Baby Names.

Well, I think we're done having babies.  Before you get all "never say never!" on me, I know.  We could change our minds and we have no plans to do anything permanent to prevent more kids right now, but I feel like we're done.  Trevor feels like we're done.  (And not just because Niko was a boy, don't get me started on that perfect family nonsense.)  Also, mind your own beeswax.  If we do change our minds some day (many years from now), I imagine we will start from scratch with names, so why not share our favorites for now?

I just can't name a baby until we meet.  I like having options and seeing their squishy face before choosing.  We decided to go with family (or family+friend for Niko) names for middle names which mostly made things easier, but did provide some restrictions.  Baby names have also been pretty top secret during pregnancies for us because everyone has an opinion and I'm just not interested.  The suspense is fun, too.

For Myra, our top girl names were Myra and Anissa.  Our top boy name was Silas, but we also liked Liam (though I really don't think we would have picked it).  We didn't get too into boy names since we found out Myra was a girl at 20 weeks.  Click here to read Myra's birth story.

For Niko, we did not find out the sex until he was born.  Our top girl name was Esme and top boy name was Niko (Nikolai), but Judah put up a good fight the last week or two even after he was born.  I struggled with names enough, I just kind of let it go once we had names we both liked.  Not knowing the sex definitely made this process more difficult.  Heck, I even got so desperate I wrote to Swistle!  See the link here.  I really loved, and still do, the names Rissa (girl) and Chester (boy), but Trevor didn't love either of them like I did, especially not the yucky teasing nickname that came to mind with Chester.  Click here to read Niko's birth story.

Fun fact about our kids' names that we didn't realize until we already decided we liked Niko (Nikolai) a lot and I did some Googling:

From the Latin Nicolaus, a derivative of the Greek Nikolaos (victory of the people), a compound name composed of the elements nikē (victory) and laos (the people). The name was borne by St. Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop of Myra who is regarded as the patron saint of Russia and Greece, and of children, sailors, and wolves.  (from Baby Name Wizard)

Oh, and their first initials are M and N, as in MN...as in Minnesota.  Filing that away for future tattoo ideas...

Throughout pregnancies, these are the other names we tossed around.  We wanted something unique, so anything "top 200" or "up and coming" was out.  Many of these names are pretty popular which is why they didn't make the cut.

Some favorite baby naming websites are: Swistle, Nymbler, Baby Name Wizard, Nameberry, and the good old Social Security site.  The book Cool Names for Babies was a fun and different read, too.

GIRLS
Myra
Esme (first choice girl name for Baby 2 thanks to Swistle suggestions)
Anissa (this was #1 for our first pregnancy and our second choice for Myra)
Delilah (the song Hey There Delilah was very special to us during our first deployment together)
Mila/Myla (this was Trevor's inspiration for Myra)
Zoe
Nell (second choice girl name for Baby 2 even though it's already being used in the family)
Eleanor
Emma

BOYS
Niko (Nikolai)
Silas (this was #1 since our first pregnancy but got too popular for us)
Liam
Percy (I still love this, but would have needed a longer version and wasn't sold on Percival)
Oliver
Everett
Judah (our initial thought for Niko. but after three hours we still just couldn't commit to it)
Noah
Chester (though it wouldn't have made the cut because people are cruel with nicknames)

Niko's Birth Story.

I started this a little early so I could keep all my end of pregnancy updates in one place.  Click here for Myra's birth story.  All the awesome photos are courtesy of the fabulous Angie Knutson Photography (AKP in captions), the cell phone photos are property of yours truly ;)

AKP

January 21, 2015, 37 weeks.  168 pounds (up about 30-33 pounds from pre-pregnancy).  Cervix high but very soft, dilated almost 3cm.  Group B Strep test: negative.  37 week update with Myra.  37.5 week appointment with Myra.

January 22, 2015, 9pm.  37+1  Feeling crampy, like menstrual cramps, not Braxton Hicks.  I assume it's nothing exciting, but I'm naturally dying to know when this baby will come so here I sit wondering... It went away after maybe half an hour.

January 27, 2015, 1pm.  37+6  That strange feeling you get in your back when dehydrated, like my kidneys hurt.  I've actually had more water so far today than usual.  I also feel a bit flushed randomly.  Clearly I'm aware of every little thing these days...

January 28, 2015, 38 weeks.  173 pounds.  Fifty percent effaced and I thought my doctor said +1 station, but the online notes say -1, dilated 4-5cm.  Fundal height (uterus) has been measuring right on all along, but today measured 32-33 weeks.  Doctor and I both assumed all is well (I figure baby is just settling in, but she said that doesn't typically change measurements), but ordered growth scan/fluid check ultrasound just to be safe.  Baby's head still measuring 2 weeks ahead (Myra had/has a giant head, too), baby's stomach measuring right on, and I didn't look when the tech checked the legs though I was very tempted.  Weight estimate was 7 pounds, 2 ounces.  My doctor emailed in the evening and said baby's growth and amount of fluid both looked great, so all is well.  I'm aware the dilation doesn't mean anything will happen soon, but it likely could happen quickly when it does.  Today was enough of a push to get me to install the car seat bases in the car though.  I haven't packed a hospital bag yet, though I don't really need much.

38 weeks + 6 days

February 4, 2015, 39 weeks.  171 pounds.  I lost a few pounds during my last week with Myra, too.  I've been pooping at least twice a day for over a week now, my body is running out of room and/or getting ready...probably both.  Doctor said "definitely 5cm...5+" today, but the online notes say 5-6cm, 50% effaced, -1 station.  Belly measured 37 weeks today.  I had what felt like Braxton Hicks contractions exactly 6 minutes apart for 30 minutes tonight, then nothing.  With Myra, real labor contractions definitely felt different, so I wasn't holding my breath.  Myra has been extra clingy and had a couple wonky nights of sleep--maybe she knows something we don't?!

February 7, 2015, 1-3:30am.  Contractions that felt like the real deal (and not Braxton Hicks).  They were 8-12 minutes apart and not super regular, so I kept waiting "just one more" to wake Trevor.  Finally at about 3:15am I decided I should wake him.  I said "I think we should probably call your mom," (to come stay with Myra) and his half-asleep response was, "Why?"  Anyway, his alarm was set for 3:30am since he had to get to drill.  Of course, once I woke him they stopped.  He was all "do I get ready for drill? Are we having a baby? What is happening?"  I told him to go about his morning and if they continued, we'd call his mom and the photographer.  They didn't and I fell asleep sometime after 4am.

February 8, 2015, 11:30am.  I lost a glob of mucous which felt like a small water leak, but nope.  Lost a little more later in the day.  I guess I could say I had more nesting urges today, nothing actually useful, of course.  Our kitchen needs to be cleaned something fierce, but instead I organized clothes and picked out a bunch that need to get donated.  I also organized baby carriers and our newborn cloth diapers, which I suppose is helpful.

February 9, 2015, 5:30am. Trevor's alarm woke me up, went to pee, had a small gush of fluid.  It seemed very watery and I had some contractions that didn't feel like "it," but went to the hospital to have it tested for amniotic fluid to be sure...negative.

February 10, 2015 39 weeks+6 days.  Same fluidy feeling this morning, I'm assuming yesterday was watery mucous and today is more of the same.  I had some random contractions throughout the day, but this is also my work day so it could be because I'm more active (SO MANY STAIRS!).

39 weeks + 6 days, February 10, 2015

February 11, 2015, 40 weeks, 170.5 pounds.  Was up from 3:30ish-4:30ish timing contractions.  Some were not so obvious, frequency varied a lot, and ultimately they stopped so I went back to bed.  I overslept and didn't wake up until 8:15, weekly baby check appointment at 8:45.  I rushed myself and Myra out the door, grabbed some Kix for her to eat on the go, and headed to my appointment.  We ran into Keithia in the waiting room.  At my appointment, I filled my doctor in on the fluid stuff and random contractions.  I was still 5-6cm and baby's heart rate was a little slower than usual...in the 110s.  When she was listening, she also heard a brief decel in the heart rate and decided to send me (and Myra...lol) to Labor and Delivery for monitoring then she'd come meet with me to discuss options.  I asked for clarification and she said I would likely be induced (to some degree at least) but we'd know more after some monitoring and testing for amniotic fluid again.  Since the secret is out and we all know 2/11/15 is Niko's date of birth, I will do the rest in more of a bullet format since that's how I kept track.  I apologize in advance for bouncing around past/present tense.

9:35am I arrived at Labor and Delivery with Myra.  When I came two days prior, they had me in a triage room for monitoring/testing, but today I went right to a delivery room.

9:40am Nurse speaking as if I'm staying no matter what.  I thought this was brief monitoring then we'd discuss.  I tell Trevor to leave school now since it looks like I really am staying.  I call Christy and she is coming ASAP.  Myra is so interested in all the buttons and lights and I'm stuck in bed connected to stuff.  This room is so not toddler friendly.

9:50am I call Keithia to see if she can come get Myra.  She's actually still at the clinic (connected to hospital) so she is there in a few minutes.  She takes Myra to our house in my car to wait for Christy,

10isham Official clarification: definitely staying.  It's baby day!

AKP

10:30am I've been monitored for a bit now, I'm having contractions every 8 minutes but not feeling a thing.  I tested positive for amniotic fluid, so no clue when my water actually started leaking!  This makes me a little nervous about a c-section because I know there's a bit of a timeline once water breaks and mine could have ruptured days ago...  I have awesome veins and have always been an easy stick, but apparently threading was a different story, took three tries to get a good one.  I will be getting fluids, antibiotics (since water ruptured and not sure when) and starting small with pitocin to help get things moving.

10:43am Still 5-6cm dilated, cervix thick ("like your cheek"), still feeling nothing but epidural will be ordered soon (I will want it eventually, so just getting it done)

11:15am Trevor arrives at hospital with my hospital bag--I had nothing with me since I thought this would just be another weekly check.

11:35am Contractions every 3-5 minutes.  Ordering epidural now.  I am still not feeling contractions at all, some may disagree but how amazing would it be to not feel any?? I love science.

12:20pm Epidural in, contractions every 3 minutes, everything looking good.  My HR 66, BP 122/71.  Baby's HR 122.  I'm 6cm and have a peanut shaped yoga ball between my legs to help dilate.  Angie (photographer) arrives sometime around here.

12:50pm I can still feel my legs, but they're warm and a little numb.  The hospital's internet seems to have Netflix and Pandora blocked.

1:30pm Contractions 2.5 minutes apart.  I wanted to take a nap, but no luck.  Trevor and I watched House on his laptop.

2:51pm 8-9cm and cervix is very thin, awesome progress.  The nurse says I'll be done in an hour...not sure if she means done done or just done dilating.

3:02pm They're bringing in the rest of the birth equipment, a cart with all the instruments and what not.  My epidural was great but I could feel contractions in a small area of my lower right abdomen.  This happened with Myra, same spot, and they fixed it for me.  This time, the nurse told me it was normal and would help with pushing.  It was not a big deal - it hurt but I could still talk through them.

I forget exactly when, but sometime in here I am now 10cm.  Nurse has me do one push and says she'll call for the doctor if I can get baby's head pushed down a bit.  I win, doctor coming.

3:25pm I start pushing.  (I know this because they told me how many minutes of pushing it was and I obviously know what time baby arrived)

AKP

3:37pm It's a boy! (We didn't know the sex until birth) Six pushes that felt like 60.  8 pounds, 12 ounces, 21.5" long.  Apgar score 9.

AKP

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We had a name picked out, recently revisited our lists and couldn't decide between two names.  We both thought the other name at first, but for one reason or another neither of us could commit.  Around 6:30pm we agreed to stick with our original choice, Niko (knee-co).

How did we come up with Niko?  Well, for the most part, Trevor did.  Once again, I was struggling with names.  I made a couple lists and Trevor thought they were okay, but didn't love any.  I finally told him I had a name or two of each sex I really liked and if he wanted something else, he would need to make a list of his own.  The first name he told me was Nikola.  Where on Earth did that come from???  Nikola Tesla was a Serbian inventor (among other things).  Trevor likes his work and it's fun that he's Serbian and Trevor has been deployed to the Balkans twice.  So, we tweaked it a bit and he will legally be Nikolai, but we agreed we both really like Niko so we're going with that straight away.  Random history lesson: after agreeing we both liked Niko (Nikolai), I did some Googling.  I came across this link and what is one of the first things on the page?  MYRA.  "Saint Nicholas, also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th century Christian saint and Greek Bishop of Myra (Demre, part of modern-day Turkey)."  Woah.  We knew nothing of this or the fact that "Myra" had anything to do with ancient Greece.  Niko's middle name is Jeffrey which is the name of Trevor's dad, two of my uncles, and a very dear friend of ours who passed away in November 2013.  Jeffrey just made sense; there was never even any discussion about a middle name.

Soon, I will post the other names from our lists, too.  Also to come, updates and photos of Niko meeting Myra and other family members.  I wanted to keep this post strictly for Niko alone.

Day One

Three days new, Niko's first ride

Day before he arrived vs two days after

We're off to a great start and he's fitting right in!