SURPRISE- Baby Owen makes his debut--- 4 WKS EARLY!

Well...when I last posted on Feb. 11th little did we know my back pain was not sciatica, but LABOR!! The days before Owen was born were filled with activity for the Shope's - Brian had a conference on organic church planting and I was busy here at home organizing and cleaning (nesting). We were moving things around - testing out the crib in different areas- and I had a list of things that needed to be done- cleaning out the refrigerator, etc. We spent Sunday walking Maggie, talking about Brian's conference and enjoying milkshakes from Rick's. I guess we should've known something was up when later that day I was cleaning the bathroom and began vacuuming the walls. Hmm...

Monday I went to work as usual and didn't feel well- I hadn't slept much Sunday night due to back pain. Monday I came home from work and Brian took care of getting me as comfortable as possible. I took a bath, layed on the futon, and watched old episodes of Grey's Anatomy. I was still having a lot of back pain and couldn't get comfortable, but we had no conception that this could be labor- we still had 4 wks.

My discomfort continued Monday night and after 2 more baths and countless tries with the warm heating pad I still couldn't sleep and began searching the baby books for info on pre-term labor. We know that the baby would be ok at this point- we were 36 wks., but I wasn't totally sure that I was having contractions. Then I started having more and more pain that was wrapping around my belly from my back and I woke up Brian- this is at 4am. We discussed possibilities and I eventually convinced him that this was labor- even if it was false labor and we needed to start counting the contractions. He blew up the birth ball and I rocked back and forth on all fours to try and get some relief. We called our amazing childbirth educator at 6am (if you are interested in natural childbirth in Pasadena Kathy is the way to go and we can get you her info- her classes were invaluable to us and will be so in future births as well!!!). She listened to my breathing at this point and told Brian I was in labor and gave him a quick lesson on pushing to be passed along to me- we hadn't had that class yet. :)

We labored at home until 8:30am when I called my dr. and told them we wouldn't be in for the appt. we had schedule at 9:30am because I was in labor. They told us to go ahead and get to the hospital and we also called our doula Amanda to give her the heads up.

When we arrived at the hospital (after missing the exit- Amanda had called Brian's cell right as we were coming upon the hospital exit and we missed it because we were too far over in the left lanes (we have seven lane highways here, remember) and ended up getting off the 210 further down and Brian had to try and back track without any directions. Our lives are so crazy! :)

Once we arrived at the hospital they checked me and found I was 3 cm dilated and we began the work before us. Brian and Amanda were amazing!!!!Brian was incredible- we had no pain
meds and I NEVER could have done that without him- he put almost constant counterpressure on my back which was the best relief ever! Amanda was our doula- she's a Fuller student- and she was so encouraging and helpful. She really helped Brian better care for me and offered
great advocacy for all of us and friendship in the most intimate of moments.

The hospital staff was great- esp. our L&D nurse, Nicole. Our dr. knew we wanted as few interventions as possible and they allowed me to stay in my own clothes, walk around, get on the birth ball, eat and drink, and only have intermittent monitoring for 20 min. every 1-2 hrs. I didn't have an IV and I was free to totally move around- we had music and danced and swayed and I breathed and sounded out the contractions. It was intense work and I still can't really believe I did it- but it was totally amazing- even the parts when I started to feel like I couldn't go any further. I really believe it was such a great experience because of Brian firstly, Amanda's help, and the plethora of family and friends we had praying for us as we labored throughout the day.

At noon I was 6 cm. and moving right along! Yeah! At 3pm I was 7.5/8 and I stayed there for a while. This was a bit discouraging, but we worked to break my water naturally through movement and exercise. When my water still hadn't broken at 5pm we decided to go ahead and have the dr. break it. This felt amazing, but really intensified the contractions and I had no break in between. This was the hardest hour from 5-6pm - I was totally exhausted from lack of sleep for several nights and little food (I had thrown everything up- fun. fun :)). Right about the point when I was crying to Brian and Amanda, "I just need this to be over now, ok???!!! (think of a most pathetic voice) "I just really need to meet our baby!" Amanda smiled and said- I think you're at 10 cm now and sure enough, we were!!

Pushing began around 6pm with the dr. on his dinner break. They told me to wait, wait for the dr. and I told Nicole our nurse that she could just catch the baby- I was fine with that. Brian sat behind me and supported me through the pushing and I collapsed back on him in between contractions.

Owen Benjamin entered the world at 6:21pm Tuesday February 12th at 5 lbs. 12 oz. and 18 in long. His Daddy cut the cord and gave him his first bath and changed the first diaper. : ) We were immediately in love, which continues to grow each day for Owen and each other after experiencing this miracle together! We are both so incredibly thankful to be participants in this life and have been thanking God daily for each other as partners in this work to care for our son. WOW!





Owen is very healthy - he saw the pediatrician Tues. and has alreadu surpassed his birth weight! Yea!! He was born with a cleft lip, which is purely cosmetic and will be fixed with surgery at 2mo. old. I am recovering nicely- a little sore, but feeling very well. He is latching well and so far nursing has been good-they were a bit concerned at first with his ability to solely nurse due
to his lip. We are enjoying every moment as we meet our son in this new outside the womb
environment- Brian and I are enthralled by his every movement and have spent the days since his birth giving thanks for this precious gift ( and trying to carve out as much time for sleep as possible!!!)!

Here are the first of many, many pics- we have taken over 250 pictures and he's only just over a week old!!!! Check back for frequent updates- we will also be putting several pics on flickr as soon as I get everything together in the next few days.



Thanks so much to everyone who has sent meals, packages, phone calls, and prayers!! We are so thankful for our community all across the country who have celebrated and continue to celebrate with us! Owen is a very lucky boy to have so many amazing people in his life - we love you all!

Four weeks to go- Jan. highlights, more baby prep, and Maggie's sit-in...

It has been a long time since we've posted- life has been hectic with several work projects for me and an intensive 2 wk. class for Brian as well as his normal schedule and PT work in the SIS office. It has been a difficult month for my family on the east coast as well, but everyone seems to be on the up and up now.

The time until March 13th is passing rather quickly now and still things are not ready. I am beginning to come to terms with the fact that the baby will be fine whether or not the refrigerator has been cleaned out before he/she arrives- Brian assures me this is the case! My body is tired after an 8 hr. work day and my gracious husband affords me the rest I need in the evenings and all other commitments are flexible due to the pregnancy card- and soon the infant card.

Poor "fake baby" has spent a lot of time in the crib without much attention, which is fine with Maggie. We have graciously received many beautiful baby things from friends and family across the country and are so grateful for everyone's generosity.

A few highlights of the last month include an overdue Christmas trip to Santa Barbara for Brian and I. This was our Christmas gift to one another- a night away before the baby and we were so thankful to get a night's stay at the Bath House bed & breakfast- we highly recommend it! Ask Brian about our midnight cake run. We walked on the beach, took many pictures, had dinner at an old historic stagecoach stop, and laughed and laughed together. It was a really special time of focusing on each other and reminiscing about the last year, giving thanks for the good and the difficult, and offering this new year up to God while praying together on the beach. It was holy time and we came back rejuvenated and refreshed even after just one night.

Here are some pics of our time there...(notice the belly was present too) :)



This one looks fake, but it's real...


The Bath House Inn where we stayed...
Only in CA can you sit on the beach in Jan. in short sleeves...



One of the other special surprises in Jan. was a shower for me thrown by the Fuller wives- a group of us get together each Thursday night for a book study and catching up. They have been so sweet to us throughout this pregnancy and held a shower for me on Jan. 26th. I was so touched- our friends and family have gone to great lengths to provide showers even though we're far away and I so appreciate their efforts- Traci, Cheryl, and Connie! :) Yet, it was really fun to able to participate in person! Here are a few pics...

The shower was held at Leah's house- who is also pregnant- there are actually about 7 of us in the group of 20 who are pregnant! It's contagious! Check out my nifty baby sling...



More of the girls...Leah Beth, me, Jessica, and Meredith


Opening gifts...


Leah Beth and the too cute diaper centerpiece she crafted...now that's skill!


The hostesses with the mommy and the belly...


It was a really fun afternoon and Brian and I were so grateful for everyone's thoughtfulness!

We thought we had everything arranged for the baby and then decided over the last week that the crib was really too close to the heater, which we've used about 2 times since we've been here. But, who wants to take a chance. The new plan is to take down the crib temporarily and use the Pack N' Play as a crib until June when our lease is up.

This was where the crib was originally...


We told Maggie we would have to move the futon to make room for the crib (when we were still thinking we could fit the crib in this apt.). She decided she didn't want to do that and staged a sit-in...this is her "I've had enough!" face...



Stay tuned for more exploits of fake baby as we move from the crib to the Pack N' Play and set up the swing this week...Maggie just can't wait! She's trying to find her way back to WV since Brian and I won't allow her the white fluffy bear from Grandma Shope or Flopsie Bubkins from Trish. Life is oh so hard...

Baby, Baby!

It's becoming a theme, isn't it???!! ;) We are almost exactly 2 months from our due date, tomorrow- the 13th- we'll be 32 weeks with only 8 to go! GEEZ!!! We are very excited, daily freak out, and are growing closer together as we prepare for this new one. Brian has been exhibiting sympathy pains and we both cry at times with abandon for no apparent reason- it's the hormones! :) It is all a bit overwhelming, but we are confident that God is faithful and we have much support here in CA and across the country! We love you all!!!!

We know you're dying to see our "baby" after Brian's story of Maggie last weekend, and have included some pics below. She (Maggie) continues to do very, very well. The "baby" resides in the crib now most of the time and we pick it up occasionally and walk around. She always jumps to attention and follows closely, sometimes whining for attention and to lick the "baby's" feet.

I have also included our registry info below-- it seems a bit strange to share this on the blog, but we have had several requests for this info to be posted. Please know we don't expect ANY gifts, and certainly hope we're not seeming to "secretly" communicate our need for presents by posting this! Rather, several family members have suggested this would be the easiest way to share this info, given our current distance so see below...

We are registered at 4 places (mostly due to the fact that we tried to include fair trade, organic items as much as possible and these sites are often smaller):

1.) Barefoot Herbs & Barefoot Kids www.barefoot-eco.com
This is a small store run by a husband and wife in IN who are committed to locally owned business, fair trade, and environmentally friendly products. They don't have an on-line registry, but have been so gracious as to help us do this in spite of that. They are having their 2nd baby 4 days after our baby is due! We are so happy to be able to support their small business from across the country, and hope you will too. Kudos to them for taking a risk and doing business for babies differently!! The list below is made up of items from their store that we would like for our baby and you can view them online at www.barefoot-eco.com

If you then call the store at 877-321-8155 they can tell you what is still unpurchased from our registry and you can order on the phone or on-line, either way. If you order on-line, Scott has requested that you please put a note in the message area of the check out so he will know it's for our registry and should be crossed off the list. Thanks!
They are listed under the same categories as on their website-

Baby Carriers and Slings
Ergo baby carrier- organic - chocolate w/caramel lining (1) $112.00

Organic Children's Clothes
Sckoon-babyblue-kimono- 3-6mo (1) $17.00
Sckoon-cloudshirt- 0-6mo (1) $19.50
Sckoon-monkeypants-navy- 0-6mo (1) $19.50
Sckoon-zen knot hat-navy (1) $12.00
Sckoon-monkeypants-brown 3-6mo (1) $19.50

Speesees-flockjumper- earth 0-3 mo (1) $28.00
Speesees-jeraf body-red 3-6 mo (1) $22.00
Speesees-yoga pant- red 0-3mo (1) $22.00
Speesees-raglan tee-grass infant (1) $14.00

ShooShoos
brown suede wrap (1) $22.00
blue giraffe (1) $22.00
beige horse (1) $22.00

Natural and Organic Soft Dolls & Toys
Under the nile-monkey

Tooth Paste, Diaper Creams, Bug Sprays, Sunscreen, Etc.
Weleda Baby Starter Kit

2.) Progressive Kid www.progressivekid.com
This site is also committed to fair trade, organic products and we love their cute earth-conscious clothes! They have an online registry- so all you have to do is go to the website, click on gift registry on the left side of the page and search for us by name.

3.) Cotton Babies www.cottonbabies.com
This is our cloth diaper site!!! Yes, we have decided to use cloth diapers (although we are using the 7th Generation disposable ones for the first 6 wks. to avoid the really tar-like ones (Brian has offered to change all of those ;) !!) Their website lists our needs by name as well. Go onto their website and click on "Registries" on the left sidebar and it will show you a list of names. Our registry is listed under Megan & Brian Shope. Please be sure to put our names in the comments upon check out. THANKS!

4.) Finally, we are also registered at Babies R Us- www.babiesrus.com for those items that we just couldn't find on a "green" site or store. Unfortunately some baby stuff is not yet very enviro friendly, and some items that are, are crazy expensive, so we've tried to supplement as best we can. You can access their website and search for us by name under baby registry.

Brian and the "baby"


Maggie keeps watch...

Maggie & Barbie

This is a bit ironic, actually. After all this time, my intentions were to contribute to our blog as well as Megan. However, once school started and I had my own blog to upkeep for one of my classes, in addition the reading and workload of graduate school all my good intentions were out the window. The greater irony is that tomorrow is my first day back after our month long break, and I still waited for 4 weeks to sit down and begin my offerings as to our lives in spouses, new babies, and an aging dog.

Ok, so we really don't have a Barbie doll. We're not really into Barbie, even for our upcoming child. But the most incredible circumstances unfolded around us last night. After opening a baby registry at Babies R' Us (I think Megan has information about that forthcoming), we stopped at Target to pick a couple things up. One of the things we purchased was our baby training implement for Maggie, the wonder dog. Our equipment? A near life size baby doll, which says 'momma' or 'poppa', when squeezing her hand, laughs when you squeeze her tummy, and cries or coos when you squeeze one of her feet. The life-like sounds were a nice touch to the work before us. Based on recommendations from various expert sources (none of which I can name), one should acclimate a pet to the upcoming addition to the family- i.e., this is not your new squeak toy. The new parents are to carry around the doll as though a real child, setting safe boundaries if the dog shows too much interest, etc. They've even recommended walking the dog with the stroller and your 'baby' inside. I think you get the picture...

We weren't quit sure what to expect, but knew we had laid some groundwork that we might have to undo. Let me explain. From time to time we've gotten our first child (Maggie) a stuffed toy, usually in the shape of some animal, that contained the infamous and ever intriguing squeak inside. Her first experience in this was baby Herman. I think you can already see where we could've used different nomenclature. If that wasn't enough, we would raise Baby Herman the squeaking teddy bear to our shoulder as though burping him, and torment our dog. (She knew we were playing; no animals were harmed in the making of this story.)

Anyway, we walked into the house last night, and we both assumed that she might give us a perfunctory sniff, the "hey-what's-that-oh-it's-not-for-me" greeting, and we'd continue changing the environment around her gradually. But when Megan was holding our 'child' in a realistic manner, Maggie would not let her alone. She was trying to smell, taste (gently, Maggie gives everything a lick or two as an introduction to determine edibility), and generally get herself closer to this new thing we were carrying like Baby Herman. She whined, sat at attention when she wasn't trying to greet the baby, and actually barked at her desire to see our baby. She even tried climbing on top of the couch for a close look.

Then I took our child. Now, you should've seen all of this. We actually were doing our best to handle this baby as realistically as possible. So, Megan passes me the baby much like we would our newborn to come, while we box out our intensely curious dog. I sit down on our rocker, trying to simulate the late-night feeding sessions that are to come. Maggie begins performing many of the same behaviors for me that she has for Megan. Whining, sniffing, licking, barking, and at times we had to gently but firmly say 'no!' Then her behavior begins to reveal that if she can't have the baby, then baby is just receiving WAY too much attention, and that's what she exists for: our undying love and focus. She then begins to try and give me her paw, while I'm sitting with the baby in the rocking chair. Again, I'm not really giving Maggie my attention, because we want to simulate our behavior when our child is present. So, I'm cradling the baby in my arms, burping our child, etc. Every action brings Maggie to a new, higher level of attentiveness. She finally resorts to the tricks she knows: she tries to give me her paw. "Dad, look what I can do!" And not just one, but both at different times. Repeatedly. Then barking. Then trying to climb into my lap. All throughout this ordeal we are talking to her, Megan is petting her, and giving her treats for being "so good."

We pass one more time, back to Megan. I actually had to pinch Maggie between my legs as we passed our "child" while trying to lunge for a closer look. Well, Maggie visits with Megan sitting in the rocker, again sharing her excitement, desire for this possible new toy, and attention from mom that she's not receiving. After a brief moment of this, she comes back over to me and literally tries to climb into my lap. For those who may not know or forget, Maggie is borderline 80 lbs. and resembles a black lab. I'm sitting on the floor and she is all over me, gaining reassurance that her place is secure.

In the end, we were quite surprised at the intense emotion Maggie displayed. I may sound as though I'm giving her a bad rap, but she was really good. She is such a sweet creature, and we were so surprised that she would feel that attached to climb into my lap, and when that wasn't working because of her size, to bury herself into and under daddy's legs. (Yeah, she really did that.) All that to say, if you are pregnant or planning pregnancy, and have a dog, do some research and be sure that your canine baby is ready for the appropriate, albeit difficult for all, displacement.

Note the pics below of my lovely wife putting together the crib friends from our new church here in Pasadena passed along. Maggie looks slightly worried, but mostly trying to figure out how she can get the white teddy bear sitting in the crib - she has loved it since the day we opened the package from Grandma Shope, and would like the real baby to give it to her as a gift. Negotiation through the belly is somewhat difficult, however. The model 'baby' has not been introduced into the crib as of yet, we're trying to take it one step at a time, so for now the closet in the nook is home. Ah, the joys of things to come!! :) Look for more updates as we venture into the world of 10 weeks to go and counting. Actually, we're at 31 weeks today- WOW!

Meg putting the crib together...


Maggie's reaction...



And...a few pics of the 30 wk. old belly...

Christmas LA side

Well...it's been a long time, friends! Due to some large life changes-- moving across the country, pregnancy, and new jobs for both of us- the Shope family decided to forgo a Christmas letter and/or cards this year- our apologizes! However, check out our current update, Christmas, and belly! pics below!

29 weeks and counting...


Can I really get much bigger???!!!



Where to begin...????
We had planned to come home to the East coast for Christmas visits to Parkersburg, Hershey, and Morgantown. However, I started my new job with the Pasadena Public Health Dept. as SPIIn Project Specialist and the time off just couldn't be taken with the upcoming maternity leave (esp. since my position is grant funded and part of my job is securing funds to implement our program!!). We considered changing the tickets to a shorter time period, but it was just too expensive. So...the new plan is to bring the baby home in early June and visit family and friends.

Plan B was enjoying a quiet Christmas here in Pasadena- the last one before our lives are turned upside down (and the first where it was just the 2 of us). We had many fun LA plans- a hike on Christmas Eve, time at our church, baking, a night away to Santa Barbara, and time with friends. Yet, our plans were changed yet again by a virus and fever for me and a nasty cold for Brian. So Christmas was spent in Apt. 4 on Madison Ave. resting and recooperating. Brian was an amazing nurse and I spent most of the last week in bed. :( After the low point of cold baths with water poured over me drinking ginger ale in the tub to avoid the impending visit to the hospital with a high fever(marriage at its finest!) we were up for watching movies and playing Rummikub in our bed with Maggie. She kept Mommy warm and loved throughout the sick season.



Christmas came to us through the USPS and we enjoyed decorating our tiny apt. with reminders of the coming of the King...







Christmas morning we weren't roused by the running of little feet (or a crying baby- that's next year! :) but...the black one...





Is there a rawhide under the tree?



Brian made us an amazing German apple pancake and we spent time opening presents from our families and talking to everyone on the phone...















This one's Maggie's favorite- hopefully our baby will be able to fit in it for more than an hour!!! :) We received so many cute baby things!





Instead of ham or turkey Maggie and Daddy enjoyed treats from WV while I feasted on ramen and chicken soup!





Mr. Bee's are a hometown favorite- shipped all the way across the country!! NICE!



All in all it was a good Christmas- albeit not what we planned. We are still in recovery mode, with each day bringing better health. We hope to see the Rose Parade floats New Year's Day here in Pasadena- a cultural must when you live in this city! :)

We didn't have any Christmas roses for our celebration, but our Christmas cactus loves the SoCal weather- we had 21 buds last week!



Brian will begin his second quarter at Fuller January 7th, as well as a new work study position in his department- Intercultural Studies. It will be his last quarter before the baby! WOW!! I am continuing to work and loving my job- my boss is great, the program I am working to develop a really great opportunity for under-represented high school students in health careers and the people I work with so caring and pleasant to be around.

We begin our first childbirth classes Jan. 6th and they will run until March 2nd. We are very excited to begin- we need all the info we can get!!!! We have chosen to learn about the Bradley method of childbirthing which emphasizes the husband as coach and teaches women to listen and cooperate with their bodies as they experience birth naturally. We'll see how it goes! :)

We turn 30 weeks tomorrow and continue to marvel at how the time is flying by! We are working to finish our registry (we will post some info here for that at the request of several folks very soon). We are trying to purchase environmentally friendly products as much as possible and this has taken a bit more research and time.

We are planning to set up the pack n'play for good very soon to allow Maggie some time to adjust. We also need to buy a baby doll to help her get used to us carrying a baby, having the stroller while with her, etc. We'll keep you updated on how it goes! The baby is doing very well- we can feel tons of movement. Kicks are heartier now and pack quite a punch.

We hope and pray this finds everyone well and enjoying the holiday with family and friends. Peace and much love in 2008...