Flashdance Calla!

Inspired by Calla's cute little BabyLegs (baby leg warmers) and her healthy appetite!

More Pics of Calla - Why Not?

Calla Needs a Vacation!

We knew it was just a matter of time until Poppa Bee photoshopped the baby! Bill says Calla needs a vacation because she's tired from her photo shoot at Reverie today. I'm a bit tired, too. We did lots of nekkid baby pics, and my little angel pooped on me... twice! We're looking forward to showing off those photos soon!

Calla Pics

Cute baby!


Calla with Dad, clean and dry after her first tub bath (which she did not find pleasant).


Calla complaining to her mother about the bath.


Calla's first tub bath.


Calla with her cousins!


Calla snoozing with Dad.

More recent photos of Calla.

Gram's Here!

Gram arrived today from California! She'll be staying for two weeks. This is perfect timing since Dad's going back to work next week. Now Mom will have baby back-up for another couple of weeks!

Calla Update!

We had a doctors appointment today and Calla is still A+ #1 Baby! Who is surprised? We thought last week that she might be having a growth spurt. She wanted to eat constantly for a few days, and well I think it might be official.

Last Week Weight: 8lbs 6ozs
This Week Weight: 9lbs 6ozs

1 Whole Pound! Nice work Calla!

Last Week Height: 20.5 Inches
This Week Height: 22 Inches

The doctor looked her over and she is very healthy!

Poppa Bee

Maternity Photos

A few days before Calla was born I had some maternity photos taken by Reverie photography. If you'd like to see the proofs, you can see them by following the instructions below:

Please visit www.reveriephotography.com and click on "client." The password for your event is "october12". Feel free to give this password to your family and friends. Anyone may purchase directly from the website. Credit cards, checks, and cash are accepted.

My "event" name is Hazelton- Maternity. The online gallery closes on October 25.

I think they did a great job on the photos, but I am having trouble deciding which ones to get. If you want to let me know which ones you think are the best, you can email or comment with the page number of the photos.

The same photographer will be taking Calla's newborn photos next week! They're going to be so great!

Calla's First Bath @ Home

See all the pics from her bath here!

Notice that Calla is cordless in the pics! She lost her cord today. Very high-tech, right?

A+ Number One Baby!

Today was Calla's first pediatrician appointment with Dr. Stiles. Calla did so well! She weighs 8 lbs 6 oz, only one ounce short of her birth weight (it commonly takes babies about two weeks to gain back to their birth weight according to Dr. Stiles). Way to go Calla! She's obviously eating well. We're pretty sure she would have been OVER her birth weight if only she had been weighed about ten minutes earlier - as soon as we arrived in the waiting area, Calla made a super-sized poop!

Calla is quite healthy and doing well overall!

A Bit About Calla's Birth

I hope to write a detailed version of Calla's birth story soon, but right now I'm just too busy taking care of her to find the time!

Highlights from the Big Day:

• Prior to going into labor, I was already dilated past 3 cm, effaced to 75%, and Calla was at +1 station in my pelvis. I had quite a bit of the work of labor already under my belt!
• I began to go into early labor around 9 am on October 10. I wasn't really sure if I was in early labor or not, but I had a feeling the baby would be coming over the weekend, at least.
• Bill came home from work to be with me - just in case!
• Texted and phoned my awesome doula, Melissa Stallings, throughout the day to keep her posted.
• Contractions became more noticeable, with some cramping accompanying them in the evening while Bill and I watched a DVD.
• Bill made a hearty dinner so I would be well-nourished for birthing a baby! I ate half as much as I normally would.
• Contractions finally reached a point where I knew that this was going to be the big day (around 8 PM)!
• Bill and I went to bed to get rested up to have a baby!
• Contractions intensified and Bill was awesome helping me to relax through them. He also timed them and kept in touch with my doula.
• Once my contractions were about four minutes apart, we decided to call the doula over. When she arrived, I was completely effaced and dilated to about 7 or 8 cm! Getting close to babytime!!
• We continued to labor in bed, my doula hung out at the front of the house to give us privacy but also to be near at hand when/if we needed her.
• I started to feel a bit nauseated around midnight. I went into the bathroom and projectile vomited my dinner. At the same time a little gush of amniotic fluid came out, but then the bag of water sealed itself. Our doula said it was a good time to go to the hospital.
• We arrived at the hospital around 1 am on October 11.
• Things got a bit dramatic at the hospital for a while, which made it not so easy to focus on staying calm and relaxed!
• Unfortunately, there was no copy of my pre-natal records at the hospital! This made the little interview they do before they let you get started having a baby (it's a bit ridiculous, I have to say) last a LOT longer, since they didn't have any information about me.
• Also, they didn't have a copy of the birth plan included in my records (outlining my wishes to avoid drugs among other things). I realized this when they tried to give me an IV instead of an INT (line to my vein where an IV can be hooked up if needed). Luckily, I had a copy of my birth plan signed by my doctor with me.
• Two nurses got into a spat about when to let Bill and Melissa come into the delivery room with me. I have to admit all the tension got to me a little bit and made it harder for me to stay focused.
• The doctor on-call from my doctor's practice came to exam me. We decided to break my water to go ahead and speed up the process.
• Soon after breaking my water, my doctor arrived to deliver Calla! I was very happy to see her there because I really wanted her to be the one to deliver the baby.
• I finally began pushing, and after about 25 minutes of pushing (or so I'm told - I wasn't exactly watching the clock) Calla was born on October 11 at 3:58 am! I have to say pushing was the part I thought would be most daunting, but in truth it wasn't bad!
• I was elated to know that Calla was finally born. Seeing my newborn child for the first time was and will always be the most significant moment in my life. Sheer joy!
• Hope this isn't TMI, but I was also thrilled to learn that I didn't tear! And I feel blessed each time I have gone to pee since Calla was born!
• Thanks to Team Calla, we managed a completely natural, unmedicated birth. After doing that, I feel like I could do anything, but to be honest it was easy to do!
  

Calla Stats:
Weight - 8 lb, 7 oz
Length - 20.5 in
Head - 14.5

And she's due to eat in a few minutes, so that's all for now!

A Few Calla Pics

Cute, right?

Baby burrito wearing her Smurfette cap.

Yawwwn!

We Did It!

Two days before her due date, and one before her mom's birthday, little Calla Sophia is born!!
More details soon. We are over the moon here! Everyone is fine thanks to Team Calla!

MORE INFO:

Calla Sophia was born at 3:58am October 11th.

She weighed 8lbs 7oz and is very healthy!

OB Appointment Update

It's Tuesday, so you know what that means: OB Appointment Day!

Measuring exactly 37 weeks (at 39w1d).
Head is in my pelvis at +1 Station!!! (That's why I measured smaller this week)
Calla's Heart Beat = 148
3+ centimeters dilated!
75% effaced
Doctor believes the baby is about seven and half pounds now.

Okay, so once again the doctor said she expects the baby to come within the week! As usual, I'm ready when she's ready. Bill is getting impatient, though. He's very cute about it.

In other news:

• I still feel great. No complaints whatsoever.
  
• Bill and I had some photographs taken yesterday; I think we're supposed to hear back from them in about three weeks.
  
• My great-aunt sent even more handmade gifts for Calla! These are her own invention, burpies, which are oversized burp pads. We really needed more burp pads, and these are adorable. Too pretty for baby spit, really!
  
• Teetee Simone sent a BIG box of onesies, burp cloths, an adorable bath mitt, and BOOKS! YES!
  
• I'm still awaiting my Babyhawk. But it is a custom-made carrier, so I really shouldn't expect it any sooner than the end of next week.
  

Fat Elvis!

What's the point of having a big belly if you can't have some fun with it? Photo by Poppa Bee.

No Baby Yet...

No baby yet, folks! We are in "any day now" territory, of course. Don't worry, though, we won't keep it a secret when Calla decides to be born.

Things I Have Learned

Enough Said