Benjamin Kenneth Roelofs!!

Hi everyone

Yes...it's sad that I haven't posted anything since September. The last post talks about assembling nursery furniture......and now we actually have someone using that furniture but better late than never! On October 30th we welcomed Benjamin Kenneth Roelofs into our lives and hearts! Life will never be the same...and that is a really really good thing. I'll backtrack a bit and fill you in on the goings on over the past few weeks.

Benjamin put up quite the battle to stay in utero. He fought and fought until the very last minute when he was literally evicted. I started having contractions in the beginning of October. We took a trip to labor and delivery just to be told to go home and wait for the real thing to begin. But since I work in DC and that's almost an hour drive each way, I was home bound for several weeks before his due date. I didn't want to get to work, have my water break and then have to find a way to get to Baltimore. Luckily I have a job that is very accommodating and let me work from home the last few weeks. There were many times where contractions would start, go strong for a few hours and then just quit....very frustrating to wait and wait and wait. I never thought I'd sit around my house and want to be in the greatest pain of my life but that's what it boiled down to. I walked 5-6 miles a day, ate spicy food and did just about everything in my power to get things going. I learned a lot about patience and waiting on the Lord. His timing is always perfect....and in this instance it definitely was.

October 22 came and went. After having that date circled on the calendar for 9 long months it was really hard to have it come and go and still have no baby. My OB set the date for induction a week later on the 29th so at least we knew he was coming out at some point in time! On the 29th we went into the hospital at 6:30 p.m. for an overnight induction. They start at night hoping you can get some sleep during the early part and then be laboring during the day instead of the night. We arrived at labor and delivery only to be told that the floor was full and there were no empty beds! They asked us to come back in the morning but after a bit of pleading they sent us out for dinner and told us to come back in a few hours to see if anything opened up. By 8:30ish there was a bed available and we got ourselves all checked in. They started induction meds around 9:30 and by 10 I was having tons of contractions....so many that they had to change medications and slow things down a bit.

At 10 the next morning after contracting every few minutes for 12 hours straight and only being 3 cm, I gave in and went for the epidural. I had kind of hoped to go natural but had heard not so great things about induction so was open to drugs if need be. After 12 hours it was time.... too bad they missed. Either the anesthesiologist missed or I moved the catheter out of position...but either way it did very little to help with the pain. I kept wondering....why do people love these things so much when they don't really help? Is it normal to still be able to move my legs and feet? Water broke at 1 and contractions really got bad. Had it not been for Brian, my mom and the nurses I definitely don't think I would have made it. Without their encouraging words and support I would have just given up...not that that was an option but still...not fun. Around 4 the nurses figured I had enough and called anesthesia back to re-evaluate. After a few tests and attempts to stop the pain the realized what was going on and pulled the first epidural and put in another. Good thing I'm not too freaked out about needles....it took 4 tries to get the IV in and 2 to get the epidural. The second one kicked in right away and brought instant relief. The doctor came in to check again about 5 minutes later and said "woah....there's the head." It took 12 hours to get to 3 cm but only 3 to get the remaining 7. So I basically got the epidural just in time to start pushing. After 2+ hours of pushing I admit I was really glad I did have it but still....ironic.

At 7:30 we welcomed Benajmin into the world. He was a little stunned when he came out and wasn't breathing right away so they whisked him away to get him going. It was hard to not be able to hold him and even worse to not hear him crying. By then there were half a dozen people in the room running around tending to him working to get him breathing on his own. Poor Brian was torn between wanting to be next to me to reassure me that things were going to be ok and wanting to be over near him actually making sure this was the case. But they got him breathing and brought him over to us and he was PERFECT. Yes I know I'm biased....but he really is perfect. Even now at home, he is the perfect baby. For the most part he sleeps, eats constantly and is very healthy. He's 6.5 oz up from birth weight already and doing well. He's happy and almost never cries. He weighed 7 pounds and was 21 inches long.

We're settling into life at home and life together. Praise God for this wonderful blessing and miracle! To echo a friend...there is no experience like creating and bringing a child into the world with the person you love and being able to see traces of both of you in their face. I marvel at God's amazing work in little Benjamin! Thank you to everyone who has called, brought food, sent gifts and prayed for us. We really appreciate everything!

We'll keep you posted with pictures!

Counting Down the Weeks

Hi everyone

Quick update on life at our house this past week.

The biggest development is that we not only have an almost finished bathroom but we got the carpets cleaned and have started assembling nursery furniture!! All the construction mess is out of the nursery and official set up has begun! So far we have the glider and a dresser set up and the crib and changing table in boxes waiting for assembly.






Before the carpet cleaning, we had to move everything out of the upstairs in preparation. Here is what our dining room looks like right now...it looks like we're moving. Not moving....just hopefully purging stuff we don't need and organizing what we do.







When the nursery is finished we'll make sure and post lots of pictures. It's been a busy week for us. Work is busy, work at home is busy, we're just busy. Lots to do in the next few weeks! Brina and Brian crashed on the couch last night.



Finally.....a belly shot from week 35. Only 5 more to go! Right now I have little feet lodged under my ribcage making sure I know that he is still in there. Quite the experience. We'll keep you posted!

Sleepless in Seattle (or Maryland)

Here is my attempt to be better about updating the blog....not a lot to report but I'll give you what we've got!

Labor Day weekend is living up to it's name and we are laboring away. Not laboring like dilating and birthing....but working like crazy! It's before 2:00 and I've managed to fit in half a day of work, 3 loads of laundry, a nice long walk, lunch and beginning stages of painting the new bathroom. We're hoping that the bathroom will be almost finished after this weekend! Brian is currently upstairs tiling away and when he's done it's time to paint! In the final stages!

Sleeplessness- nobody warned me that when you get to the final weeks of pregnancy, sleep is bordering on impossible. I guess maybe it's good preparation for what happens after baby is born but it's still kind of a bummer. I normally fall asleep upstairs in bed but wake up several times and move from the recliner, to bed, to my new favorite location; the love seat. Yes....there is a full size couch sitting 5 feet away but for some reason the love seat is the most comfortable to sleep in right now. Who knows.

Went to the doctor yesterday and actually saw the head of OB/GYN at Hopkins. Impressive guy....definitely knows what he's doing and actually had good bedside manners as well. I was slightly irritated because I had to sit in the exam room and wait for him for like 45 minutes but it all made sense when he walked in with med students trailing behind. I got a nice thorough exam and was checked from head to toe by people probably my age or even younger. Baby didn't like being poked and prodded by all the people and was kicking up a storm...they thought it was funny and amusing to have their hands kicked while pushing my stomach. If they were me and were getting swift shots to the ribs and bladder, they might have at least refrained from smiling and giggling. Anyway- doctor says everything looks great. No signs of pre-term labor. Baby isn't looking to make an early appearance any time in the near future.

We bought all the nursery furniture! Now it's sitting downstairs in boxes waiting to be assembled and put in the nursery. When the bathroom is done and we get the carpets cleaned (definitely going to need it after all the construction), we'll get to put it all together and baby will finally have a home!

No pictures in this post.....I'll post a few after the weekend of hopefully the finished bathroom and I'll throw in a 34 week preggo picture as well.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!!!!

Overdue update - part 2

Since we got back from Denver, it's been a whirlwind of activity for both of us. We'll start with the home renovation project.....

We started the bathroom project back in June and possibly bit off more than we could chew. It's coming along and we're finally getting to the stages of having it look completed and not just a messy work zone. The tiling actually went in this evening so we have a floor! All we need to do is tile the walls around the tub, paint and install the appliances and fixtures. We've definitely made a lot of progress. This is a good thing considering the fact that the nursery is packed full of construction materials and we haven't even started setting up baby furniture.

Here is Brina, being a good construction dog.

Also here is a picture of what the floor looks like! Still messy and needs to be grouted and cleaned...but here's what it looks like!

Hopefully final pictures of the bathroom and nursery will be coming in the next few weeks!

Brian is busy in school. Brian is very busy in school. Any spare time is now dedicated to finishing the bathroom as well so life has been a bit crazy for him. It will definitely be a relief for him when he can focus more attention back in lab again.

I'm finishing up a summer class right now and continuing work at church. It will be a relief for me when this class is over and I can focus more attention on preparing for baby. We've been attending childbirth classes at Johns Hopkins (where we will deliver) and that has been really informative for both of us. We got a tour last week of the labor and delivery department and got to see the nursery with the cute tiny babies. That was definitely a highlight....knowing that we'll have one of those soon! I hit 32 weeks today which is a big and important landmark. If I go into labor now and deliver baby now, he'll be small but will be more or less fully developed. So now we just wait and see how long he decides to stay in there! Hopefully until the bathroom is done. I've started having lots of braxton hicks contractions. I'll take that as a good sign that my body is starting to prep for arrival day. Hard to believe we're getting this close! I don't have any up to date prego shots but this one is from 29 weeks so it'll give you an idea. Sorry I have such a sour look on my face in this picture. I'm bigger now...but not much. I'm waiting to "pop" but it hasn't happened quite yet. I was shopping in Old Navy in the maternity section the other day and the sales attendant walked up and said "excuse me..you know you're in the maternity section right??" I just nodded my head yes, not sure how to respond. I guess it's better that than people thinking I'm 40 weeks when I still have 8 left to go.

So there's a brief update from the Roelofs household. We're heading to the beach this weekend with our Bible study for a retreat. We rented a beach house and we're getting our year going with some fun in the sun! Will continue to post as more starts to happen!

Overdue update- Part 1

Hi everyone

I know it's been ages since we last posted....so probably nobody is even bothering to read anymore...but here's to getting readers again before baby arrives!

First to fill you in on the goings on in the last few months. We took our second major vacation of the summer and went to Denver for a week in the beginning of August. We spent the majority of our time up in the mountains with the family. Having niece Makenna (2 1/2) and nephew Levi (5 months) around all the time was good practice and gave us a good idea of what is in store for us in the next few years! We relaxed, did some hiking, biking, saw a musical, Brian went fishing, played games and overall had an awesome time. Thanks to the Denver family for an awesome vacation!

Then we came down from the mountains in time for a weekend of showers and fun! Sister Emily, cousin Rachel and bff Lindsay threw a wonderful baby shower on Saturday. I was literally "showered" with amazing gifts, and wonderful words of wisdom about parenting and being a mother. Thank you so much guys for all the hard work! Thanks also to everyone who came for the wonderful gifts! I can't wait to start posting pictures on the blog of baby wearing all his cute new things! Then Sunday came and there was another shower from my Denver family! It was so wonderful to see everyone; even got to see Tazelaars who live in Arizona who we never get to see! I love getting together with everyone. It reminds me a lot of family get togethers up in the mountains when we were little kids. Again, we got lots of wonderful gifts that we can't wait to use! Brian and I each brought an extra suitcase along and we filled all 4 of them to the brim to get everything back to Maryland. Thank you so much everyone for everything! What a wonderful vacation!

Third Trimester- Baby Crash Testing Begins!

Hi all- I'm posting first then will hand the computer off to Brian to post as well.

We are officially in the 3rd trimester!!!! Time has gone sooo quickly and it's hard to believe we've come this far and have so little time left to get ready! In some ways I feel like we just found out I was pregnant. In others, I'm ready to be done and ready to meet baby _____. (insert boy name here)

I have been avoiding looking at baby stuff for the past few months partly out of fear and partly because we just didn't have time but I managed to go to Babies R Us the other day and at least start a registry. If registering for a wedding is stressful, registering for a baby is 100 times worse. Not only are you trying to pick out things that look nice, but you have to factor in safety, durability, etc. The list they give you of everything you'll need for a baby combined with the sheer volume of product available made for a short and stressful trip. I've since learned that registering online is the way to go. I have a few books (given to me by a friend from church) with Consumer Reports guides to baby stuff and all the products with the highest ratings and those have been really helpful. So we're more or less registered but still need to add a few more things.

Over to Brian for more from the Roelofs family.........

Hello All,

Since I'm not able to actively participate in the growing of the baby - let's face it... hunter-gathering to provide for the pregnant wife just isn't what it used to be, and in our current family situation I wouldn't even deserve the title of hunter-gatherer, I've decided to prepare for our baby in another manner - crash testing. We've got a perfectly suitable baby model in Brina as I don't think we'll still be using the basinet or the stroller when the baby is 55 pounds, so anything that can hold her should be a-okay for him. This idea led to the particularly perturbed and annoyed look on Brina's face last weekend when I managed to get her in position to test the basinet with her red bone (in case our baby has a toy in there with him).

The basinet held up GREAT. Thus, one item has been cleared to go and the bedding is in the process of being cleaned (in case any mothers - grandmothers I guess - were upset about this practice). I hope Brina keeps being a good sport as we've got a stroller to test, two pack and plays and probably a crib coming soon too and I intend to fulfill my role as crash test coordinator.

I've spent all of my other time lately crawling around in the attic and pretending to be a handyman rebuilding our bathroom. We couldn't let well enough alone and just leave our bathroom expansion at just an expansion. We decided to gut the old portion and put in new tile, a new vanity, an exhaust fan and paint. So far, I've just demolished the old stuff and have just about finished the wiring of the exhaust fan and the light fixture in the expanded area, and put those two fixtures in. We've also got the drywall/greenboard to go up, so I hope to have that done by the end of this week - I'm going to post some pictures soon but I have none right now. If anyone feels like making a visit to do a little construction, we have an open invitation - I've got to get this done by October!

Well I hope you're all keeping well and that concludes my portion of the post. More to come on the crash testing and the bathroom building as it proceeds...

Update 2 of 2

Post #2!!

While I was away at Synod, Brian and friends from church started a home renovation project in our upstairs bathroom. For those of you who haven't seen our bathroom, it's barely big enough for Brian and I to stand in it together. So they knocked out a wall and we're expanding the bathroom to almost double the size. It'll be sooo nice to have some extra space! We took out a small section of the soon to be nursery, but there will still be plenty of room for baby. After the addition was built, we kind of decided "why not just re-do the entire bathroom??" So....all the tile came up, the drywall came out and we are in the middle of a complete bathroom renovation. Right now we currently have no sink, no toilet and no walls.

This past week we went on vacation with the Roelofs (Mom, Dad, Chris and Anne). We went down to the New Jersey shore to a beach town called Wildwood. We were in a beautiful house right on the boardwalk and less than a block from the beach. We were at the beach every single day and had plenty of downtime to relax, read and recover. We went to a wonderful nature preserve on Cape Ann and saw lots of interesting birds. We ate well (probably too well :) ), played lots of games and came back refreshed and ready for work again. It was great to hang out with everyone since we don't get to spend much time together. Thanks to Mom and Dad Roelofs for the much needed vacation! We had a great time!

We'll try and do a better job keeping the blog updated. Please pray for Brian, the other leader, Justin, and the 6 high schoolers who will be going to London, Ontario next week for our church's SERVE project. Pray for safe travels and a wonderful time of work and spiritual growth.

Have a great week everyone!