Happy one week birthday Harrison!

Hi folks! Harrison is one week old today. You know that hormone that woman have that makes them forget the pain of labor and delivery?Yeah, I am still waiting for that to kick in. i woke up this am with some mild ptsd symptoms. Of course it doesn't matter bc he is more than worth it!

I started feeling a bit funny on the Thursday before he was born while at work , sort of out of body and was having a really difficult time concentrating. I decided it was probably going to be soon so my manager told me I could take Friday off. I spent the day nesting and then on Saturday Derek and I walked the mall of America to get things going. by that night I was having signs that labor was impending. At 3:30 am I called the midwife and she told me not to come in yet. I called again at 11:30am and she told me not yet again. Well, I am positive that I was in active labor by that point but stayed home anyway. finally at 3pm I told Derek we needed to go NOW! When I got to the hospital I was 7-8 cm dilated. within an hour and 1/2 I was fully dilated and pushing. He was born at 7:40pm on Sunday 11/23, one day before his due date. Whew! I'll never forget those blue eyes staring at me when they laid him on my chest. We made eye contact the whole time he was being cleaned off.

Unbelievable.

Here is an album of various pictures we have taken in the last week.

one week

We stayed home on Thanksgiving but we had out little turkey to celebrate with so it was a wonderful holiday. I can't believe Harrison has already had his first holiday!! I was hoping he would arrive in time to be our little turkey and he did! So far he has been to Grammie and Grandpa Schille's, Aunt Shannon and Uncle Matt's, and of course Target.

Things are going well at home. I am taking the night shifts although I try to bring him into our bed when possible. He isn't too fussy but I know he doesn't like it when he is laying in his bassinet alone. He is much more content snuggled with his dad or me. Derek has been wonderful. It is difficult to learn to breastfeed but things are going better. He has his first apt. with a pediatrician on Monday. we had a home health nurse come out last Friday and he has almost already gained back to his birth weight! I guess they give 10 days to gain the weight back and he had almost done it 5. He is a tiny little thing, 6 lbs 12.5 oz. last Friday. None of his clothes fit!! I am sure he will grow before I know it and will be remembering the day we couldn't find any clothes that fit him.

Harrison's name popped into my head one day. It was before we knew if he was a boy or a girl but I had been brainstorming boy names. We had like five girl names we liked. One day it just came to me and I ran it past Derek the next time we were discussing names. He really liked it too. When we found out it was a boy Derek asked if I still liked that name. I said that I loved that name and we decided that day our baby was Harrison. It is perfect!

I will continue to post. We have a lot of family and friends to introduce him to still and of course Christmas will be a big holiday this year. Keep checking back for pictures and updates!

happy birthday Harrison, Mommy loves you !!

mama panda

Harrison Derek Schille

You have all probably heard by now but Harrison has arrived!!

He looks just like his daddy.

we are all safely back home. I will post a blog later with more details, pictures etc. Thanks to everyone that came to visit us and sent us well wishes!! I have to go feed the baby now!

Love,

mama panda

Thanks everyone!

Hey,

I just wanted to say thanks. I have gotten a few phone calls and emails in the last week or so as my due date draws closer that have been very nice. I am starting to go crazy because I am so very ready for baby to arrive!! This last month is the hardest. It has been comforting to know that people are thinking about me.

I had my first day off the schedule at work and sitting around gestating, waiting for labor to start. Although Derek assures me I am being constructive because I am incubating our child I feel like a bump on a log. While I was working Derek kept his phone on him at all times, even bringing it into the bedroom at night when I wasn't home just in case I went into labor. Awww....Now I will be easy to keep track of cuz I am at home until the show starts.

We bought reusable diapers last weekend, isn't that responsible of us? Really I just did it to save money, saving the environment is just a bonus. I have our bag packed, over packed I am sure, and we did a test run to the hospital also last weekend so Derek would know where to go. So, baby, we are ready!! Well as ready as we ever will be.

(Insert me drumming my fingers and humming the jeopardy theme song here)

I hope he arrives by thanksgiving. I have signs that labor is on it's way but there are no sure things. I don't have any new pictures but here is a fun comparison

me at about 12 or 13 weeks when we started telling people.

The last picture taken at about 38 weeks or so.

I was so nervous by the way when we started telling people. I felt like it would jinx it if people knew. I wanted some people to know and others i was like "do we have to say anything?" Derek thought maybe people would start asking questions eventually. Even now I am surprised when strangers ask me about the baby, cuz I am like "oh you know?" yeah I think it became noticeable.

It is still weird for me cuz this time last year I had no idea I would be a mommy for this holiday season. Derek and I didn't decide to have a baby until sometime after thanksgiving. I don't really remember when, but if you would have told me at thanksgiving last year that I would be having a son I would have said you were crazy.Now I can't imagine NOT having him. It's like, duh of course we are having a baby. We were missing him. Life is pretty amazing sometimes.

So anywho, I hope to have news of "belly's" arrival soon. We plan to send out an email when he is born. Check your emails everyone!!

After we published the "H" a friend wondered if we had chosen the name Hitler. I kinda liked the sound of it but then I googled the name. As it turns out he wasn't a nice guy! Did you all know about this? When I read his wikipedia page I was like "oh. no, way. I'd sooner name my son Bronx or Moses. " Maybe I should consider Ivan the Terrible, Stalin, or George W. instead...

Naw, I think we will stick with our "H" name. Hopefully you will all know soon!!

Love,

mama panda

Is that a hat and mittens in your coat or do have a baby in there?

So asked the Starbucks lady over the weekend. Yes it is in fact a baby. I have been measuring small the past few weeks (although baby is 47% in length and weight so he is plenty big) but apparently now I have caught up. People are now giving me that look and saying "wow, you must be close!"


Yup. Close but no cigar.

I have been working hard at my new job and it got to be a bit much. My manager asked if my hours were too long and I had to admit that they were. (please don't fire me!!) I was having a lot of contractions and by the end of the day I could barely walk without flinching. so I am now working six hours instead of eight. By the end of last week I was completely worn out. I spent all day Sunday watching Scrubs and laying on the couch. This is my view all day.
You can see my baby bump to the left. Today I felt much better but am glad to be only doing six hours. I still don't have a clue about 80% of my job. Trying to learn it while being 38 weeks preggers is rough. I am officially due in two weeks, but he can arrive safely any time he is ready!

Here are final pictures of the nursery,

Yes, that is an H on the wall. It is the first letter of belly's name. You can try to guess if you want or you can keep it a surprise. Either way I don't want to hear about it, so don't ask I still won't tell!! Actually don't ask at all it will just annoy me.

The oddest two things about being pregnant have been :
1. my incredible thirst. I can drink water all day and still feel parched. I know it isn't diabetes, it is just part of being preggers
2. congestion. Derek told me I was breathing horribly at night so I have started wearing those nasal strips. pretty hot huh? Pregnancy has made my nose bleed and be very stuffy, go figure.

Finally,

I must say I am very proud that my son will be born into a world in which Obama is president elect. Once I found out I was pregnant I instantly saw the world differently. I worry more about the future of this country and of the world. I am relieved to be bringing a child into an Obama world and not a Bush/McCain world.

Derek and I will celebrate our nine year anniversary on Wednesday, so I'm sure I will post an update then.

Love,

mama panda

Goodbye Station 77

I went to my old place of employment today, Station 77 at Fairview Southdale hospital for a baby shower. Even though it has only been a few weeks since I moved to my new job at Riverside it was really hard. I worked there for almost 4 years and just love the people I got to know. It is always weird to return to a place that you don't "belong to" anymore but this was the hardest time for me. St. 77 is full of kind, empathetic, and fun people. In the time I worked there I got married, went to graduate school, and experienced my first pregnancy. Major life events. my co-workers became my friends and a source of support to me during these important times. To be honest they were there for me when other people in my life I thought I could count on weren't. To them I will always be grateful.

Station 77 baby shower

On the other hand they told me all about recent events on the unit which includes staff finding a potential overdose before it happened and another patient sneaking a knife past a very experienced nurse and slicing her arm open.

That I don't miss.

So I move on as we do in life hoping that the old gang doesn't forget to invite me to parties and other celebrations as they occur. Thank God for facebook.

When we put the nursery together I wondered how long it would take for the cats to discover the crib. Well it took a couple weeks but Steve finally realized there was a new place to sit.
After I took pictures I kicked him out and haven't seen him in there since. We'll see how long that lasts.

I am officially 37 weeks which is considered full term. "Belly" can be born anytime now without worry. I was trying to convince him that the sooner he was born the sooner he would turn 16 therefore the sooner mommy and daddy would buy him a car. That is a pretty good deal right? Well baby remains in my tummy so I guess he didn't think it was that great. I'll let you all know if anything changes. It could be any day now or in five weeks. Boo. Derek and I will be celebrating our nine year dating anniversary in a few weeks. We'll probably be at Figlio (the site of our first date) in uptown to celebrate. I'll post some new pictures then.

Love,

Mama Panda