small, lap quilt for my friend, Alison. She had also put us up as Tyler and I transitioned back to work and life in Seattle and had been really supportive of my first quilt attempt. This time I was slightly more ambitious--I had seen a pattern I liked online that I wanted to replicate. Still fairly straightforward, but it did mean that I had to figure out my own pattern.


Alison's quilt in browns, pinks and golds.

Then I was pregnant. Between Susan's quilting and my mother's amazing knitting, this baby wasn't going to suffer for coverings, but I wanted to make my own baby quilt. I went simple, with a pretty traditional square patchwork design, but again mixed it up with some retro fabrics, some Asian, an eye-popping orange, and flannel sock monkeys on the back.


Stella's quilt, in gender neutral blue, green and yellow.

So now it's baby number two's turn. I know it's practically tradition to not finish the second baby's project, but I'm on a mission. I had a hard time getting started on this one. I picked fabrics and decided they were too mature. I picked a design and then changed my mind. Finally I decided to tackle something I've wanted to do for a long-time--pinwheels.


Baby Number 2's quilt: probably my most ambitious piecing and first time with prairie points, too.

I'm glad I waited until now to do it. It definitely requires more attention to detail and more consistent sewing then I could have pulled off with my first few quilts. I've learned over time that it really is worth it to get it right, measure closely, sew straight lines and pull things apart and start over if they're not right. (It's funny--I enjoy that kind of fastidiousness now with sewing but I still prefer cooking over baking for its forgiveness of improvisation.)

I'm thankful that meeting Tyler and then Susan introduced this kind of activity back into my life. I love the fabrics, the opportunity to connect with other sewers and crafters, the creative outlet and the way to show love and appreciation to people in my life. I have far more ideas and quilts I want to make then time!

PS: here's how I'm looking at 19 weeks. You can definitely tell this is a second pregnancy. Here I am at 19 weeks for comparison!

Introducing Stella!

Here's the email I sent out yesterday (sorry if you didn't receive it for whatever reason):

Hello Everyone!

Sarah and I are very, very proud to introduce Stella Rose Hill-Stach who made her world premiere at the Ballard Swedish Hospital at approximately 5:09pm on Tuesday, November 25th, 2008. Stella weighs in at 8lbs, 13 ounces, is approximately 20 inches long. Stella is a very happy, very healthy girl, and it quite possibly the most beautiful and wonderful thing that either of us have ever seen (though, we might be a bit biased in that judgement).

Both baby and mommy are doing well, after roughly 14 hours or labor. And we are all resting back at our house now. We look forward to introducing her to all of you personally in the coming days and weeks! Hope you are all having a wonderful week!

...now, on to the photos!

Thanks!
-Tyler and Sarah

Mom and baby the following evening, a beautiful sunset for two beautiful girls.

Dad and baby just several hours after her birth. Holding your new baby daughter is just an awesome and humbling experience.

Stella getting dressed to go home from the hospital.

The new family together.