Dispatches from the Frontlines of Parenthood

He is here!

Silas Tabor Hickox
Born 6/22/2006 11:47 p.m.
8 lbs 14.9 oz, 22 inches

He is, of course, perfect. Labor was tough, but we made it through drug-free (although not without a 3rd degree episiotomy - Silas was stubborn coming out!). Chessa had a great birth team, including Chad, Mom, and our doula, Karen, and everyone at the birth center was fabulous.

We arrived home at about 1 a.m. this morning, and everyone has been sleeping pretty soundly so far!

Keep checking back for more photos, since daddy is bound to be taking 400 per day!

Without further ado....

Silas Tabor Hickox

Cheeks sponsored by the American Bacon Association.


Chessa's mom Leanne and the grandson.
Greetings, Earthling! Take me to your milk supply!
Dad, are you almost done with that stupid camera?
He was in the crib for about 4 seconds waiting for a bath.
Grandma Leanne insists that Silas has Grandpop Greg's earlobes!

Still pregnant...

Here we are at 40 or 41 weeks, depending on who you ask. Baby seems quite content to just hang out for a while longer, despite our cajoling of him to take the plunge into the big wide world.

No new official belly shots to share, but here are some funny pics we've taken recently. The magenta really brings out the baby in me!

39-40 Week Photos

Danger: Curves Ahead!

Caution: Slippery Slope!

No, mine's bigger!

Me and the preggo tree

39 Weeks!

We're really in the homestretch now! AAAAGGHHH!!!

Well, everything is looking good, baby is in a great position, and the midwife as of yesterday is estimating him to be around 8 lbs!!!! YIKES! Let's hope he comes soon because he's just going to keep getting bigger, and that thought is a little scary to mama!

I'm still seeing the chiropractor twice a week to make sure we keep in good alignment and the baby in a good position. AND I got a massage on Monday, at Chad's insistence. What a good husband!

We've been having nightly talks with the baby about how we're ready for him to come on out and that we promise to still feed him and keep him warm, how it's really fun out here and we have so much to show him, PLUS how he'll have SO much more room to stretch out his gigantic feet on the outside. Because right now he's making my stomach pretty lumpy looking when he decides to stretch.

On with the show!

39 Weeks!

The midwife thinks I'm starting to drop - I'm not so sure...

Notice the complete lopsidedness that is my belly...That's ye olde bigfoot's doing.

Yep, we're pretty much just hanging out, waiting for him to make his appearance. Any day now, buddy. Any day...

The kitty is especially invested in this, as she believes she'll finally have my lap back. She's in for a semi-rude awakening...

37 weeks!

Holy moly, we're at the point now where the boy could be born at any time. EEEEP!

Well, we had an interesting midwife appointment last week wherein I was told I had gained ANOTHER 6 lbs in the past two weeks (so we're up to 35 lbs total), but she thinks it's probably mostly water weight. I have been told to drink even MORE water, which means I get a lot more exercise going up and down the stairs to our 1 bathroom in the house. So it's double duty really - either it's water weight and this will help, or I've been eating too many cheetos and the extra exercise can't hurt. ;)

She was also semi-concerned because baby was WAY over on the right side, above my hip and she said was in danger of becoming stuck in a posterior (=back labor!!) position, so I was told to scrub the floors. Ha ha, ok, not really, but to be on my hands and knees as much as possible and to only lie on my left side. Since I was having some hip pain anyway on that side I moved up my chiropractor appointment and after being adjusted felt MUCH better. Much better. Like, I could get out of bed without doubling over. Then after a day of being in funny positions (thank god we don't have pictures of those) and taking a nice long 2 mile walk, I am happy to report that I felt the boy having hiccups in the perfect spot - on the left side, mostly in front. Yay! So hopefully he will make this new spot his permanent home until he decides it's time join us on the outside. Chad was so worried. Now he commands him to have hiccups all the time so I can tell him if he's still in a good spot. He doesn't really listen so well about getting hiccups on demand, but he's had the hiccups several times since then, and he's still in the good spot. Good baby!

To make sure everything stays all nice and lined up, I'm seeing the chiropractor twice a week until delivery. Thank goodness for good insurance!!!

I don't think he's fully "dropped" yet, but he is getting lower. And I know this because I don't want to die from heartburn anymore. On with the show!

37 weeks of water weight gain!

Is that the full moon? Oh no, it's just my GIANT BELLY.

A non-maternity shirt. Hilarious!!!

35 weeks!

Oh yes, I am feeling the bigness of 35 weeks. What is very, very strange to us is the idea that I could go into labor in two weeks and the baby would be considered full term. What?!? We're not ready yet!!!

The boy is very active despite his lack of room to maneuver. Guess he missed that memo. He makes all kinds of bizarre contortions out of my belly, it is pretty entertaining. I can already tell he's taking after his mom in the foot department (who had GIGANTIC feet when born), they feel huge and hilarious as they poke out of my belly, making it super pointy at times. He is head down on the right side, which is just perfect, and he better stay that way! The midwife estimates that he is on the high side of 5 lbs, which is great although totally mind-boggling to us. She said he feels long and skinny, but that he'll start packing on the fat in the next few weeks (I was kind of hoping that he already had, since I could then blame my 6 lb-in-three-weeks weight gain on him...). But I've gained 29 lbs overall, which the midwife says is right on schedule. So, hooray! Onto the photographic evidence!

35 Weeks of Buddha Baby Belly

It's getting very serious...
Chad has informed me that it is no longer a "basketball belly..."Rather, it's a "medicine-ball belly."

33 weeks!

Sorry for all the slacking, it's just that I had to finish up GRAD SCHOOL and everything. But now it is all done!! Hooray!!!!!! Tomorrow is official graduation, and we might even post some pictures of that, too.

The boy is getting BIG and his bones are hardening, which makes for some pretty mighty thumps in the belly! And he's terribly good at getting the hiccups at 3:30 a.m. Oh, and he's also decided that I need to eat a bowl of cereal between 4-5 a.m. every morning for the past few days, but after that I'm free to go back to sleep. So he's not a total slave driver.

On to the belly!

33 Weeks!

Psych! I'm totally sucking it in here...
Here's the real 33 week belly!

Round like the moon...
The whole enchilada. Mmm...enchiladas....

30 weeks!

Yes, we now have 3/4 of a baby! Holy moly. Less than 10 weeks to go until the due date, and less than 7 weeks until we're considered "full term". EEEEEKKK!!! So much shopping to do before then! AAAACCCKKK!

When we saw the midwives last week, everything was looking great. I had gained 4 lbs since the last appointment (3 weeks prior, with a 21 lb gain total) and the bebe appeared to be head-down and in the perfect position. So we told him he better stay that way or there would be repercussions, in the form of bacon denial.

The babe and I have also started seeing the chiropractor so that everything is aligned and in working order for the big day! I was also lucky enough to play guinea pig for the second time for a prenatal massage class today, so we're all very loosey goosey and relaxed feeling. The bacon cheeseburger for dinner didn't hurt either.

He's been prettttty active lately, and is working hard at giving me constant heartburn. Sometimes instead of watching TV Chad and I just watch my belly wiggle and jiggle all by itself. We can only imagine how entertaining he'll be once he's "on the outside."

On to the bigness of the belly!

30 weeks, 2 days!

At this point, we're convinced the belly button is in to stay. Too bad! I really wanted an outtie!

Baby? Are you in there?

Oh yeah, I also got my haircut. The jury's still out whether we will ever go back to that stylist.

28 weeks = Third Trimester!

Woo-hoo! We're in the homestretch now! Kind of! Except there's three more months! And my back really hurts! And I have heartburn! And I'm really, really, tired all the time! Yeah!

Now back to your regularly scheduled belly gawking.

28 weeks, 2 days!

Nice angle, Chad! My belly looks like it will soon TAKE OVER THE WORLD.

But see? It won't really. It's quite contained, thank you.

26 weeks!

Yes, everyone, I officially *feel* pregnant now. Perhaps it's because I'm measuring two weeks ahead, so my body is officially feeling the third trimester (sore back, hips, hard time sleeping, etc). But in other, better, news, I only gained 2 lbs in 5 weeks! So the whole 7 lbs in 3 weeks was not establishing a pattern. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dieting or anything. In fact, this minimal weight gain has just given me perimission to indulge a bit more fully in my ice cream, cookies, and bacon! I've gained 15 lbs total so far, which the midwife says is right on target. So bring on the milkshakes!

We now start going to see the midwives EVERY. TWO. WEEKS. It's getting serious!

26 Weeks, 3 Days

My basketball belly!

The belly button is still attempting full liberation, but hasn't made the break yet.
Yep, I'm most definitely *looking* pregnant these days...

25 Weeks

Ok, let me just say that the other night Chad came home from work starving, so who was I to say no to going out to our favorite finer diner, The Fly Trap, where I proceeded to have a great BLAT (aka bacon, letuce, Avocado, and tomato. YUM!). Then, afterward he whined and whined for ice cream, so again, who am I to deny my hardworking husband of a little black cherry ice cream from the local parlor?

I just thought you should know all that before you see my fat belly. I did it all for Chad.

25 weeks of chub!

Still, amazingly, an innie...

Am I really pregnant? (Black is soooo slimming!)

Why, yes! Yes I am!

24 weeks = 6 Months!!!

That's right, we have, what, 3/5ths of a baby now! Holy cow! And he's making me feel HUGE! I need new pants! Now! It's not funny! Well, Chad thinks it is, that skinny jerk.

24 weeks, 2 days

Amazingly, I still have an innie belly button.

Please ignore the bad hair, here. This is what pregnancy does to a person. Be warned.

And that's all for now! I wanted to load up one more photo but blogger hates me, so you'll just have to wait until next time. Dumb blogger, don't you know anything about pregnancy rage?!?

23 weeks!

Yes, almost 6 months pregnant I be. Chub, chub-chub chub...Chub, chub-chub chub CHUB!

21 weeks, 1 day

The cat is a little annoyed at my increasing lack of lap...

Please ignore my double-bacon chin...

The little guy is doing well, according to how much he's kicking me. Getting a lot stronger and moving around a bunch! Especially at night! Great!

21 Weeks

Holy crap! We just got back from the doctor and I have officially gained 7 lbs in 3 weeks! Oops-ay! That's about double the rate I should be gaining, but I don't feel too badly, since I hardly gained anything at all the first three months. Let's just hope this evens out a bit, eh? Chad keeps asking me when I'm going to get "jollier" because naturally my bowl full of jelly should be accompanied by jolliness. Duh.