drum roll please...!

After nearly 72 hours of labor - born at 1:12am today, we finally have our little dove! Please prepare to be astounded at our newest addition, Paloma Jean Harmony Sellers! Weighing in at 8lbs, 12oz, and 20 inches long (with a head circumference of 14.25 inches, thank you very much), she's just gorgeous (of course), healthy as can be, and the self-proclaimed queen of nursing!

Birth story to follow. We're a bit tired and aren't even sure what planet we're on sometimes.

We couldn't have done it without the love and support we received these past week and we want to thank everybody who sent well-wishes and prayers.

See you soon!

The Sellers

Resting agian for now

Right now Janet is resting from the last several hours of laboring. Babies heart rate is still normal and she's not in a place of stress. All we can do is wait for consistant contractions to come back to help move baby further down. Meanwhile mama is getting some well deserved sleep. These contractions seem to really like coming around at night. Sleep well...

janet here

paloma still inside.

i am still working through these contractions, knowing they are doing their job - albeit a ton more slowly than i would like!

my girlie's heart tones are perfect, she's moving, hiccupping, re-arranging herself as needed, and I am starting to feel lots of pressure and leg cramps. hopefully i will start shaking and barf soon - that will mean transition, and that is just before pushing! and then we'll have a baby, and I can sleep for a WEEK. If you think i am kidding, just know that I am not, and have already made arrangements for this to happen. ; )

sense of humor intact, and a baby in her belly,
janet

Almost there

I just wanted to mention that Adam and Declan have been just amazing throught this whole thing. I am so proud of how much they really love their Mom. Our dear friend Malanie (she was our doula during Declan's birth) has come over this morning to be with my sweety and give such wonderful words of encouragement. Just to be able to bounce ideas and discuss ideas with her has allowed Janet to relax quite a bit more between contractions. Janets' other great friend Kathleen is here playing with the boys outside and in and is being such a tremendous help. Thank you, both of you from one tuckered dad. I'm not even the one giving birth!
She's still on her way!

Good day to ya'll

Everything is still o.k. Janet is such an amazing woman. It takes alot of patience and endurance to do this as long as she has. Baby is right at the birth canal, but she seems to want to do it just right. Her head is slightly to the side, so I think she's taking this time and using contractions to try and turn her head just a bit. After that she should be home free. We love you all and pray that you're not worried. She's doing fantastik.

7 pm and all's well

Though, no baby. At least, not one outside my body.

I am feeling lots more pressure, but the contrax are still very irregular.

This will be the last post for today.

We'll try to check in again in 12 hours.

Thanks for visiting!
J&T&D&A

still here...

We're still here and in labor.

No news as of yet.

We'll let you know!

T&J

11:11 am wed. and all is still well.

My sweety is resting right now. The last 24 hours have been just a blast for Janet. Contractions have been up and down. Rapid and strong one moment then fading to provide Janet with some sleep. It just seems like we'll know when she's here when she's here. Baby Paloma's heart rate is normal and stable, please don't worry, everything is peaceful here and she's doing just great..a little tired but great..

Quick Update...

I wish I were sitting here nursing a new baby, updating you all on the birth. But alas, I am not. Today has been a lot like any other day in our home - just hanging out and playing. This little gal is taking her sweet time coming out! I have been resting all day, and working with the contrax that come and go, and I am guessing we'll have some news within the next 24 hours.

Thank you for being patient, not calling the house, and all the good energy and vibes - we definately feel them.

Paloma just wants her entrance to be well-waited-for - typical Sellers.... : )
Conversely, we could call her a diva. And we just don't know where that comes from.

Janet

This is very different than with the boys...

Because their labors began at 2am on Mondays, and pretty much rocked me until they finally came out 14, and then 11.5 hours later. This labor began at 3 on a Tuesday, and has been up and down.

I labored from 2-5:30, then napped until 7. If I keep walking, I have good strong contrax. If I sit down, they're not as strong nor regular... I just took another 30 minute nap. I've been walking around outside with the dogs and the boys and Tom, and not much has happened. I am going to keep at it. These naps are great for getting some rest for the fun stuff to come!

And off I go.

and on it goes

We had a great time from 3-5:30 and then lay down. We both fell asleep! It was nice to get a little rest.

Now we're back up and strolling around, having regular contrax and taking our time.

More soon...

So last night,

After we put the kids to bed and cuddled up in ours, I had some strong intuitive feelings that it was going to happen soon.

And LO! Here we are at 4am, hugging and walking around. I woke up at 3 to the feeling of waters flowing and thought I'd get a quick word in here.

Paloma's heart rate is strong, the candles are lit, and things seem a go at 2 minutes apart. I am hoping by 7 we'll have a baby! HA!

Stay tuned...

J and T

And closer...

(The first picture I took today, Jan 21, and the second one was on the 16th. Sorry they're not right side up! I am still figuring this blog thing out. You can see my belly is lower in the first one.)

Not much is really 'new' around here, although I have been really nesty and starting to feel Paloma has 'dropped' into position in my pelvic outlet. This leads to muscle-pull sensations in my lower belly, which feel nice and 'burny'. Like after a good work out. I am really enjoying all this stuff because I know it's probably my last go around with it. Today I scrubbed the kitchen top to bottom, and made four soups. Also, I vaccumed the house and dusted. Tomorrow I think will be more of the same! I have to scrub my bathroom, finish getting my room ready (where I feel like the birth will take place) and get my mom's quarters set up. Shouldn't be too hard.

Today we had a meeting with the dentists from Jackson Creek Dental, and tomorrow will be a meeting with a prospective new accountant. Our LLC status will hopefully be done soon, and we'll be official! Then we get two months to have pater/maternity in-house working and it's off to the dental complex. April 1 seems to be when we'll make our big move. It will be tough not having our Daddy here all the time, but he will be able to have a set schedule then, and will be 'off' at a regular time each night. And hopefully on weekends too!

We still have one pug available for adoption. She's the runt of the litter, the cutest little thing, and so sweet. If I weren't about to have a baby I would keep her - even Tommy's gotten attached. She's just a darling. So if you know anyone...

Signing off! I have to put some kids to bed!

Janet

Getting closer

Hello all,

As we approach the big birthday, we are anxiously getting our home and life ready for all the changes.

Lots of excitement surrounding our business - we're probably going to move it and expand it to an off-site location. This will bring an end to Tommy and me working in our pajamas, and taking coffee breaks at random times throughout the day, but we are certainly looking forward to actually being able to take vacations in the future (for more than a few days), and growing our 'baby' into a big kid. Tommy has worked so hard for the last 8 years. It will be great to see our dream moving in this direction. Toward this end, Tommy has made a friend who is credentialed in several areas of dental technology, and he would be a welcome addition to our current three person operation. Then the only spots left to fill are a model worker/pick up and delivery driver, and a new accountant to help us manage our new responsibilities to our employees, and our new LLC status. Whew!

The boys just can't wait to meet and hold their little 'Sissy' as Declan calls her. They are really loving the new house, and are having a blast playing with each other in all the new rooms and space. They also are excited for the weather to warm up so they can utilize the pool!

We are nearly unpacked and moved in. There is still so much to do at the old house so we can put it on the market to sell! Such as, getting the final things of value out of it, cleaning it, and some minor repairs. We try not to think about all this stuff too much, because it gets pretty overwhelming! But we know that it will all get done in the end. Somehow, some way, it always does.

I am excited to prepare for the birth of Paloma. I can tell by feeling my belly that she is head down, and facing to the left of me and slightly forward, with her back on the right side of my belly. When we went to the ultrasound appointment last Friday, my supposition was confirmed.
We noticed that her placenta is on my left side, toward the front. This could be a challenge for her getting into an optimal position for delivery - the placenta is actually where her back should be! Her 'lie' is termed Right Occiput Posterior, or 'ROP'. This means she's lying on my right side (her spine is on the right), and her occiput (back of her head) is facing my posterior (backside!). The most ideal way for a baby to come is LOA, which means Left Occiput Anterior. ROP can be a challenge because it can cause longer labors and back labor, which I was faced with when I had Declan 4 years ago. I am not at all afraid nor worried, just feeling challenged. And as many of you know, I enjoy a challenge. So I will be doing visualizations and affirmations, yoga stretches and some chiropractic to encourage this little angel baby to move into the place I'd like her to be. And I have two weeks to convince her! If you're so inclined, feel free to send loving messages and energy to her so that she may be further encouraged! No matter how she comes out, I know I can do it. It's what my body was designed for!

For now, that's all the news I have. Tomorrow is our unschooler group's park day, and we'll be going to see our friends there. It might be the last one we attend for awhile, until we're ready to take Paloma out into the world, so the boys are excited. Then it's off to the grocery store to stock up on ingredients to make a few frozen meals for after the baby comes. I just got a new crock pot and am anxious to make some wonderful stews and soups! Any recipe suggestions (VEGETARIAN!) are welcome!

Thanks for reading!
janetommyadamdeclan