Federica's Birth Story

For weeks, I had been thinking Federica would be born on the Monday before her due date.  I'm not sure why I chose this date, maybe out of convenience.  Ben was born on a Monday, and that worked out well for us.  Maybe I just thought it would be a good way to start out the week.  And then it would maximize the number of days that we could take Ben to daycare and bond with our little girl.  And Tim pointed out how easy it would be to remember birthdays, with mine on June 28, hers July 8, and Ben's on the 18th. Anyway, Tim came home from work on that Monday the 8th and asked how I felt.  I told him I felt the same, no baby today.

Tim asked if I wanted to give Ben his bath because it would probably be the last time I could do it for a couple weeks, so I said sure.  It was just after 7:30 in the evening, and I was sitting on the edge of the tub, getting the water ready and taking off Ben's clothes.  When I bent over to get his shorts, I felt a pop, then a small gush.  I quickly stood up and stepped back into the tub.  "Tim, I need you!"

He rushed in and I said my water broke.  He immediately responded with "How much, what color?", and checked his watch.  7:35pm.  Tim was surprised because he was expecting contractions to start first, like with Ben.  We both were.

My belly didn't feel any different, and I didn't feel any different, so I took a shower.  Tim called our friends who were planning to take care of Ben on baby day, but told them to take their time in coming over.  Tim gave Ben his bath, and I gathered Ben's last minute things to add to his bag.  Our friends arrived, and we explained to Ben that Federica was coming and that he was spending the night with Salvatore and Valentina.  That all went really well, and they left with Ben at about 8:20.

By now I had started having some light, irregular contractions.  I started heating up our leftovers that we had planned for dinner, and went about packing my last minute things to add to my suitcase.  By the time we sat down to eat at about 8:30, I was quickly losing my appetite, I asked Tim to start timing my contractions.  I was able to eat some, thinking I would need energy for a long night.

We missed timing my first hard contraction, then he timed the second one at 8:38, then a third.  Those first three were less than a minute long and just under 4 minutes apart.  The next five contractions were over a minute, and about 3 minutes apart.  I don't remember what Tim was doing at this point (he later told me that he was hanging up laundry, which I guess is important, as long as you're not the one having the contractions).  I finished packing my bag, and was sitting on the bed, right in front of a fan, feeling miserable.  For the last couple of those five contractions, I asked Tim to come rub my back, just like he had to with Ben.  Then I had one that lasted over two minutes, and double peaked.  I told Tim we had to leave now.  I didn't tell him that I felt like I would want to push soon.  We got out the door at about 9:15.

We had timed our walk to the hospital to be 10 minutes, but in labor it took a few minutes longer.  I had a handful of contractions on the way, but I couldn't tell how many because they were all running together, and I couldn't tell when one stopped and the next one began.  My legs felt shaky for a minute about halfway there.  Tim kept asking if I wanted to stop, and I kept saying no, and eventually just ignored him when he asked.  Really, I was scared that if I stopped, that would be it.  (For the past month, my biggest worry was that I would have the baby on the sidewalk.)  And, I think it felt a little better to keep walking through the contractions.  We did have some towels and blankets packed right on the top of the bag just in case.  I'm sure I was a sight walking down the sidewalk (it was still light out), with one arm curled around my water bottle, and my other hand pressed into my back, and I can only imagine the look on my face.

By the time we got through the impossibly slow elevators and up to the third floor of the hospital it was about 9:30.  We rang the bell, a nurse answered, and I told her I was having contractions.  Note that from here on out, all our conversations were in Italian, using our limited Italian, with a tiny bit of their even more limited English.  She asked if it was our first child, and it seemed to us that she was wondering what we were doing there and if we knew what we were talking about.  She took me back, but made Tim wait out in the hall.  She first had me use the restroom, and I felt like I wanted to push.  Then she started hooking monitors up to my belly, and I stopped her and told her to check for dilation.  She did, then gave me a funny surprised look, and said you're there.  I asked 10?, and she said yes.  Tim was still out in the hall at this point, so I persistently started asking for him.  Finally someone went to go get him, and a few more nurses came in and hurriedly starting preparing things.

I was trying not to push until Tim came in, because I didn't know how fast she was going to come out.  When they went to get Tim, they said something in Italian about her being born, and for a second he thought maybe she had already been born, but then they said something about pushing.  They made him put on shoe covers and a green gown over his clothes.  When he came into my room, we were both relieved to see each other.  I told him I was at 10 cm, and he was shocked.

I think my contractions slowed down a little while I was pushing, allowing me to rest in between.  They had me on my back to push.  I told them I wanted to lay on my side, but they wouldn't let me.  They were not nearly as flexible as the midwife I had talked to there in the spring.  I am not even sure who was in the room.  I think it was one midwife, one doctor, and a few nurses.  Tim was at my side, telling me how good I was doing, and trying not to lose circulation in his hand.

I pushed through about four or five contractions, and then she was born.  They put her right on my belly, and Tim cut the cord.  It was 9:56 pm.

We just held her and looked at her, and finally Tim said "good thing we left for the hospital when we did."  I guess before we left for the hospital, he had been thinking we would watch a TV show or something to wait for things to pick up, but I knew we had to get there.  Still, we were both completely shocked at how fast she came.  It still hurt a lot, but there were a lot fewer contractions in 80 minutes than there were in the 18 hours of labor I had with Ben.  And all those memories of the pain got fuzzy as soon as I was holding my precious baby girl. 

Federica Grace Robert
3.08 kg ~ 6 lb 12 oz
49 cm  ~ 19.25 inches

Getting Ready for Baby Girl

I wrote this post about five hours before Federica was born, having no idea that I was about to go into labor.  I'm posting it anyway, even though I never got to make those last few meals before she arrived.

We haven’t had to do much for baby #2, compared with everything we needed to get ready for Ben.  Tim put together a new dresser for her, and I washed and organized all her clothes and accessories.  Yes, I am very excited about the dresses and the bows and accessories.  (And thank you to Tim's mom, Aunt Missy, Kim Ketteman, and my mom for sending stuff.)  We got out all of our baby blankets and baby toys, and the sleeper she will use next to my bed for the first couple months.  I packed my hospital bag and we installed the carseat in the car.  Eventually we will transition Ben to the big-boy bed in the 3^rd bedroom, and move the baby into the crib, leaving the crib where it is in the 2^nd bedroom.

It’s been almost a month since I last saw my doctor.  They just don’t do as many appointments here as they do in the US.  I have been getting my blood pressure checked every week to 10 days at the pharmacy.  I still feel pretty good.  My hips get a little achy off and on, and I tire easily, but I really can’t complain.  This pregnancy was definitely harder than the first, because I have a toddler to chase after, but it’s been a pretty easy pregnancy overall.

This is her favorite position. The lump on the top left is her right hip and butt, the smaller lump at about 2 o'clock is a foot.

 

I have been “forced” to stay at home for the month leading up to my due date.  (What a bummer!)  Italian law says that I cannot be at work for one month prior, and I had to get a doctor’s note saying that I was well enough to be at work for the second-to-last month.  Italians actually get five months of leave, fully paid (mostly by the government, partially by the employeer) of which they can take one month before and 4 after, or 2 before and 3 after.  Then they can take additional months, up to a year total, partially paid.  However, since I still work for our US company, the Italian government is not paying my maternity leave, so I have been working from home for this month.  Coincidentally, right now I am working on a big project with Tim, and he has been keeping me pretty busy. 

I have plans to make some big crock-pot meals in the next couple days, so Tim can eat while I am in the hospital, and we can freeze any left-overs.  I already have about a week and a half’s worth of meals crammed in to our tiny freezer.

Tim’s mom will be arriving in early August and staying for 10 days, and my mom is coming for 9 days later in August.  This will cover the weeks when the daycare is closed for August Holiday, but Tim will still be working part of that time, which would have left me alone with both kids.  It will be nice having the grandma’s here to play with the kids so I can get some things done around the house, and maybe even take a nap.

Cote d'Azur, the French Riviera with Tim's Parents

Tim’s parents had a big Europe trip planned near the end of May, so they decided to pop in to see us at the end of their other trip.  They actually arrived the same day Brandon and Missy left.  After a couple days at our house, we took a four day weekend and went to the French Riviera.  It was a pretty four-hour drive through mountains and along the coast.  We stopped in Monaco on the way, and went to Monte Carlo and the casino.

 Botanical Garden

 The Monte Carlo Casino

 Row after row of yachts.  This whole town felt like money.

We arrived that evening at our hotel in Juan les Pins, near Antibe, which is between Cannes and Nice.  The hotel exterior and landscaping was gorgeous, with palm trees and flowers everywhere.  There was just enough time to hit the hotel pool after we arrived.  The pool was perfect.  There was a large area that was 1-2 inches deep, and the rest of the pool was 3-6 feet deep.  And those palm trees.

 

The next day we went to see Nice and its Pebble Beaches.  The town was nice, and the beach was beautiful, but those plum-size round stones sure did not look comfortable.

On Saturday, we had a beach day.  The beach near our hotel had nice, soft sand, just like you would find in Florida.  We stayed for a couple hours in the morning, and Ben loved it.  The water was pretty cold, but the sand and the very edge of the water were great.

After nap time, we took a little train over to Antibes.  We didn’t spend any time there because we were on the last train going back, but it was a cute area, though crowded and touristy.

 

Our last day was cooler, so we didn’t end up going to the beach or the pool, but we walked around a little while, found a couple playgrounds, and headed home early.

Brandon and Missy Come Visit

We had been helping Brandon and Missy plan their trip over since before Christmas, so we were really looking forward to their arrival.  And, we knew Brandon’s secret, so we were extra excited.  The day they arrived, we let them catch up on sleep, and then took them out for an Italian lunch.  That afternoon, we showed them our town, and I made lasagna that night. 

The next morning we caught a 6am train to Venice.  Ben loves trains, and looking out the windows on trains, so of course he didn’t want to sleep.  We got to Venice around 9:30, so we had plenty of time that day and the next to wander around. 

 

We first went to Murano, famous for glass blowing.  We were able to see a demonstration where they made a vase, a pitcher, and a horse.  The vase and the pitcher were neat to watch them work the glass into the perfect shape.  The artists only have about a minute to work with the glass before they have to put it back in the oven to keep it hot, but they did this again and again until it was the perfect size and shape.

 Getting the right shape of the pitcher.

 Adding the handle to the pitcher.

Then they made the next thing, starting with a lump of molten glass, like they did with the others.  This time, instead of blowing into it to make it hollow, the artist just took a pair of tweezers and started pulling pieces out.  We had no idea what he was making for about 30 seconds, and all of a sudden we realized it was a horse.  He made the entire thing in the one minute of time he had to work with the hot glass.

 The finished horse.  Also, the glass pieces some of the items start with.

 Our next destination after Murano was the Rialto Bridge.  We wanted to find the “perfect spot” for a “picture”.  After walking around for 45 minutes and checking every possible angle, we did find the perfect spot.  Brandon and Missy walked out on one dock and I went out on another with the camera.  I couldn’t hear much of what was said, but I saw Brandon go down on one knee, and Missy’s hands flew to her face.  I just kept snapping pictures.

On the boat on the way back to the main islands.

 Crossing the Rialto Bridge.  It was so nice to have someone else to carry the stroller.

 When it was all done and the ring was on her finger (Brandon smartly waited until they were back on solid ground to take it out of the box), they made a few phone calls, and then we broke out the champagne.  

 

 Then they took a romantic gondola ride, and we finished the evening with dinner right on the canal.

 The next day we took the vaporetto all the way down the canal and went to San Marco’s Basilica for Mass.  By the end, there was water seeping in due to “acqua alta”.

We had a great lunch at a little place down a little street.  We had time for just a little more walking around before we had to go to the train station so we could go home and Brandon and Missy could go to Rome.

 They arrived back at our apartment on Friday, after seeing Rome, Florence, and some wineries in Tuscany.  On Saturday, we went to Lake Como.  We started in the town of Como, on the south end of the lake, and took a boat to the popular area in the middle of the lake.  We first stopped at Menaggio for a little while, before getting on another boat to Varenna.  We had lunch at a little café right on the water, then went to Villa Monastero and gardens.

 33 weeks

Sunday we took them to lunch at an agriturismo.  We suggested to them to practice eating a lot throughout the week, so they would be ready. 

 

After lunch we went to downtown Milan, to see the Duomo and maybe do some shopping.  We went up on the roof of the Duomo, since Tim and I had never done that, and got to see the spires and gargoyles up close.

 

On Monday, we did some shopping in Gallarate, and they both got some really cute things.  Brandon even found some button-down shirts in size 3X (Italian cut) that fit him perfectly.  Also, while Missy was shopping, Brandon taught Ben to "Give me a knuck."