Welcome to the World Sweet Eleanor Beth

Eleanor Beth was born at 4:33 PM on April 30th in Hong Kong. She was 7lbs 1oz and 20.2 inches long. She has dark brown hair and blue grey eyes. I am so eager to see if the color will stay or change over the next few months. 

Her birth was quite the whirlwind experience. It's taken me almost a month to process it all since I ended up having an emergency c-section due to Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (which we didn't know at the time). All that matters is that she's here and we're both healthy. I feel incredibly grateful for that because I know not everyone is as lucky and I can't even begin to imagine what other mommas out there have gone through.

We have been adjusting to life as a family of four (sounds so weird to type that). Sawyer has been nothing but sweet to his baby sister.  I am so proud of the little boy that he's much too quickly becoming! Eleanor is laid back and a little cuddle bug. I feel such a strong bond with her already. She's already growing so fast! 

My hope is to write Eleanor's birth story over the next few weeks. I want to share it partly for me (therapeutic?), for Eleanor, and also for my family and friends. In the meantime, here are a few photos of our Sweet Pea. Follow me @shannabanana2710 on instagram to see more! 

39 Weeks... Going on 40

.... Eleanor's still baking and pretty cozy in my tummy. We had a doctor's apt. last Friday and she doesn't look like she's anytime coming soon, but who knows? We will go back to Hong Kong Friday to reassess the situation. 

I realized this past Friday that when I was pregnant with Sawyer at this point in time, he was already here. 

 We are hoping to keep the plan of trying for a VBAC unless it's medically necessary to have another C-Section. I'm honestly not set one way or another, as long as she's healthy... that's all that matters to us. I would like to let my body try to do what it was made to do, so I'm going to let this lady come on her own time. Patience and enjoying surprises are not my  most redeeming qualities, so I am starting to get anxious about her arrival.  Also, our doctor will not induce me because I've already had a C-Section, so hopefully she will come in a "somewhat" timely manner.

Below is a picture of Sawyer & Eleanor's 4D ultrasounds. Is it just me, or does she look like Sawyer's twin?! I remember looking at his ultrasound thinking, "He looks like an alien!" Now looking at it, I definitely see Sawyer, even though his face is a bit smooched. 

Sawyer (left) & Eleanor (right)

Gender: Girl 

Weight gain:  64.1 kgs at my last apt. or 141 lbs

Maternity clothes: Yes! I cannot wait to wear normal clothes again, although they will have to be "nursing" friendly.

Stretch marks: Still in the clear, hooray! I read that stretch marks are genetic, if this is true, thanks mom and grandmas! 

Belly button in or out: Outtie

Sleep: Waking up 1x a night usually to pee, then our little rooster  sweet son has been waking us up at the CRACK of dawn (between 5:00-5:40 every morning) Come on kid, you're killing me! 

Best moment this week: Spending lots of one on one time with Sawyer before his little sister gets here.

Worst moment this week: Navigating Ikea with a toddler in tow (I feel like I'm in the Hunger Games when we go there. Seriously, it's an experience!)

Miss anything: Let's see...where to begin? Honestly at this point, just sitting comfortably would be a nice change.

Movement: She hasn't been as feisty. Slower movements, again I think she is running out of space to karate chop me.

Cravings: Lots of fruit (apples, grapes, oranges, passion fruit) chocolate, waffles, pretty much any breakfast food.

Queasy or sick: nope :)

Looking forward to: My family gets here in 2 days from today...AHH! And of course, meeting Miss Eleanor literally any day now!

Doughnuts & Diapers

This past weekend my teammates and lovely friends threw us a sweet baby shower brunch for Baby E. The theme was "Doughnuts & Diapers." Those are two things you don't expect to go together... ;) We got plenty of diapers that will come in handy when this little lady arrives. We feel so blessed to be surrounded by such a a great group of friends and colleagues here in China. 

Also, you may have noticed that we changed our minds on our baby girl's name.. I told Kurt a few weeks ago that I just wasn't "feeling" Rosalie and he then told me that it wasn't his favorite either... ah just when I thought we finally agreed on a name! For some reason we had a really hard time with girl names but boy names are so easy for us. Anyway, we both are loving our new choice, Eleanor. My friend had mentioned that there's a song by the Avett Brothers called Eleanor (I know there are many other "Eleanor" songs as well) but this one is especially sweet because one of the band members wrote it about his eldest daughter. Totally made me tear up... that and a mix of pregnancy hormones. 

Things are definitely starting to feel real. I can't believe in about a week (give or take) I will be snuggling with my little girl! 

We literally took 1 picture on the day of the shower, so the following are courtesy of my friends. 

38 Weeks

Here we go! We're in the final two weeks and counting. I can't believe that's only about 12 more sleeps (more or less) until I am cuddling my sweet little girl and our family will change from three to four! My family will arrive in China two weeks from today which is also hard to believe since I haven't seen them since July, so many exciting things happening on our side of the world. I'm feeling torn because on one hand, I am beyond anxious for Baby E to get here and meet her. On the other hand, I'm terrified of how our lives will be turned upside down, adjusting to having two little ones around the house. Oh.. that and sleep deprivation, of course ;) 

Gender: Girl 

Weight gain:  Have to check again, but I think I had gained about 25-25 lbs since the beginning of pregnancy so far.

Maternity clothes: Oh yeah... there's not much else I can fit into, well besides Kurt's shirts...whoops!

Stretch marks: nada

Belly button in or out: still outtie

Sleep: Gosh, still not getting good sleep. It doesn't help that Mr. Sawyer has decided that he wants to wake up at the crack of dawn (5:00-5:30) everyday ready to go. Ah! 

Best moment this week: Enjoying a low-key Easter with my family and friends. 

Worst moment this week: Not sure that I've had one yet (which is great).

Miss anything: Bending over without grunting, seeing my toes, fitting into my clothes, living without acid reflux, being able to indulge in a happy hour drink, the list goes on... ;)

Movement: She's running out of room in there, so her movements have slowed. She is still very busy every night between about 7:00-10:00.

Cravings: sour fruit, chocolate, and cheese for the win!

Queasy or sick: nope :)

Looking forward to: Our baby shower this weekend and being done with school. It's really hard at this point to stay motivated and check everything off my to-do list before baby E makes her appearance! 

35 Weeks

I had a mini-heart attack today when I opened the Babycenter app and it told me "35 days until your due date." When/How did this even happen?!? It's been a crazy couple of weeks. 

Kurt's parents were supposed to come visit us this coming Thursday for our spring break and then travel to Vietnam, returning back to China for Rosalie's birth. But unfortunately, his dad got really sick and it turns out they won't be able to make it. We are so disappointed but feel so grateful that they weren't here when it happened and that his dad can recover fully before a summer of fun! So we've rearranged a few things over here and my mom, step dad, and sister will be headed our way in April to stay with us for two weeks. We'll see if this little lady waits for them to arrive before she makes an appearance. 

Everything is starting to sink in. I've been trying to find apartments that would be suitable for us to stay when we deliver in Hong Kong among many other logistics. I know it will all work out in the end, it always does...but things like this make the planner inside me just cringe. I like to know everything in advance and the thought of having no clue when I'll go into labor, worrying about crossing borders, finding someone to stay with Sawyer, and figuring out a place to stay after we get out of the hospital is a lot to digest. 

I've been very adamant about trying for a VBAC this time around, but I'm definitely starting to have doubts. I think the fear of the unknown plays a big part and also I'm scared of being in labor and ending up with an emergency C-section regardless. I'm going to check this Saturday with my doctor to see her recommendation (how my scar looks, etc.) to see how "favorable" a VBAC would be for me. In the end, all that matters is that Rosalie gets here safely and I just need to keep telling myself that. I know I won't be able to predict the future either way (where's a crystal ball when you need it?!). I'll have to make a decision that I feel most comfortable with after consulting more with my doctor and talking it over with Kurt. 

I just had to share the picture below because Sawyer photobombed me #truelifewithatoddler 

We told Sawyer to say "Cheese!" and this is the face he made.

Gender: Girl 

Weight gain:  Not sure, haven't been to the doctor in a longgg time. We go this Saturday, so we'll see what the damage is then ;) 

Maternity clothes: Yep, or flowy tops (like above). I think it's almost time to bust out the maxis because the weather is starting to warm up here.

Stretch marks: nope

Belly button in or out: Outtie

Sleep: Still hit or miss. A few nights in a row I was up until 3:30 AM. I fall asleep around 9:00 but then wake up around 12:00 and have a realllly hard time falling back to sleep. 

Best moment this week: Not pregnancy related, but Sawyer told me he loved me for the first time. Yesterday while he was eating dinner, I said, "Sawyer, I love you!" and he responded, "I wuv yoouuu!" (I died. My heart literally bursted. It was the sweetest thing ever.)

Worst moment this week:  Hmmm maybe when Sawyer head butted me so hard that my nose made a cracking sound (true story)... it still hurts! Or just feeling like an old lady in general, my body is falling apart.

Miss anything: Sleeping through the night without this crazy insomnia, being able to see my feet, and fitting into my regular clothes.

Movement: Not quite as busy, her movements have slowed down. I think she's running out of space.

Cravings: Cookies, chocolate, fruit

Queasy or sick: Feeling fine 

Looking forward to: My maternity leave to begin and this little lady to get here! I have about 28392832 things to do on my to-do list until then, yikes.

32 Weeks

Gender: Girl 

Weight gain:  At my apt. last week I was 60.4 kgs (132.5) lbs so no weight gain from last time. Although my BabyCenter app tells me that the baby will be gaining 1/2 lb a week until the end of the pregnancy... she's definitely growing! 

Maternity clothes: Yes. The weather is warming up here, so I will probably be trading in my leggings for maxi dresses.

Stretch marks: Still in the clear

Belly button in or out: Outtie

Sleep: All over the place. If I wake up once in the middle of the night, it's really hard for me to turn my brain off and go to sleep! I've been reading a lot during my crazy insomnia spells... at least I'm doing something productive?

Best moment this week: Laying in Sawyer's bed with him reading Trains Go over and over again before nap time. He's just too sweet.

Worst moment this week:  Feeling exhausted and worn out. I went on a decluttering/organizing spree and between that and chasing an active toddler around. I barely sat down until 8:00 pm every night. 

Miss anything: Sleeping on my stomach, having a beer after a longgggg day, bending over without grunting (ha!)

Movement: She's still pretty busy in there. I literally felt her feet poking me all the way by my back today. 

Cravings: Still sweets... especially chocolate, fruit (strawberries), apples, and Chinese food? Good thing we live in China! I'm starting to think about those yummy Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs... mmmm

Queasy or sick: Feeling ok minus the acid reflux that's been in full swing. Tums are my friend. 

Looking forward to: Hopefully having a bit more downtime this week and of course counting down until our spring break in a few short weeks! 

27 Weeks

Gender: Girl 

Weight gain: Not sure at this point, I will update this weekend after I go to our apt. (slightly terrified haha)
Update: I weighed myself on a scale at school: 60 kgs or 132.2 lbs, so I've gained about 16 lbs so far. 

Maternity clothes: Yep, still living in leggings as you can see (there is nothing else comfortable to wear in the cooler weather).

Stretch marks: Nada

Belly button in or out: Outtie

Sleep: Still waking up at least once a night around 1-2 and up for about an hour watching TV shows or surfing the web. I've been SO tired lately, I think this pregnancy is catching up with me. I've been falling asleep sitting up in bed!

Best moment this week: Cuddling with Sawyer before bedtime, he's been such a little momma's boy lately. It's so cute when he wants to lift up my shirt to see my belly. I keep telling him that there's a baby sleeping in momma's tummy and he gives my belly a kiss everyday, so sweet. 

Worst moment this week: Chasing around Sawyer Friday & Saturday (Kurt was gone for a basketball tournament) and he just wore me out... oh you know, just eating the dog's medicine, trying to drink my precious latte and spilling it all over himself and splashing over the walls, and not sleeping well on top of being sick... he saved all the fun for this momma. Luckily, bad days are just temporary.

Miss anything: Fitting comfortably through tight spaces, my back not hurting, and not getting out of breath so darn easily!

Movement: Rosalie has been quite the party animal lately. I also keep feeling huge shifts and movements, I'm wondering if she's turned head down yet...

Cravings: Chocolate, apples with nutella/peanut butter, oatmeal, and cereal...someone please ship me some Golden Grahams! ;)

Queasy or sick: Still not a big fan of red meat, unless it's bacon... 

Looking forward to: Heading to Taipei next weekend for a conference. Kurt and Sawyer are coming along too! 

Story of my life last weekend (except I didn't get to finish my latte)

24 Weeks

Gender: Girl 

Weight gain: I forgot what it was at my last apt. After our vacation and many desserts in Bali, I'm afraid to find out! ;) 

Maternity clothes: Yep, but so sad after we left some of our clothes behind at a hotel in Bali and when we called they had disappeared. So many of my maternity clothes were left behind and they aren't so easy to get in China. I'm going to try to see if I can get by the next three months without having to buy many more! 

Stretch marks: Still in the clear! 

Belly button in or out: Outtie

Sleep: It's been a bit better since being back in China in our own bed. I'm still waking up at least once a night to pee or to cuddle Sawyer (he's been teething) but otherwise, fine!

Best moment this week: Spending the whole day as a family in PJs and doing a whole lot of nothing on New Years day. How are we always exhausted after vacation?!

Worst moment this week: I was extremely allergic to one of our hotel rooms which made my asthma terrible in Bali. Luckily, we switched hotels after two nights, but I hate not being able to breathe! 

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Miss anything: Fitting into my regular clothes and watermelon mojitos (they had great delicious ones in Ubud, and I was sad I had to miss out on the happy hour).

Movement: Yep, she's a busy little lady.

Cravings: All sweets, fruit juices/shakes, pasta lately, Mexican...okay a lot of food! 

Queasy or sick: Not sick, but I have not wanted red meat at all this pregnancy, no desire. With Sawyer, that's all I wanted! 

Looking forward to: Celebrating Kurt's 27th birthday in a couple of days and lounging our last few days of break :) 

20 Weeks

Baby Callahan is half way "cooked" and I'm still in disbelief. This pregnancy is flying by.  November has been a crazy/busy month and I'm so happy it's December (one of my favorite months because Christmas of course). 

We've picked out a name for our little lady, Rosalie Beth. We chose Rosalie because we think it's sweet and classic. Beth is my mom's middle name and Kurt's mom's middle name is Elizabeth, so it's a way to honor both grandmas= win.

Gender: Girl 

Weight gain: Unsure (I will find out at my apt. this Saturday...yikes)

Maternity clothes: Yes, I'm starting to stretch out some of my regular clothes... still using the good ol' ponytail trick for squeezing into my jeans.

Stretch marks: Nada

Belly button in or out: Outtie (kind of annoying) it didn't do this until the end of my pregnancy with Sawyer.

Sleep: All over the place. I've been pretty exhausted after a few busy weeks at school and falling asleep at 7:30 on the couch, then waking up in the middle of the night for 1-2 hours. My brain just wont turn off. 

Best moment this week: Having a date night out (it's been about two months) so it was nice to relax and spend one on one time with Kurt.

Worst moment this week: I'm getting sick and feeling pretty blah in general.

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Miss anything: Beer. Is it spring yet?

Movement: Yes, and we can sometimes feel her from the outside.

Cravings: Chocolate. I eat some form of chocolate every .  single  .  day .  Also cereal...weird.

Queasy or sick: Sick (as in cold related, not pregnancy related)

Looking forward to: Our Christmas in Bali! We leave next week...hooray :) 

Baby Callahan is a...GIRL!

We had a doctor's appointment today and she was able to confirm that we are having a baby girl! I am over the moon excited! I can't wait for Sawyer to have a little sister and to have a little lady around the house to balance out all of the men (Kurt, Sawyer, and our 2 dogs). I am in trouble because girl clothes and accessories are so darn cute...sorry Kurt! ;) 

We are debating names, but I am a planner and want to pick the "perfect" name. I have a good idea of what I would like her name to be, and I think desperately hope that Kurt will be on board as well :) 

Gender: GIRL! 

Weight gain: 54.9 kgs, so about 121 lbs (eek that's about 5 lbs since my last apt.)

Maternity clothes: Yep, starting to bust out my maternity shirts or stretch out my regular tanks. I'm growing WAY quicker this pregnancy. Still living in leggings.

Stretch marks: nope

Belly button in or out: Flat and pokes out more toward the end of the day.

Sleep: Can't complain. I wake up at least once every night and sometimes it takes me forever to fall back to sleep (my mind is so busy!)

Best moment this week: Hearing our doctor confirm that we are having a little lady in the Callahan household...it all feels so surreal.

Worst moment this week: Just the overall craziness of school this time of year, November is a busy month...can't wait for it to be over (minus Thanksgiving of course).

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Miss anything: Having a drink. I presented at a workshop this week and there was beer and wine served before hand, and I really wish I could had indulged in a cold one before my presentation ;) 

Movement: Yep. Usually at night when I'm sitting still, I feel her kicking or turning.

Cravings: Chocolate. I have had such bad cravings that after dinner this week that we all took a family outing to the store so I could get devil's cake mix to whip up some delicious cupcakes. They were amazing. I literally inhaled two after I took them out of the oven and then decided I better bring them to school to share, or my tummy would be half baby, half cupcakes. 

Queasy or sick: Nope... I've been feeling pretty good.  

Looking forward to: Checking some more things off my to-do list this week and getting a new Christmas tree  tomorrow. Don't judge me. I put up my Christmas tree mid November since we always leave the second week of December for Christmas break. I want to enjoy my decorations people, the longer I can have them up...the better!