Benjamin: Weeks 8 through 10

I can't believe our baby boy will be 11 weeks on Tuesday! How is it that the first 6 weeks go so slow and after that, time seems to fly?

He is now 17 pounds and 24.5" long. He sleeps about 4-5 hours at a time, wakes up for a feeding and then goes back to sleep for about 3 hours. Still waiting for the 7 hour stretch!

He's smiling often and even laughing. I love him so much and can't wait to see what he's going to do next. I love watching the world through his eyes. :)

Benjamin: Through the Weeks...

Benjamin Bradley Bozin: Our Little Miracle

As most of you know, I gave birth to our beautiful son last Tuesday, August 11th. I apologize for the delayed entry; I've been in "healing mode" and am just starting to feel human again.

So, as you know, I was trying everything to induce labor. Last Monday evening, Brad made spicy tacos for dinner. Around 3am, I felt like I had cramps but of course I didn't correlate it to labor because I was convinced that I was going to have to be induced. I tried to go back to bed, but eventually got up to read around 5:30am. Brad woke up and I told him that I was having "cramps"; he got excited and asked if we needed to go to the hospital. (By the way, we had a 8:30am appt. scheduled for that morning so that the doctors could do a stress test on Benjamin).

I told Brad that we could wait until out appt. Well, the "cramps" started getting closer and closer. We started timing them at 7am and they were about 10 minutes apart. I knew that if we went to the hospital and they determined that I was indeed in labor, I wouldn't be allowed to eat. So, for my "last meal" (meaning "last bad-for-me meal"), we went through McDonalds drive-thru. That morning, the intercom was broken and someone was taking orders outside. Just as we were giving our order, I had another contraction. After I screamed my order of an "Egg and Cheese Biscuit!", Brad looked at the frightened McDonalds employee and said, "Don't worry - she's in labor; we're on our way to the hospital right after this."
It was a classic moment.


I was able to walk into the hospital and into labor and delivery. They had me change into a gown so they could check to see if I was in labor and if so, how dilated I was. Much to my surprise, I was 5cm dilated. So, they admitted me and we were set up in a room around 8:15am.

About an hour later, I received my epidural. It was the best. thing. ever. I couldn't feel any contractions - or my legs for that matter - after getting my epidural.

The doctor came in to break my water around 11:30am and said that I should have a baby in a few hours.

Well, around noon, the doctor came in again and informed me that I was 10CM dilated and needed to get ready to start pushing.

It all happened so fast. With Brad on one side of me and my mom on the other, I started to push. After several minutes, there was a flood of people that came into the room. Someone named "Dr. Wittich" was being paged STAT to my room. Benjamin's head was turned sideways and he wasn't coming through the birth canal. One doctor tried to vacuum his head out three times - all unsuccessful.

Dr. Wittich, a 70 year old OB who happened to be working that day, came into my room, sat in front of me and said, " I only want you to listen to me. When I say push, you push".

At this time, they had given me oxygen. I couldn't feel anything but sensed something was wrong. All I could do was cry and pray.

Benjamin's heartbeat was down to 50 bpm (the average baby's heartbeat is 150 bpm). Dr. Wittich took forceps and turned Benjamin's head the correct way. He said PUSH and I pushed as hard as I could. A few seconds later, we could hear a faint cry. The umbilical cord was around Benjamin's neck.

The doctors and nurses removed the cord and rushed him over to a side table. After a few seconds, I heard a healthy cry.

Dr. Wittich and another doctor remained in front of me for about 15 minutes. Due to Benjamin's size (9 pounds, 15 ounces), I had third degree lacerations and needed to be sewn.

After being tended to, they handed me our beautiful and BIG baby boy. I was in awe of his size. His breathing was a little labored, so they took him to the nursery so they could monitor him for awhile.

While Benjamin was in the nursery, the nurses attempted to move me to my mother/baby room. I fainted two times and was unable to sit up the other two. After the fourth time (which was around 9pm), the doctor ordered a blood test.

After the results came back, the doctor told me that I had lost a lot of blood and needed a transfusion.

They were able to move me into the mother/baby room around 11pm, after being hooked up to several IVs. Brad and I spent the night in the room with Benjamin (who was brought in to us with a clean bill of health shortly after I was transferred into the new room). Although I was weak, it was an amazing experience. We didn't get any sleep that night (or the night after), but it was an incredible bonding time between myself, my husband and our son.

The following day, I received my blood transfusion. After the blood transfusion, they took a sonogram of my uterus and determined that there was placenta and tissue that needed to be removed. I went into surgery about 10 minutes after my transfusion was complete.

The surgery and transfusion were successful.

Three days (which seemed like three years) after being admitted into the hospital, we were on our way home.


Although I'm sore, I'm on the road to recovery. I heal more everyday. I'm so amazed by God's grace and His mercy. Dr. Wittich is the ONLY doctor within a 100 mile radius that still uses forceps. I'm told that they don't even teach that method of delivery in medical schools today.

God's hand was all over the birth of Benjamin. God has changed my life in so many ways and now, He has given us a beautiful son. I will forever be grateful.

2 Days Past Due Date feels like 2 Months!

Well, as you probably guessed, no Benjamin yet. We had a doctor's appt. on Thursday (his due date) and the doc. said my measurements were exactly the same as the previous visit. Really?! After EVERYTHING I've done - from spicy foods to brisk walking - it's hard to believe that all remains the same. I'm now convinced that he's only going to come out if I'm induced. :)
We have our next appt. scheduled for Friday, at which time they are going to do a stress test on Benjamin to make sure that he's still content and happy; they'll also check the amniotic fluid to ensure that it's still at a good level.
If all looks good, then they will schedule the induction for Tuesday, August 18th - which will make me 41 weeks and 5 days pregnant.
At least I know that I can't stay pregnant forever and we'll get to meet our little man in 10 days, at the latest.
We appreciate everyone's prayers.

39 Weeks... yep, still pregnant :)

We're officially one week away from Benjamin's due date. We had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. Our little guy's heartbeat is going strong at 140 bpm and he's still in the optimal position for delivery (head allll the way down there).
We also found out that I'm 95% effaced! but only 1 cm dilated... she again told me that he could come any day. She suggested that I bounce on an exercise ball (which Brad promptly ran out and purchased right after the appointment) - check!
She also suggested that I start taking Evening Primrose Oil - check!

So, I feel like I've done everything I can... now I'm leaving it up to God. I've prayed that he will make me less anxious and start focusing on relaxing during these "final" days. I know that God has a plan and need to be confident in that fact. The waiting is just so hard! :)

Below is a link to the rest of our 9 Month Pregnancy photo shoot. Our photographer, Seth, did an amazing job putting the pictures in a slide show format. Enjoy!

http://www.shrubin.com/portrait/090712_Aleisha+Brad/index.html

"He Could Come at Any Time..."

Those were the doctor's words this morning at our appt. We had a great appt. The reason why I say great is because we actually got to see our little guy on a sonogram again (it's been 4 months since we've seen him last). As soon as the doctor saw him on the screen, she said "He's pudgy!". She guesstimates that Benjamin weighs between 7.5 and 8 pounds now. She said if his head were any lower in my pelvis, I'd be giving birth! So that's why I can barely walk now. :)
I am now officially working from home, as the doctor suggested that I should stay close to the hospital in case I go into labor, even though Benjamin isn't due for another 16 days.
We're so excited and so ready!

3 Years of Wedded Bliss

I almost forgot to mention... Brad and I celebrated our three-year wedding anniversary on Wednesday. We ate a yummy, 3 hour meal at The Melting Pot; it was dee-lish but I wasn't able to eat as much as I normally can since Benjamin is now taking up some stomach space. Not complaining about that though!
Brad bought me a Canon Rebel (new camera), which I've been wanting for awhile. I'm looking forward to trying it out on our little guy. :)

I look forward to spending 75 more anniversaries with Brad. He's my best friend and I can't imagine going through life without him. I love you, Brad!

37.5 Weeks... but who's counting?

Well, we made it past 37 weeeks, which was a huge benchmark. 37 weeks marks the "full-term" point. Baby Benjamin is fully baked! He can come at any time now and I think we're ready... I think. :)

I packed my bag and Benjamin's hospital bag this weekend; the nursery is D-O-N-E (pictures to come). Brad is taking Benjamin's car seat to the fire department this week, to be properly installed. We have a doctor's appt. on Tuesday... more to come at that time!

Below are pictures we had taken last weekend in DC. Our photographer was great; I lasted a lot longer than anticipated (2 hours) and am so glad we got the opportunity to have a 9-Month Pregnancy photo shoot. :)

9 Months Pregnant!

Well, I made it! I'm officially in my last month of pregnancy. Unfortunately, I'm SO large that everything is uncomfortable - walking, sitting, and even breathing! I know it will all be worth it when we meet our little guy in less than a month.

We had our 36 week appt on Tuesday. Benjamin's heartbeat was around 145 bpm and everything is looking great. We filled out our pre-admittance forms for the hospital, so we won't have to worry about it when I go into labor. I also filled out all the information for Benjamin's birth certificate. So exciting!


My weekly e-newsletter tells me that Benjamin is now measuring around 18½ inches long and nearly 6 pounds—just about as big as a breadbox. :)

Baby Benjamin Update

Just a quick update on Baby B...

He's kicking quite a bit. I told my mom that he's my little Karate Kid. I feel him every hour now, which is so neat and surreal. He gets hiccups about once a day.
My last doctor's appt. was June 2nd. They told me that everything was looking great and his heartbeat was 145 bpm (which is good - the average baby's heartbeat ranges from 110 - 160 bpm). My glucose test came back negative, which means no gestational diabetes. (I was worried about that one since I've been succombing to all of my ice cream and chocolate cravings!)

My weekly e-newsletter tells me that Benjamin is now between 4 and 5 pounds and around 17 inches - about the length of a knee-high boot. :)

My next doctor's appt. is on July 7th (right around 36 weeks) - which seems like a long wait since I'm already 32 weeks, but thereafter, I'll be seeing the doctor every week until Benjamin is born.

Baby Shower Extravaganza

On Saturday, Cheryl hosted a baby shower for Baby Benjamin and me. It was a perfect day. My close friends, Jessica and Ashley, drove up from Virginia Beach. Our friends Rebecca and Shawn drove in from Richmond (the guys played golf during the shower). I had a blast catching up with friends and opening so many wonderful gifts! Thank you to everyone who attended! Benjamin is going to be one happy, well-dressed baby!

Jessica, Me, Ashley

Heidi and I

Cheryl and I

Yummy Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream cake

Grandpa Bozin got Benjamin ready for all the major sport seasons

My mom sent the cutest Pottery Barn clothes - some even had Benjamin's name mongrammed on them :)

Best Mommy Present ever! Thanks Lynne! :)

So many wonderful gifts!

Brad and Brian helping clean up after their long day of golf :)

Happy Retirement Cheryl!

My mother-in-law, Cheryl, is hanging up her full-time teaching cap at the end of this school year. On May 29th, her friends hosted a wonderful retirement party for her to celebrate her many years of teaching. Brian and his girlfriend, Aubrey, were able to drive up for the occasion. It was a fun night. Congratulations on retiring, Cheryl! I know your students will miss you!

Stan, Cheryl, Brad, Brian, Aubrey and Me

Cheryl and I

Brian and Aubrey

29 weeks... and growing!

We picked a name!

For those of you that don't know, we finally decided on a name for our precious little boy:

Benjamin Bradley Bozin

We're going to try and keep his name "Benjamin" for the first few years of his life; we know it's inevitable that it's going to be shortened to "Ben" eventually... but for now, he's Baby Benjamin. :)

The below are a couple of 3D sonogram pictures that we had taken Easter weekend. I think the first one looks like he's smiling!

Jacksonville Baby Shower

First, let me apologize for not posting in over 2 months... goodness, between work and mommy brain, I'm having a hard time keeping up with the blog!

Over Memorial Day weekend, Brad, Brian and I went to Jacksonville, FL (our home away from home). We stayed with our good friends, Adam and Kristin (and their adorable 11 month old son, Braden).
We had a great time catching up with old friends and attended our amazing co-ed baby shower. Thanks again to Melina, Jessi, Michelle and Kristin for the most memorable 10-hour shower ever. :)

PS - For everyone asking me for "belly pictures", these pictures were taken at 28 weeks.

A Perfect Profile

I'm in love with him already...

Baby Bump

21 weeks, 4 days:

It's hard to imagine that I'll be getting MUCH bigger than this! :)

The Life Plan

All of my close friends and family know that I've had a "Life Plan" or I should say "Life Dream" ever since I was in college.

It goes like this:

- Married at 25

- First child (a boy) at 28

- Second child (a girl) at 30

Well, it worked out that I did get married at age 25 (after dating my wonderful husband for over 3 years) and we are going to have our first child when I'm 28.
So, when we found out I was pregnant, I was sure it was going to be a boy. Brad, on the other hand, was absolutely convinced that it was going to be a girl.

This is because of his previous occupation - a nuclear engineer on a submarine. It turns out that the vast majority of all submariners have baby girls. People have speculated many reasons for this; my favorite is that since the guys are underway for months at a time, their bodies do not get adequate sunlight, which contains Vitamin K, which is a necessary vitamin for the body to produce xy chromosomes. Hey - it's a theory.

Regardless of the reason, Brad was prepared for a girl.

So, when we went to our anatomy sonogram on Thursday, I was excited to see our baby boy on the screen and Brad was anticipating "girl" results.

The sonogram took about 20 minutes. The technician checked all fluids, organs, and measurements. Before she started, she asked if we wanted to know the sex - we both said "YES" unanimously. About 5 minutes into it, as both Brad and I were trying to decipher what exactly we were looking at on the screen, she informed us that she knew the sex but needed to take more measurements and then would try to show us the defining part.

The only picture I could make out was our precious baby's profile - everything else looked foreign to me. (At one point, I asked if what we were looking at was an eye and she informed me that it was the stomach - oops!)

After a very long 15 minutes, she informed us that everything looks great - all organs were functioning normally, the baby's size was perfect and all fluids looked good. Next, we finally were looking at the baby's pelvic area... except, Brad and I still couldn't make anything out. I think she gave up on us because she typed out what we were supposed to see on the screen:




We found out it's a BOY! Brad was initially shocked, then thrilled; I had tears of joy. We're so looking forward to meeting our son. Who said "Life Plans" don't work out? :)

Now it's time to start shopping!

Butterfly Wings

We had our doctor's appointment this morning and everything looks good!
We heard Baby B's hearbeat via doppler and it sounds like a butterfly's wings flapping; it's the coolest and most beautiful sound I've ever heard.
The doctor measured my uterus and said that Baby B is growing at a healthy rate. B is about the size of an avacado right now:
We were a bit disappointed when we scheduled our appointment with radiology; they
said that they only do the "anatomy ultrasounds" at 20 weeks. So, four more weeks to go (March 19) before we know if Baby B is a girl or a boy!

I love LOVE

Brad and I had a quiet Valentines Day at home and it was perfect.
About two months ago, I thought it would be fun to go to the Melting Pot on Valentine's Day.
Brad called every Melting Pot within a 25 mile radius of us; they were completely booked.
So, we brought the Melting Pot to us! :)
We started out with cheese fondue, then Brad cooked lobster and filets, then we finished the night with dark chocolate fondue with strawberries and bananas.
Needless to say, Baby B and I were quite full by the end of the night! It's hard to believe that next Valentine's Day Baby B will be 7 months old!