Fraggle

This is the story of a much sought-after child....

(Narrated by Jenn)

Since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I have loved babies and wanted to be a mom. In fact, I'm quoted as having said, "Mom, when I grow up, I want to be just like you: nothing." Ahh, out of the mouths of babes! You know what I meant.

Todd was on board with this, too. When we married in 1999, we decided that we'd wait about three years before starting a family (whether it was "three years until we start trying" or "three years until we have our first child" is up for debate). Three years into our marriage, Todd was working on his MBA, so we agreed to postpone it until he was about done. We began trying to conceive in January, 2003....

This little fraggle-boy wasn't conceived until January, 2006: you do the math. It was a long and arduous journey, although we trusted - when we had the presence of mind to do so! - that it was all in the Lord's Providence. We tried various approaches to fertility treatment, including mineral supplements & vitamins, acupuncture, chiropractic, IUI, and even psychic healing. [If you're interested to know more about any of these, please give us a shout! We saw some pretty impressive changes, albeit not conception, per se.] After three unsuccessful years of trying - without even a single "BFP" (big fat positive - a positive pregnancy test result, in fertility lingo) - we decided that we were ready for the big guns: IVF. We were willing to give it three tries, but that was it. Meanwhile, we also underwent foster parent training, because I realized that what I really wanted to be doing was parenting, whether it was my own child(ren) or someone else's. We were officially certified to foster in mid-January '06, but were put on the 'hold' list because of our impending IVF.

Well, lo and behold, we never came off that 'hold' list: our first attempt at IVF took!! Joy of joys!! We were still trepidatious, not wanting to get our hopes up too high - after three years of disappointment after disappointment, one learns to reign in one's enthusiasm <sigh> - and yet, the pregnancy continued to progress beautifully.

Here we are, three and three quarter years into this pursuit, and we're mere weeks - days! - from bearing our first child!! What a miracle. We're very eager to welcome him more fully into our lives, and are determined to treasure every moment of the process. At least, until we find ourselves at our wits' end with an inconsolable baby at 3 o'clock in the morning for the umpteenth night in a row......

= We look forward to announcing his birth on this page. Stay tuned!! =

We're having a baby!!!! A baby BOY, in fact! > > > Keep an eye on this page; we'll update it when the boy makes his grand entry! > > > His due date is October 13th.
Here I am, all of 20 weeks gestation >
	click on me to zoom in
This is the story of a much sought-after child.... (Narrated by Jenn) Since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I have loved babies and wanted to be a mom. In fact, I'm quoted as having said, "Mom, when I grow up, I want to be just like you: nothing." Ahh, out of the mouths of babes! You know what I meant. Todd was on board with this, too. When we married in 1999, we decided that we'd wait about three years before starting a family (whether it was "three years until we start trying" or "three years until we have our first child" is up for debate). Three years into our marriage, Todd was working on his MBA, so we agreed to postpone it until he was about done. We began trying to conceive in January, 2003.... This little fraggle-boy wasn't conceived until January, 2006: you do the math. It was a long and arduous journey, although we trusted - when we had the presence of mind to do so! - that it was all in the Lord's Providence. We tried various approaches to fertility treatment, including mineral supplements & vitamins, acupuncture, chiropractic, IUI, and even psychic healing. [If you're interested to know more about any of these, please give us a shout! We saw some pretty impressive changes, albeit not conception, per se.] After three unsuccessful years of trying - without even a single "BFP" (big fat positive - a positive pregnancy test result, in fertility lingo) - we decided that we were ready for the big guns: IVF. We were willing to give it three tries, but that was it. Meanwhile, we also underwent foster parent training, because I realized that what I really wanted to be doing was parenting, whether it was my own child(ren) or someone else's. We were officially certified to foster in mid-January '06, but were put on the 'hold' list because of our impending IVF. Well, lo and behold, we never came off that 'hold' list: our first attempt at IVF took!! Joy of joys!! We were still trepidatious, not wanting to get our hopes up too high - after three years of disappointment after disappointment, one learns to reign in one's enthusiasm <sigh> - and yet, the pregnancy continued to progress beautifully. Here we are, three and three quarter years into this pursuit, and we're mere weeks - days! - from bearing our first child!! What a miracle. We're very eager to welcome him more fully into our lives, and are determined to treasure every moment of the process. At least, until we find ourselves at our wits' end with an inconsolable baby at 3 o'clock in the morning for the umpteenth night in a row...... = We look forward to announcing his birth on this page. Stay tuned!!* =*
Here's what MommyLinks.com has to say about fraggle development (and a little about Mommy), this week:
Week 40 • Labor could start anytime! Keep in mind that your due date is just an estimate, your baby will come when he’s ready. Don't worry about it though, no one is pregnant forever :) 95% of women give birth within a week of their estimated due date. • Your baby is ready to go, with toenails that reach the tips of little toes and fingernails that may need a trim. Much of the fine hair or lanugo that at one point completely covered your baby is gone, although there may be a little left here and there. The amount of vernix caseosa, the white cheesy substance that helped protect your little one's skin, may vary; some babies are born with quite a bit, while other may just have a little left in the creases. • If you find you have too much time on your hands, do a dress rehearsal for your labor. As you do a walk through, check that you have everything you'll need, which may include: food and/or drink for both parents, any candles, music, or focal point items, swim trunks for daddy-to-be, your favorite pillow(s), phone numbers for anxious relatives, birth plan, night gown or pajamas for after delivery, baby clothes, camera with extra film and batteries... • If it's not too uncomfortable, take a walk, it may help get labor started. • If your water breaks, it usually feels like a gush and then a trickle that may increase as you change positions or lay down. Check with your doctor if you think your water has broken. • While labor is quite often portrayed on TV and in movies as starting with a big, big, gush when the woman's water breaks, this is not often the case in real life. 85% of the time, labor starts, then your water breaks, sometime during the labor or delivery. Only 15% of the time does your water break before labor begins. • Once your water has broken labor may begin almost immediately, or it may take hours, even days. Talk to your doctor about how long you will be allowed to wait after your water breaks for labor to begin before your labor will be artificially induced. This limit can vary from 12 hours to 48 hours. The concern here is that infection will enter your uterus through the ruptured membranes. • When you feel the first true contractions of your labor, don't rush to the hospital; it's exciting, but you most likely have hours to go. Try to go about your normal business until the contractions get down to business, that is, get so intense you need to get off your feet during them, and they happen regularly. • Pregnancy, labor, and delivery really drive home the point that every woman and every child is unique. While it is possible to say that the labor and delivery for a first baby will be around 14 hours with up to 2 hours of pushing, it could vary from 2 hours with 15 minutes of pushing to 24 hours with 3 hours of pushing. [Or, as in Val’s & Larsa’s case, 36 hours with I forget how many hours of pushing! :=P ] • You know your body best: if your contractions start and they are lasting a minute and you only get a minute between them to rest, you should probably get to the hospital or birth center. On the other hand, if you have a contraction, then about 10 minutes later you have another one, and they're not so intense that you have to get off your feet or lean against something, you should probably wait a while before packing up and heading out. • It is important to know when your doctor wants to be contacted: is it when you think labor is starting, or when the contractions are a certain length and frequency? • Just remember, labor is hard work, but the payoff is great! [Amen to that!!]
	8 montsh pregnant and loving it!! Less than 4 weeks to go! >
	For more/earlier pictures of fraggle & Jenn, click here.
Some interesting fraggle-related websites........ :
Safety of home birth - Fox News, StorkNet, Global Midwives
About water birth - Water Birth International, Water birth basics
Reproductive Science Institute
Infant Massage
Mommy
Daddy
My room! (Scroll down on the "Home, Sweet Home" page)
Lilypie.com -- a "what we've got and what we still need" list [this is NOT a beg list!!]. It gets updated from time to time, so don't hesitate to check back; changes, unfortunately, will be virtually impossible to distinguish (much to Mommy's dismay); sorry! If you need to mark an item as purchased, please add a comment to that item, simply indicating "purchased". Thanks in advance!!
<a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="http://bd.lilypie.com/IgvPm4.png" alt="Lilypie Expecting a baby Ticker" border="0" width="400" height="80" /></a>	The boy child is born!! Click here for more!