Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Sharp sticks

This one is for the Gustavsons...

Tonight at home, mom, Jonathan, Amelia and I were downstairs watching tv and Amelia was being a little bratty and whiny. Finally, I got my stern voice on and this was our conversation:

Me: Amelia, what do you need? Do you need juice?
Amelia: No
Me: Do you need to go upstairs?
Amelia: No
Me: Do you need a poke in the eye with a sharp stick?
Amelia: Kay
*We all burst out laughing*


PAUSE


Amelia: Sharp stick??

Maybe you had to be there, but hopefully that was just as funny to you guys.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Let's Compare

The great debate: Who does Addilyn look like? We've gotten different opinions from all over the place, so I thought I'd do a little comparing between her newborn pictures and Amelia's. Shall we?

This is my favorite first picture of Amelia


Jonathan look-alike


One of the first pictures of Addilyn


Relaxed


So, any resemblance between the 2 girls?? Well, check this one out. I was looking through my baby book and came across this picture of me that's on my birth certificate, taken when I was 2 days old.



And here's Addilyn again:


Whatcha think?!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Birth Story

Let's start on Monday, Oct 10. I had my weekly doctors appt, where she told me that I was already dilated to 4cm, and since I had had steady contractions that had died off the night before, I needed to head to the hospital the next time I had contractions for no more than an hour. She also said, "How about if nothing happens before Wednesday morning at 5:30 we start you on Petocin?" I agreed, without really thinking about what I was agreeing to. Kirsta came down from Denver Tuesday morning and we spent that day trying to bring on labor ourselves by lifting heavy things, using my breast pump, and eating spicy green chili for dinner. After Jonathan got home from work that night we decided together that induction wasn't what we wanted to do, regardless if it meant knowing the baby would be out of me a few hours from then. I called the hospital to tell them I was nixing the induction, and the lady I talked to was the sweetest, most supportive nurse in the world! If I've ever been unsure about a decision, she definitely backed me up 110% and made me feel like the greatest person alive for wanting labor to come naturally. So I went to bed that night feeling wonderful, knowing that it would happen when it happened. And it happened.


I woke up at 2am with a sharp, shooting contraction, and knew that I had just had another one that incorporated into my dream. I got out of bed and after only 3 super painful contractions I knew this was the real deal, so I woke up Jonathan and then went and sat on my exercise ball and started timing. They were coming every 2 minutes and lasting about 45 seconds. Jonathan went downstairs to wake up Kirsta, who happily got up, got dressed and immediately started massaging my back during contractions. We called Melody (my mother-in-law) to come over and stay with the 4 kids at my house while we went to the hospital. I checked into labor and delivery at 3am on the dot, and we made ourselves at home in our labor room, where Kirsta took position as my personal fanner (is that a word?) because I was SOOO hot! I seriously felt like it was 1000 degrees in my room. She was also the worlds best coach, talking me through each and every contraction, telling me to sway my hips, yell ouch as much as I needed to, and never forget to breath. Jonathan set up shop behind me as my masseuse, and trust me, I did NOT let him stop until it was all over. Contractions or not, he was NOT to stop massaging. Lucky for him, it was short. :) My nurse, who is not going down on my list of favorite people, was taking her sweet time with everything, not seeming to give any kind of hoot every time I would yell, "WHERE IS MY EPIDURAL?" She'd casually reply, "Well, first we have to do this. It's coming, don't worry." Or something else not reassuring at all. I kept wondering how much time had gone by, but I refused to look because I knew I'd freak out if it had only been like, 15 minutes. Anyway~ finally my nurse said, "I need you to lay on the bed so I can put this IV in you." As she's casually digging around in both of my wrists I looked at her and said, "I need to push!" She just stared at me blankly. Like an idiot. Then she said, "Well let me take this IV out and when this contraction is through let me check you." She checked me and sure enough, I was at 10 cm!! She told me I was ready and what did I do? I BURST into tears. I was SO SO scared of what was about to come. I said, "So no pain meds?" And she just shook her head. A lot of people aspire to have natural child birth, but I am not one of them. I was scared that my body would tear in half, or that somehow I just wouldn't be able to do it, all the while know that I HAD to do it, pain killer free, and I was SCARED. She ran to grab the doctor, who never made it. A whole rush of nurses and residents came in and through my hysterics I pushed like I physically did not think my body could push, and 3 pushes later Addilyn was out at 4:48am. I regained my composure for a second to realize what just happened. Then I asked for my phone, called my mom and lost it again. I just kept telling her how scared I was, and she kept asking, "Why are you scared? The baby is already out." And I'm like, "I wanted an epidural!! I couldn't do it!! I'm so scared!" I guess it was scary. :) WHEW. Talk about an adrenaline rush for the next few hours. I was just bewildered and couldn't believe what had just happened.

There's no way I can ever thank Kirsta and Jonathan enough for all their help. I truly know that there is NO WAY I could've done it without both of them.

Monday, October 10, 2011

More belly pictures!




I'm sure by now you are all are sick of seeing pictures of my belly, but lucky for you, this baby is coming tomorrow or Wednesday, and then all you'll see is pictures of her! I got these pictures done yesterday afternoon at my house and it was so fun. A little awkward being so scantily clad in front of the photographer, but it's what I wanted so I had to. :) Then about 10:30 last night I started having painful contractions exactly 5 minutes apart, at about 1 minute per contraction. I was SO excited, thinking, "Here we go!" I timed them for 3 hours, and just about the time I was going to wake up Jonathan and tell him I thought it was the real deal, they died down. SUCH a disappointment. This afternoon I had a doctors appointment and she said it wasn't a lost cause because they progressed me to 4 cm! Yay. After she said that my body is totally ready and that of course natural labor is best, if baby girl doesn't come tonight or tomorrow we're going to start Petocin on Wednesday morning at 5:30. So, whether she likes it or not, she'll be here within 2 days! Yay. Anyway~ back to the real reason for the blog.. Belly pictures! Here are a couple from the shoot yesterday:







The next blog I'll post will (hopefully) have baby girl Addilyn's story along with pictures! Until then...

Friday, October 7, 2011

Never a dull moment

In our house, I feel like there's never a dull moment. Well, except right now, when my due date is 9 days away and that might as well be a year, because waiting for it to happen is KILLING me. I'm trying to make the most of every day, spending quality time with Amelia, sleeping as much as I can, cleaning a lot, and trying to mentally prepare myself for what's about to come, but that doesn't make days like today any less boring. Anyway~ I snapped a couple cute pictures of Amelia yesterday that I thought I'd share with you, just in case you're at home as bored as I am.

At dinner, she told me she needed to go pee pee so I told her to put down her soda and she did her high pitched, "No no no no no!" and that was a battle I was just not willing to fight, so here she is:

Disclaimer: No, she did NOT get to drink that whole soda. It was Jonathan's and she got the last couple drinks.

After dinner was bath time, and then Jonathan got her dressed in her new pj's from Estes Park:

Hahahahahahaha.


Fingers crossed for a baby soon!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Maternity Pictures

On Wednesday, Jonathan, Amelia and I got a maternity photo shoot done. It was so much fun! Of course, I think a photo shoot every day would be fun. We drove about 30 minutes to the Fountain Valley Nature Center and met up with our photographer, who's name is Regina. It was so beautiful up there, with lots of water and the leaves changing on some of the trees. Unfortunately, Amelia wasn't so into getting her picture taken that day but we made the best of it and just took lots of pictures without her. :) Regina just sent me a link this morning with a couple of the pictures, and I know she made it a point to send us a couple with Amelia in them, but these might be the only ones we get, haha. Anyway~ here's the few she's sent me so far.










So, this was our outside, flower girl, free-spirit photo shoot. :) On Sunday, Oct 9th, Regina is going to come down to my house for our inside, black backdrop, less clothing, more exposed belly photo shoot. I can't wait for another one!