The Baby is Here!!!

OK, a little late as usual, but better late than never. Our little Jin-Su Rhys Woo was born on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 9:07am. He was 7 lb 2.5 oz and 20.75 inches long. I did about 3 hours of hard labor (the kind that feels like a knife is being twisted inside you - sorry, it's the only way to describe it) and pushed for 7 minutes and he was out. :) And he's PERFECT!!! I got my wish, he is an exact replica of his daddy, so sweet. I'm so in love with our little boy, and I can't even begin to describe how much deeper my love for Woo is. He has given me the most amazing gift I've ever been given, our beautiful son.

My Mom got in that very night from Hawaii, so she missed the actual birth but was right on time to be the first family member to welcome our little Jin-Su to the world.

So, the birth story, if you're interested...

I started feeling contractions Tuesday night, the 10th, at 11:33pm. They were roughly 30 minutes apart and a little inconsistent so I slept for a bit but wasn't able to sleep through them by around 1am. Woo was still at work and I didn't want to panic him so I labored at home for that time, showered and breathed, trying to remember all my relaxation techniques. By the time he got home around 3:30am, my contractions were about 2 or 3 minutes apart and lasting about a minute each. We left for the hospital and got there roughly around 4, which is when they confirmed that I was about 7 cm dilated, about 80% effaced, and water still in tact. I went as long as I could without an epidural or pain killers but by around 6am and 8 cm dilated, I was finding it difficult to stand and not pass out from the pain. The nurse set me up with an IV drip with Stadol, which took the edge off (significantly less sharpness to the pain) but I still felt every contraction. I took an epidural about half an hour into the IV drip because the drip would last for an hour and I would only be allowed one more dose of Stadol if I wanted to go that route. By this point I was exhausted. After the epidural was in I passed out and slept until around 8, which is when our doctor was supposed to be there. The nurse had me do a "practice" push while we waited for the doctor but she saw the top of Jin's head even with that practice push so she had me stop. The doctor ended up getting there right before 9 and I dozed on and off for that last hour. I started pushing at 9 and Jin was out by 9:07. Our Doctor, Dr. Tamanaha (which we love, by the way, and who happens to be from Hawaii) had Jon pull Jin out and lay him on my stomach, and Jon cut the cord, of course. :)

Jin wasn't on my stomach for very long when the nurse whisked him away to the back of the room with another nurse and they started working over him feverishly. Dr. T tried to reassure us and let us know that baby had some blockage in his airways and that when babies come out that quickly, sometimes it doesn't allow for the birth canal to naturally express the fluids in their mouth and lungs and they can be a little shocked and have trouble breathing. Jin was turning blue quickly and the nurses actually paged the head nurse with a "code" something or other. I was trying not to panic and I could see Woo's face drop. Even now as I type I'm tearing up at how scared I realize that I was, but in those moments I fought with everything in me to stay calm and be strong for Woo, as I'm sure he was also doing for me. When Jin finally coughed and started to cry, I felt like a physical weight had been lifted off my chest and I remember closing my eyes and saying "Thank you God". They got him cleaned up and brought him to me naked to lay against my bare chest. I can't even begin to describe how amazing that felt. I realized at that moment that I was born for this very moment in my own life, to be the mother to this most amazing little being that has forever stolen my heart. To see Woo hold him later after everyone had cleared out and left our new little family to the quietness of that room was so fulfilling and beautiful. I have never been more proud and more touched. Thank you God for my greatest gifts.

So here's our new little family: the only man who knows what my heart feels like from the inside, and the only man who knows my heart. I love these two with all that I am.

Long Overdue Update :)

Wow, where to even begin. Since my last post, we've had our baby shower; we got through the holidays; I almost lost my Mom to heart failure and she had open heart surgery as a result (she's doing much better now...more to come); I flew to Hawaii to be with my Mom for all that; we moved; AND I'm still pregnant! It's been crazy.

First things first - the baby! Today's my second due date (two different doctors, one said the 4th, one said the 10th) and still no real signs of labor. We saw the doctor yesterday and he "swept my cervix" which was really painful and resulted in a minor cramp last night that got me all excited and then was gone. Too funny. I guess Jin will come on his own time, and this is good practice in patience as new parents. I just want to see his face and be able to finally hold him. And I want him off my pelvic bones and bladder.

Woo has been Woo - you know, AMAZING. He's been working hard to set up the nursery. In fact, we'd been tossing around the idea of buying a decal/mural thingy to put on the wall and today while I was at work, he decided to just paint one. Check it out:



I was floored at how great it turned out. Woo is so phenomenally talented, and it's exactly what I had envisioned. He painted the walls the other day, and has been working on a ceiling piece with greens and whites and blues made of paper lanterns. I really haven't had to do anything. I got home from work last week Wednesday and he'd done about 90% of moving us out of our apartment and into the house we moved into. I am in awe of him, he's good to me in a way that I just didn't understand any one person could be to another.

My Mom has been doing really, really, really well, which is another huge thing I'm so thankful for. On just this past Thanksgiving day, her heart stopped twice and she had to be resuscitated and brought back to life both times. I'd never felt so helpless. Woo saw that and rushed to help me make arrangements to get to Hawaii (where she was) the very next day, and when I arrived she was still in surgery to repair the ruptured artery that was causing internal bleeding, and thus causing her heart to stop. Three days after that surgery, she underwent open-heart surgery to perform the double-bypass that was causing the blockage that caused the ruptured artery in the first place. It was the scariest thing I've ever been through, but she was so strong and her courage was contagious. Her faith never faltered and because of it, I was reminded of the kind of legacy that my Mother has passed to me as an individual. She's one of the bravest people I know; in fact, she comforted us more than we did her.

So the greatest news is that she is healing really well, and that her doctor cleared her last week to travel, so she arrives here tomorrow night! I'm excited to see her, and so abundantly thankful that my little Jin will get to know his Grandma Fono. I don't know how I would have been able to bring my first child into this world without my Mom still in it, so I'm thanking God that I'm not being asked to do that. Here's a photo from the night before her bypass, and one from her first walk, the day right after surgery. She never stopped being cheerful and encouraging, and her doctors were amazed at how quick her recovery process was. I'm so proud of her!

When I got home after 9 days in Hawaii (during which my Mom was already discharged from the hospital), I arrived right in time for our baby shower on December 4th which our great friends Shannon, Kiernan, G, Cody, Pat, Rachael and Duane threw for us. I had such a good time, and I couldn't believe how much stuff we got! We got a million diapers, a ton of books, and everything on our registry that a baby could possibly need to get through it's first years of life. It was so touching. Here's a photo that I ended up using in our first-ever Christmas card:

Then we also got some pregnancy photos done. Here's one of our favorites, which also ended up on the Christmas card:

Isn't it sweet? Jin is going to love his Daddy, he's got the best one in the world. :)

Ok, I've got a ton more updates to come (and hopefully one about a baby having been born between this post and the next one). Love you all, family and friends...night-night!

Travel Crib!

Guess what the FedEx guy brought tonight? The travel crib! Woo's sister Hyun-Hi had ordered the travel crib we wanted and arranged to have it shipped to us and it's here! I was so excited to set it up...it makes it feel like the baby will be here soon because there's a crib now, ya' know? We're actually moving to a bigger place in February or March so we can't set up a real nursery yet, and this travel crib is going to be the life-safer that allows us to move the baby from the living room and bedrooms easily until we can get a more permanent situation set up. Plus it's small and doesn't take up a ton of room, and grows with the baby in stages from an elevated bassinet to a lower crib (as baby gets to where he can stand up) to a play-yard. It rolls on a set of back wheels and is small enough to fit through doorways - so convenient. I also have a trip planned with my Mom to Hawaii for a week in early February, so this is what I'm taking with me for little Jin to sleep in.

I'm ecstatic. It's so cute. THANK YOU SO MUCH HYUN-HI. I can't stop staring at it. Now all I need is the baby to be here!

The Name!

D'oh, I almost forgot to post an update on this! Woo and I settled on the final name the night before last. The verdict is in: Jin-Su Rhys Woo. Woo's Dad has been really thinking hard on this for a while now, and offered us several options. Woo's parents both agreed that one of them in particular had a good flow and meaning to it: Jin-Su. It also happened to be one of the options we both liked the most. Jin can mean jewel, something earned, truth and Su can mean eternal or everlasting. Woo's cousin Nam-Hi really helped us with "Jin" in the first place, explaining meanings and such (so please correct me if you see this and I got these meanings wrong!). Woo's sisters also had a lot of good input, so this was truly a Woo family affair. I'm glad to have that settled, and thankful for all the help!

Baby Goodies

My amazing friend Amanda had sent me a birthday package a little more than a month ago, and I was just going back through some of the stuff she sent, putting things away for when little Jin is here. I had sat on the floor with Mushu to tear the box open and lost all that gusto to tear up and cry when I saw what was inside.<sigh> Pregnancy hormones. :) She sent a bunch of cute little onesies and sockies (I assume they aren't called socks because they're just so little, ya know?).

And of course, she wouldn't be Amanda without sending some Hello Kitty and cupcake goodies for me, 'cause that's just how she rolls.

I heart her. Jin's got some pretty amazing Aunts and Uncles, and I'm so thankful for that!

We're getting closer to our due date (50 days to go!!!) so of course, our household has become so much more baby-conscious. Woo has already bought the car seat that we will bring Jin home in, and the car seat that he transitions to after that (after reaching 40 pounds). Can I just say that I'm so thankful for how "hands-on" he has been? Who makes guys like this anymore? He called me at work yesterday from BuyBuy Baby with a couple of car seat options, to ask my opinion, and just like that, we were all set. He's been taking care of the laundry, walking with me, bringing home good-tasting and healthy meals for me, and countless other things.

We started a Lamaze and Birth Preparedness class last week Monday so last night was the second class. Woo is, of course, my support partner and he's phenomenal at it. He's been teaching me how to breathe from my "core", paying extra attention to what the instructor tells us about pain control and relaxation techniques, and then applying them and talking me through the floor exercises like a pro. He's focused and serious and he keeps me smiling and laughing and thoroughly enjoying myself throughout the entire process. I could gush about this guy forever but I don't want the other boys at school to start teasing him so I'll stop.

My friend Lulette also stopped in on facebook and posted a really touching "congrats" (thanks girl!), and it reminded me that I wanted to show her something I'd started working on when I first got back from working in Florida over the summer. She's AH-MA-ZING at knitting and crocheting and at one point, she had practically the entire Polynesian community in Nashville making scarves and socks. I have since kicked my knitting skills up a notch and figured out how to make baby beanies. I saw some on Etsy that I had to have but I wanted to make them that much more meaningful by making them myself. Plus, it was fun! I'm not done, but here's a photo of what I've got so far.

Baby stuff is so stinkin' adorable. I want to make a couple more, so I'll post pics as I get through them. I hope I make Lulette proud. :)

Ok, pregnant chicks go to bed early so off I go. Fall is in the air, yay! G'night everyone!

Meet Jin Rhys Woo...

Woo and I have been pretty set on the name Rhys for a while now, but in tribute to his Korean heritage and because our son will be the first son of the only son, I was really sold on a Korean name somewhere in the mix. We love the name Jin, and I really wanted Woo's Dad to pick the name, so he's working on a second syllable to add to "Jin". For now, we're thinking something along the lines of Jin-[insert second syllable] Rhys Woo...subject to change, but the Jin is pretty solid.

So we have great friends named KC and James Dana (they're twins!) that do 3D and 4D ultrasound photos and they hooked us up with a private session! I was ecstatic about it, it was so sweet of them, and they patiently spent well over an hour with us, trying to coax little Jin to turn over so we could see his face. Turns out our little guy is fond of keeping his face tucked under Mom's ribs (I knew I felt that) so we didn't get a ton of clear face photos, but we did get a couple that make me smile every time I see them. I swear he's smiling in this first one:

It was fun, and a really neat experience. He yawned a lot, that made us laugh since I can't imagine what's got him so worn out other than kicking me in the ribs. Now when Woo and I are laying on the couch watching tv and I'm behind him and Jin kicks, he not only kicks me in the stomach but he kicks Woo in the back.

Check out our friends' website - http://www.wombmates3d4d.com/. They do baby showers, they'll come to your home, etc. And they're amazing guys. Thanks again KC and Jim!

This entire pregnancy has been such a precious and life-changing experience for me. I can't wait to meet this kid in January, or hopefully even a little sooner. I really hope he looks just like his Daddy. I like the big one so much, I went out and got the nanoWoo. :)

Got the stroller!

So this past Sunday Woo suggested we go to the park for a nice morning walk. What a great idea, it was so nice out! We went to the same Greenbelt Park near the house - love that park, can't wait to stroll the baby through there when he finally gets here. It'll be really pretty in January and February if it isn't too cold for a little newborn. My Mom will be here too so we can get all bundled up and go feed the ducks with Mushu (who will in turn try to eat the ducks, I'm sure). Here's a few photos that still don't do the beautiful day any justice...I tried to get a good photo of the belly but wearing black makes it hard to see:

We had a good lunch and then, we were off to buy the stroller. So when Woo and I first discussed the stroller, I was still working in Florida, not showing a baby bump yet and not even thinking about the stroller. When he called and told me the stroller he likes was about $1000 to $1200, I thought he was joking. So, he wasn't. But since then he has completely sold me on the Stokke Xplory. This thing does everything and it's a really cool looking stroller on top of all that. The baby sits much higher than on other strollers (height fully adjustable, as is everything else on this thing) so you're not constantly bending over and it allows for a ton more interaction between baby and parent (and the world, for that matter, since they can see so much more). It wheels around with minimal effort and turns on a dime, will roll over almost any terrain, is amazingly light and collapses easily with one hand while you hold baby in the other arm...it's ridiculous. Those Scandinavians are so trendy and smart. We've been planning out a budget for this thing ever since. So thankfully, Woo has been ON IT about researching it and checking on other sources like eBay and Craigslist. This Sunday all that researching paid off because we got one! Everything it came with (parasol, UV cover, wind/rain guard, infant pad, storage/travel case, 2 car seat adapters - one for Graco car seats, one for Peg Perego car seats - and the stroller itself) would all have retailed for about $1800. We got all that, in excellent condition, for $550. I am over the moon. It's official, we're parents. Here's what it looks like, photo courtesy of stokke.com:

It comes in a really cool green too so we'll probably trade out the fabric later and upgrade to switch it up. For now, the beige is pretty versatile and neutral enough for the next baby. ;)

Poor little Mushu has no idea he's about to have to share all his toys and carpet space. Here's a few photos of him waiting with us in the car to see the stroller:

 He and I both need haircuts...that's a project for this weekend!