Welcome Alexandra Lynn

Today we welcomed our newest daughter, Alexandra Lynn Z, into our home. After several false starts, and a few scary moments along the way – Alexandra proved she is a fighter and arrived into our arms on Thursday, April 24th (2-24-2008 at 2 pm for you numerical buffs). Both Alexandra and mom are doing well and resting at home. Alexandra weighed in at a lean & mean 7 lbs 3 ozand 21.25 inches tall (takes after her mom, obviously)

Due Date... +1 day

Well, things are starting to get interesting.

We went for our normal 40 weeks +1 day appt tonight, and it turns out the baby's heart rate is a little on the low side, and combined with a decreased level of amniotic fluid, the doctor sent us in to the hospital just to make sure. Once at the hospital they monitored the baby for another 30 min, then took measurements of the fluid levels, and decided that they will most likely induce me tomorrow or Wednesday morning (depending on how the tests go tomorrow when we go back in).

Plus I think it was really busy in there tonight - people were running all over the place! Tomorrow may be better for all of us. (Maybe even a private room as light at the end of the tunnel)

Due Date...

Well, unless something drastic changes over the next 12 hours, I'm going to guess that my due date will come & go without a new little girl showing her face. Troy is betting on Wednesday, 3 days late. Sophia was 4 days over her due date (and only 7lbs) so that would be fine too.

So we'll just keep on waiting.

Luckily we have distractions now. My parents arrived last night for a visit, and to meet their newest grandchild. Sophia is in heaven, has barely stopped moving since they arrived (I think she was jumping in her sleep), and will love the extra attention with the new little sister as well.

Its a beautiful day in Munich, so we are going to go enjoy the sunshine at a beer garden for lunch (alkohol-frei for me) and then laze away the day. Sundays in Munich are highly regulated for enforced relaxation (there are laws against making too much noise which includes bans on washing cars, mowing the lawn, and even taking out the garbage - all neighbor enforced of course). So we'll eat at a beer garden, go for a walk & take a break at another beer garden. Not a bad way to spend a sunny day.

Z Baby Update

I'm still pregnant.

One week to go, but we are ready for this little one to join us in the world. She's still putting on the weight, estimations right around 3,000 grams at this point (7 lbs), but she's dropped in the past week & the doctor yesterday said it could be this weekend, it could be 2 weeks from now.

Waiting... waiting... waiting...

We told Sophia that the other car seat will be in the back seat with her after the baby is born, and she said "then I'll be able to tell her that I am her big sister." She's getting a little anxious for the baby to be born as well, she knows that Nana & Papa arrive when the baby comes, and she wants me to be able to play with her on the floor again. (I can get down but can't really move once I am there and am having problems getting back up).

Sophia reading in the baby's room

Sophia reading in the baby's room
Video sent by moyamz

Sophia has been enjoying exploring the books that are now in the baby's room. Yesterday I found her very comfortable on the couch, making up her own stories to the books that she used to know by heart. She asks almost every day if the baby is going to come, but I'm not sure if that is because she wants to have a new sister, or if she is just looking forward to Nana & Papa coming back!

Baby Z update...

We met with the dr at the Frauenklinik today, and it looks like it will be an efficient, but slightly different birth experience compared to our experience at Swedish in Seattle.



2 big issues for me:



1- The doctor said since I have already been "stretched" that I would most likely not require an epidural. (Can you hear me screaming with the thought of the pain already!)



2- Group rooms. There are some private rooms at the hospital, but for the most part I will always have at least 1 room mate. I know that as an American, I have a slightly puritanical (prudish) view of privacy in comparison to the rest of the world. However, I don't really think that my reaction to this news is outside of the ordinary if the thought of being kept awake by my own newborn at 3 in the morning doesn't fill me with a slight panic - given that I'm not sleeping really well right now anyway - the thought of being kept awake by someone elses child sends me a little bonkers... So we will see. If there is a room available, it is an extra 50 euro per night. Sleep will be worth every penny.



So, onto other news, the baby is growing well. Estimated to be almost 5 lbs at this point, with just under 5 weeks to go. She is amazingly active, and quite strong, so that when she moves and gets the hiccups it is such a surprise, and literally takes my breath away.

She has very bony feet, and loves pushing off of my ribs, which causes her to shoot down onto my bladder.

Her favorite thing to do when I lay down to go to bed is push & kick against the mattress. If I flip to the other side, so does she... She also has the hiccups almost every night.



Sophia is getting very excited to be a big sister. We have been reading lots of books trying to get the mindset ready, but she is just really looking forward to "playing" with her sister. She walked around all afternoon with a pacifier in her mouth (you know the british call them dummies?!), and crawling like a baby. It lasted until she started rolling around & slammed the back of her head on the hardwood floors as she rolled over. After that she decided riding her bike in the hall was much more fun!

Baby update

18 weeks & counting...



I'd post ultrasound photos, but we don't have a scanner so you'll just have to take our word for it. Everything is good. Baby is growing, kicking a lot, and has very long legs. No word on the sex yet, we'll probably find out in Dec. In the meantime, we are still looking at lots of names.

The german doctor experience was quite nice. Very clean & efficient office. All of the staff spoke english, a bonus when talking medical information with nurses, and the Doctor was very thorough. She talked a little bit about the birth experience, and the 4 to 5 days in the hospital afterwards. 4 to 5 days! What am I going to do there? We'll have to go visit some of the hospitals here in Munich & pick one that looks like a spa...

She also thinks that April 20, 2008 is a better due date than April 26th.

We'll see...