Welcome to the World!

Elsie Grace Thompson finally arrived on September 13, 2009 at 2:20AM. She weighed 3.31kg/7.3lbs and was 51cm/20in long.
I ended up delivering via c-section as her little heartbeat kept dropping once I got an epideral. It was a bit stressful as all the doctors were flying around and having low-voiced conversations (in German!) - but in the end, we have a healthy, beautiful baby girl. I spent about 6 days in the hospital with her and came home last Friday. It was nice to take the time to recover and to have the nurses and staff around for all the many questions I had. Overall, I am very impressed with Swiss maternity care.
Having said that, by the end I was ready to come home. Having Elsie with us in our house has made a world of difference in how she sleeps and eats - she is much more calm and relaxed (and so are we). She has already gained half a pound in weight and is eating very well.
Matt has been great, making sure everything else is taken care of. It's so great to see him with her. Yesterday, he gave Elsie her first bath. We got it on camera, so I am going to try post some video of it.
My parents are in town until Sunday. It's good to have my Mom here to get her advice and learn from her. Plus, eat some good home cooked meals. Matt's Mum and Stepdad arrive on Thursday and will stay about a week.
Okay, enough stories, let's get to the photos. I'm setting up a photo blog site so we can post pictures on a regular basis for everyone. You can find the latest pictures of Elsie at http://www.photoblog.com/elsiegrace

40 Weeks 5 Days

We had another check-up today and everything is pretty much okay. The amniotic fluid is 5.5 on the index and 5 is the minimum amount you should score (Saturday we were at 7). So, they want me back in 2 days for another check-up and they said this time for me to bring my bag as it's likely they'll induce if baby hasn't made an appearance.
However, keeping in mind my past experience with measuring the fluid levels, they could check again on Friday and have me wait two more days. But the doctor also noticed that my placenta is starting to calcify. Nothing to be alarmed about as that is normal, but the more you go over, the more it calcifies. The midwife also had a feel of my tummy and said the baby had desended into the pelvis and that it seems like the baby was a long baby.
I am happy because it looks like there is a definite end is sight, but also not so happy if the baby comes on 9-11. Although, it would make an infamous day a lot nicer for us. Just can imagine how baby might not like having its birthday on that day. Oh well, not too much we can do about that! Today when we arrived, all the delivery beds were full. Is it bad that all I can think about is those women taking the available single rooms!? I am horrible, but I really, really do not want to share a room with anyone after I deliver!
My week at home so far has actually been pretty good. I've managed to keep myself busy all day doing little things around the house and taking Tucker for his walks. I thought I'd already be going stir crazy, but so far, so good.


Here are some photos from this afternoon in the back garden.

D-Plus 3 Days

Well, the waiting game has begun. Baby is proving it's a text book first timer, taking it's time to come into this world. I have to admit that I would have been very surprised had I indeed gone into labor on Friday, but I was kind of hoping that I would. Matt thinks the baby will come on Thursday - mostly because there is an England football match he wants to watch on Wednesday. I was talking to my Mom yesterday and she said it feels like Christmas times 10, especially as no one knows the sex of the baby and I think she is right. I am very anxious, excited, nervous, worried, scared - it's tiring having these many emotions roll around inside of you all the time!
We went to the doctor on Saturday and everything is perfectly normal. Normal heartbeat, normal amniotic fluid levels. We have to go back on Wednesday for another check and I'm trusting it'll be the same thing again. The doctor did say I could have 1-2 cups of raspberry leaf tea a day to help move things along and I will start doing that today. Along with the Tucker walks, they should help get this baby going!
I officially started my maternity leave this week. It's nice not having to wake up and go to work, but also very weird considering I've been working constantly every work day for over 10 years. Five whole months of no HP is a strange, but also refreshing feeling. I'm sure I'll only feel weird about it until the baby comes - then work will be a million miles away!
My Mom and John arrive in Zurich a week from Friday. Hard to believe they will be here that soon! If baby doesn't come quick, I might still be in the hospital when they get here! If that is the case, then I'll leave a day early and come home if baby and I are adjusting/recuperating okay. Matt's Mum and Michael will also be joining the party around the 24th - that way they can see my parents and the new grand baby.
I will try to get Matt to take a picture of me later today to update everyone - but the baby hasn't dropped down (at least that I can tell) yet and I'm definitely not getting any smaller. :-)

39 Weeks - Family Pics

Well, just four days left before D-date. I am hopeful that baby will make an on time appearance, but knowing how it goes with first time pregnancies, I'm doubtful it will actually happen. We had our 39 week check-up today and everything is fine. Baby is weighing in at 3.48kg/7.7lbs. We go back on Saturday and if everything is fine, then it seems like they don't want to see me again until about 10 days later. Seems kind of strange to me that they'd let me go the full duration of my "overdue" time with out any check-up. I will ask about it again on Friday as I know that sometimes the womb doesn't become the best enviornment after d-day and I would hate going that long without some sort of check. Did you other girls just have to wait it out?


Matt and I were very busy bees at the weekend getting the house in last minute order for our little arrival. Matt spent most of the time hanging photos he had framed while in the UK and organizing the basement storage room. Now everything is neat and tidied away. We also bought some more curtains for the guest bedroom, babies room and living room. So, I know what I'll be spending my nights doing this week. :-) Matt also practiced getting the car seat in and out of the RAV4, so he knows what he is doing when we take little one home.


I am on my last week of work this week. Although, I can hardly call it work. I have already handed over most of my stuff and am just attending a few meetings here and there and closing any last minute things that are open. I've been working at home most days; one because I'm getting tired quite easily now and two, they are redesigning the office space and have made everyone take everything off their desks. Something I had to do anyway, as I'm on leave, but I've done it earlier.


I've not been sleeping well this last week - baby is making it quite uncomfortable to get a good night's rest. Plus, my bladder awaken's me like clockwork each morning at 5am. Usually, I can go right back to sleep, but now I am wide awake. I guess that is my body's way of preparing for those early morning feedings.

Here are a few shots of all of us this time - for once we weren't rushing off to work, so Matt has joined the pictures. I've also included a shot of the nursery chair!

Quick Update

Just a quick note to say that we went back to hospital today and all is well. The fluid level is normal and the baby's heartbeat is just fine. The ultrasound technician said that measuring the fluid can kind of flukey as lots of stuff can impact it. Anyway, I head back in a week for another check-up.

Matt got back from the UK last night. I'm pretty sure he bought the entire candy and biscuit aisle at Tesco. He came back with so much food, it's crazy. No idea when he expects to eat all those sweets.
He also brought back the infamous chair as well as a few other bits we bought and some stuff that Rachael had from her little ones. I sat in the chair in the nursery and looked out over our fields this morning; it's going to be perfect for nursing and cuddling the baby. I'm very happy. :-)

38 Weeks - Zollikerberg & Shower

Phil and I had a joint baby shower on Thursday night; our friend Kerry from work, was gracious enough to host the shower for us in her back garden. It was a great night and I had a lot of fun. The girls got together and got both Phil and I each a Bobby Car (actually a SUPER Bobby Car). I know our little one is going to spend hours and hours playing on that thing. I also got some gift certificates to a baby/toy store in town as well as some super cute outfits. Phil also got me a Bumbo! It was great chatting with everyone and telling stories. For some of the girls it was their first baby shower! I've attached some photos from the night.

Matt left on Thursday to the UK. He drove 13-hours straight and arrived around 3am at his Mum's place. I know he is hating me for making him drive there to collect all our goodies, but I am very grateful to him for doing it. He should be heading home tomorrow sometime.

I had my 38-week check-up yesterday at Zollikerberg Hospital. They did an ultrasound and the doctor wasn't that happy with the level of my amniotic fluid. She said it wasn't too low, but wasn't as much as it should be. So, I have to go back on Monday for another ultrasound. Hopefully everything is okay. Our normal doctor checked just a week ago and said everything was fine. I am hoping that the Zollikerberg doctor was off - because she was also showing an intern how to take measurements. But she went back and measured again herself. I guess we'll know more on Monday. The baby still hasn't "engaged" and has flipped back on the right side. But it's head is still down, which is good!

I am feeling okay, except for the sharp pains that I mentioned in the last blog as well as super swollen feet. It was really hot here this week and my poor feet just blew up. I've been putting them up more, but it's not really helping. The weather has cooled down a bit, so hopefully that will help alleviate it a bit.

Fulled Baked at 37 Weeks

Well, we had our last appointment with our normal OB/GYN today as her office is closing for renovations for the next fours weeks and hopefully by that time I will have had the baby. Everything is still on track, all of baby's statistics are still coming in on average. Today the baby's weight is 3.0kg/6.6lbs. Doctor thinks that it will probably add about one more pound before I give birth. We also did a stress test - hooking me up to a monitor for a while to watch how the baby reacts when I have a contraction to make sure it's not elevating the heartbeat too much. Everything came back normal there too.

I think I will be having an appointment each week now until I give birth. I have to start having the checkups at the Zollikerberg Spital (where we're giving birth), which is good because it'll give us a chance to meet the birthing/obstetrics staff as well as get more familiar with the hospital.

Matt will be away for my next appointment as the magical rocking/nursing recliner we ordered has finally arrived in the UK. So he'll drive up next weekend to collect it along with all the other goodies.

Christian and Philippa have been put on standby notice as my ride to the hospital in case anything should happen while he's away. They'll also be on call the week after when Matt is in Sweden. I was joking with Phil today saying that it would be just typical that I have a very straight forward pregnancy with no drama, and then at the end our baby makes an 'early' appearance when Matt is away. That is a kind of excitement I really do not want. I would also feel sorry for Phil, because of course I would drag her into the delivery room with me to act as my coach and I'm not sure that is the kind of thing she should be experiencing as she's about to go through it herself! That is just mean!

I finished my birthing plan this week. Gundi was an angel and made a translation into German for me. I could not have done that by myself and this way we can really be sure the staff understand our wishes for the birth. Before you ask (Melissa), it is not like my famous 7-page wedding itinerary. It is just 2 pages long, very concise. Of course the translation makes it actually four, but I'm not counting that.

We also decided to just buy out the RAV-4. We have looked at several estates, but for what we (actually, I) want, it's just too expensive. With this option we could buy it out and resell it and make about 14K on it as it seems to have really held it's value and that is what similar models are selling for. Then we could still buy an estate if we wanted to.