Family Update...

I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve updated. I’m trying to get into some type of routine that will allow me time to both post and catch up on everyone’s blogs. We’ll see how that goes :) Right now my days are spent feeding and changing Ryan along with entertaining the other two. To say I'm absolutely wiped out at the end of the day would be an understatement :) But I'm loving every minute of it!

Ryan is now 9 days old…I can’t figure out where the time has gone already! I am having so much fun with him and truly enjoy every minute I spend with him. He’s such a good baby so far (crossing fingers).

This past weekend we headed down to our parents’ houses for OU’s homecoming. Little Ryan was dressed in OU apparel as were the other kids. We had a ton of fun at the parade and then the football game. It was also nice just hanging out with our parents and siblings.

This is the annual Homecoming picture we take of the kids (once they're able to walk that is...Ryan will join in hopefully next year).

First Couple Days of Life...

Wow, what a crazy last couple of days!

My hospital stay was nice…we had fantastic nurses the whole time, and surprisingly, hubby and I got a lot of time alone with little Ryan. The only problem was that he really didn’t want anything to do with sleeping in his bed at night. The first night I only got about 2 hours of sleep, and the last night I got about 4 1/2, only because at 4:00 AM I finally sent him down to the nursery and told them to feed him a bottle when he got hungry!

Thankfully, last night was not so bad. He is doing pretty well sleeping in his bassinet, so I was able to get some sleep between feedings and diaper changes. He is a fantastic eater, so thankfully that has been very easy on both of us!

And since I now have two sons I’ve decided to start using the names of my family members. Originally I had hoped this blog would be anonymous, but since that is not the case, I have no reason to not use real names (plus it will be much less confusing going forward). My hubby’s name is John, my daughter’s name is Kylie, and my oldest son’s name is Josh.

We are now home and today was fantastic. Kylie had school, so we walked her there and then Josh, Ryan and I hung out all day together. Josh and I played down in the playroom for about 3 hours and then headed outside. After that it was nap time and then time to pick Kylie up from school. I just had so much fun! Josh is such an easy kid, and it’s amazing how miserable I am when I’m pregnant…I feel like now I can do anything and I’m not uncomfortable. I know Josh is really appreciating the fact that I’m no longer pregnant.

Thankfully John told me that he’s really only interviewing new technicians this week and not doing anything else, so tomorrow he’ll be home most of the day, which I’m really looking forward to.

That’s about it for the updates…I’ve taken some cute pictures of Ryan, but I’m currently unsure of where the card reader is. Hopefully I’ll be able to post some new ones tomorrow or the next day.

He's Here!!!

Ryan Mark

8 lbs. 10.6 oz

19.5 inches

After a very long day Ryan finally came out at 5:03 PM with 5 contractions and the cord wrapped around his neck twice.

After he was born it was so nice and peaceful. For the first time, there were very few people in the delivery room - hubby, me (obviously :) ), doctor and one nurse. After I delivered him they put him on my stomach (on top of mats - I'm not into the messy stuff) and he just laid there looking around and he finally let out a little cry.

After they cleaned him up a little they let me hold him and feed him with no one else in the room. It was the most calm and peaceful time I've ever had post-delivery.

Thank you to all of you who were keeping up with me all day. It was long, but totally worth it!

It's 4:20 PM...

Hubby again. Still no baby. Deb is 9 cm and we are getting in the "home stretch". It shouldn't be much longer now...

Third Update...

It's 2:10 and I've been chilling for a while now. My water was broken around 1:10 and I was 4 cm dilated. I'm really hoping that things will be moving along quicker now, but who knows!

2nd Update

Hubby here. They just gave Deb the epidural. They are going to break her water in about 30 minutes. She is in great spirits and had me do this post only because they are making her lay down. I will keep you all updated…

First Update...

I have wireless access at the hospital!!!

For our last night as a family of four we went out to dinner with my two sisters and my one sister’s boyfriend. My sister actually ended up buying us all dinner, which was really nice. We went to Cheeseburger in Paradise, which is one of my favorite places (although I was desperately wishing I could have one of their fantastic alcoholic drinks…one more day!).

We actually stayed up until about 11:30 packing and getting ready. I was back up at 3:30, so I didn’t get much sleep which I’m feeling right now.

When we got here at 5:00 AM, the check-in lady informed us that there had been 4 deliveries already this morning (a lot for this hospital), so I had to wait until they had room/staff for me. Another lady came in to be induced as well and had to wait too.

They finally called us back at 6:30 AM. We did the paperwork and then went back and got settled in our room. I had my IV put in and answered some more questions. We were right in the middle of shift change by this time, so we actually had three different nurses in here. We brought them all a couple dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts, so they all loved us :)

The nurse checked me and I’m still 2 cm dilated. They then called my doctor and got the orders to start my pitocin. My contractions are getting up to “8” at times, so I’m feeling them! My fantastic nurse informed me that I can have my epidural whenever I want it and she’s in the process of super hydrating me in preparation for it.

My sister and the kids will be here in about ½ hour and everyone else will be following shortly after.

I will keep updating as things progress :)

Tomorrow's The Big Day!!!

As I was driving into work this morning, I realized that tomorrow morning we would be making the same drive tomorrow morning. Only tomorrow there won’t be any traffic, because it will be 4:30 in the morning. It will be pitch black. We will be both nervous and excited as we make our way to the hospital.

Tomorrow’s the big day! Am I ready? Nope, not yet :) The car seat is now put together…we just have to get the base into the car. I will pack our bags today when I get home from work. I will get the presents for the kids ready then as well (I got my daughter a set of newborn twin dolls and a doctor’s kit for them, and my son some coloring stuff and some magnet-toys he loves). I have my manicure and pedicure appointments at 4:30 today :)

But I’m definitely ready to be done being pregnant! I’m sick of being so big! So wish me luck and please keep me in your prayers. I pray that this epidural works just as good as the past two have, and that it’s a fast labor and delivery.

I am planning on posting live updates throughout the morning, so feel free to stop by periodically tomorrow…you’ll be able to find out what this little baby is and how big it ended up being :)

It's a Good Thursday!

I’m in such a good mood right now! I just had my last real meeting for work, and hubby gave me the Mama Mia soundtrack, which I listened to the whole way to work and am listening to right now :) There’s just something about musicals that put me in a good mood!

Last night was gymnastics for my daughter. She was doing fantastic jumps on the beam! I felt bad for her though, because she is by far the smallest girl in the group, and they were doing stuff on the high bar and on the rings, and you have to lean way over to grab those things and she was just too short! The teacher would have to come over each time and help her out. But once she got on them she had a blast! She even rung the bell for the first time because she did something new (they get to ring a bell when they do something by themselves for the first time and everyone in the gym claps for them).

Afterwards my sister and her boyfriend came over to play with the kids so that we could run to the store and then sort through some baby clothes. They were such a huge help! Hubby and I got through a bunch of stuff and thankfully the car seat has now been brought out and was washed and is currently drying. So we’re getting closer to being ready (I mean come on, we still have 42 hours until we have to be at the hospital…plenty of time, right?).

Now off to finish my work so that I can be ready to get out of here at 1:30 tomorrow!!!

Gender Predictions and Thoughts...

People often ask me what I think this baby is (boy or girl). Or they ask me what I hope it is.

With my daughter, I had a very strong feeling she was a girl. But even when people asked me what I thought it was I said I didn’t know. And I desperately wanted a girl…but I never told anyone that…because I was scared that if it turned out to be a boy, people would think I was sad or unhappy, which would not be the case at all. And I was scared to be wrong. I mean come one, shouldn’t a mother have some idea about what gender her baby is? Even though I know that makes no sense, it’s what runs through my mind.

With my son, I had a very strong feeling he was a boy. When the doctor announced it was a boy I was not surprised at all. But again, I never told anyone this because I was scared to be wrong.

With this one I have a feeling what it is. I still don’t want to tell anyone because I’m still am scared to be wrong. Isn’t that weird? I mean really, who cares? But the weirdest thoughts I have are when people ask me what I would prefer. I think it’s a fair question, especially now since we have one of each.

When I think about which I would really prefer, another boy or another girl, my thoughts automatically say “girl.” But I honestly can’t figure out why. Another girl would mean a sister for my daughter, which I think is so important (not necessary, but would be very nice), but it would also mean another girl to take away the spotlight from my daughter. Another girl to steal my daughter’s stuff; girl fights and more of the drama that automatically comes with girls. And then my mind goes on to think about how much joy my son brings to my life. He’s my boy. Those huge brown eyes get me every time. He protects me and takes care of me. He’s so easy! He was such an easy sleeper and is so laid-back. He’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever laid eyes on!

So why is it that my thoughts still immediately say I want another girl? Before my son I chalked it up to the fact that girls were all I knew (I grew up with two sisters), and it scared me having a boy. But now that isn’t the case.

Oh well, I guess we’ll find out what it is in a few short days :) Anyone want to put in their guess as to what this baby is?

The Tradition is Back!

Last night was the start of Monday night football in our house. This weekly tradition started back when my daughter was just one, and has continued on since then. It was especially nice because my daughter’s school was closed due to the massive power outages our city is still experiencing, so she didn’t have to go to bed early.

Hubby gets the kids all ready for bed, and then they go down and pick out their snacks. They picked fruit chews and popcorn (and my son was super excited because he found a Hershey’s kiss too). They watched the popcorn pop in the microwave while hubby poured them some ginger ale (they get real pop!).

After the snacks are all ready we head over to the couch and watch football. Now I really don’t like football. I never have. So this has usually been my time to go off and do something by myself. And last night I had a huge task in front of me: Sorting through all the baby clothes in the basement to look for the coming home outfit and to be ready so that once we know what this baby is, we can wash all the corresponding newborn clothes.

But the kids were so cute as they watched the game, and I was in a lot of pain, so I sat down with them and had a blast! My son didn’t watch as much of the game as he played his own game of football. He was running and throwing so hard that he was sweating! He would play, and then run up and sit on the couch next to me so he could rest. It was so adorable!

So I didn’t get any of the clothes sorted. But I had a great time relaxing with the family and watching the kids have fun. Maybe I’ll get the clothes sorted tonight…:)

Our Last Weekend as a Family of Four!!!

What a weekend!

Friday I took a couple of hours off and headed home early. I spent some time with my mom, and then my son and I headed off to pick up my daughter from school. It was raining a little, so we had fun walking with our umbrellas :)

When my daughter came running out the door, she asked if her friend could come over to play (as she had previously done when I picked her up). I told her that I thought I would be running to the store, so then she asked if she could play over at her friend’s house. So basically my daughter ditched me! My son and I walked back home with an added backpack but without “sissy.” It wasn’t so bad though because my son and I played and read books together.

Hubby came home and we headed out to pick up my daughter and go to dinner! After dinner we headed to Babies R Us for the first time to really get stuff for this baby! The only thing I haven’t gotten yet is a diaper bag, but I looked at them! We got some new BPA-Free bottles (it stinks we have to throw all our old ones away!) and a new diaper genie thing. We were also having some problems with my son's carseat and moved him up to a booster seat. He looks so big now! And as an added benefit, it is so much easier to get him in and out of the car!!!

Saturday we woke up and really cleaned up the house. We were having a party for the USC game that night, so we went nuts cleaning and organizing the house. Hubby swore to me that I wouldn’t have to lift a finger to get ready for this party, and for the most part, he was right…everything I did was just because I wanted to (my scrapbook room desperately needed organizing!). We then ran some errands and came back to finish up before people got there.

The party was a blast! The guys played Wii, the girls hung out around the food and talked, and the kids played PERFECTLY together! We had a total of 8 kids and two babies, and there were absolutely no problems the entire night. It was so nice! It’s just too bad the Buckeyes did so horribly :(

Sunday, after church, my son and I took a nap and then one of John’s friends came over for a while. Around 3:00 the power started flickering on and off, which was really annoying, and then it finally went off around 4:00. We didn’t care too much as we headed over to hubby’s sister’s house for a birthday party for hubby’s uncle. The wind was absolutely crazy and his sister didn’t have power either. Luckily it was not raining, and still light enough that people were outside for a while, or just hanging out inside. We had a great dinner and had a good time hanging out with everyone.

We came home around 7:30 and there was still no power! I hate to say this, but I was really at a loss as to what to do! We took the kids outside for the last few minutes of daylight. For a while, the kids and I just sat on the porch and talked and played together. I had so much fun just listening to them…since there was absolutely nothing else I could do, I was forced to just sit, and I had such a good time! After it had been dark for a while, we came in and read some books by flashlight :)

Around 9:30 the kids went to bed and so did we. Thankfully, our power came back on around 3:00 AM, and I say thankfully because there are tons of people in this city that still don’t have power and may not have it for a week! Unfortunately my office has power, so off to work I went this morning :)

Appointment Update and Walking to School....

At my appointment yesterday my doctor told me that I’m scheduled to be at the hospital at 5:00 AM on the 20th!!! I’m so excited…one more week!

I’m also 2 cm dilated and tested positive for Group B Strep :( But that’s not a huge deal…just means antibiotics while in labor.

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I got to walk my daughter to school again. I have so much fun doing that! We walk a little bit and then we see some other neighbors walking and talk with them, and then it’s into school with hugs and kisses (which her little brother can’t get enough of) and then she’s into her classroom!

On the way out we see another neighbor and talk to her the whole way home. My son is doing tons of cute stuff the entire time (like informing us “I’m the leader”) and it’s such a pleasant walk that I’m sad that it’s over when we get back to the house. It also didn’t help that my son and the nanny were heading outside to play as I was leaving for work. I want to play outside in the gorgeous weather!!!

Preggo Update...

I’m miserable!!! I know, it’s not normal for me to complain, but right now there’s really nothing positive about my state (other than it’s going to end in 1 ½ weeks!).

I have another doctor’s appointment today where she should give me my induction time, and we should be all set!

My boss informed me yesterday that I’m waddling. Of course I know I’m waddling! But does it have to be announced at a meeting? She also announced that my face was getting puffy. Lovely. Luckily, I know that’s her personality (as does everyone else) and she really means well. At least now she told me I can wear flip-flops since none of my shoes were fitting because I’m swollen.

I’m not sleeping…I get up about 4 times per night to pee, and then I also wake up about 2 other times just to change positions. I get home and am absolutely drained. It doesn’t help that hubby is super busy at work and hasn’t gotten home until 7:30 and 8:30 the last two nights.

I’ve totally checked out of work. I feel bad, but my head and heart are just not into working. I’m more concerned with trying to keep myself from falling asleep or making up a plan to steal pitocin from a hospital to get this baby out on my own.

Yesterday I actually was productive (personally of course…remember, work is not on my mind!). I ordered a few shirts to wear after I have the baby, along with a few pieces of winter clothing for the kids. I also ordered the new bumper for the crib. And I made my manicure and pedicure appointments for the day before I have the baby. See? I got a lot done :)

So that’s where I’m at. I’m ready. But at the same time, I’m a little sad when I think about the fact that this weekend is the last weekend for our currently little family. My kids have no idea how life is going to change for them (this would be the benefit to having kids close together and young…my daughter is so set in her routine that this is really going to shake her up!). This is our last weekend as a family of four.

I can’t believe how fast the past 37 weeks have gone by!

Weekend Recap

What a good weekend!

Friday night hubby took my son to one of our local high school football games, so my daughter and I had a special girls’ night. We went and picked out a special movie (she picked the Muppets Wizard of Oz because she’s dying to see the Wizard of Oz and I won’t let her because I think it’s way too scary for her), and then we headed to the grocery store and picked out ice cream and pop!

We settled in with our ice cream (which I made her eat right from the container like a big girl :) ) and watched the movie. The boys came home just as it was ending, so the timing couldn’t have been better!

Saturday, hubby and I headed off to the OSU vs. OU game. For those of you that don’t know, we are huge Buckeye fans. However, we also have LONG family tradition of attending OU, so we headed out dressed in our Bobcat gear and met up with a bunch of family members who also went to OU. I honestly thought they were going to get slaughtered, but they actually led the game for three quarters! I mean come on, OSU was number 3 in the nation! But the Buckeyes picked it up and ended up winning, which is good because we really are Buckeye fans and want them to do well.

After the game we headed over to a party at my uncle’s and had a great time hanging out with my cousins. The kids were a riot and had a blast playing cornhole with each other!

Sunday we went to church and then came home and took a nap! I have been so exhausted lately and I desperately needed that two hour nap :) After that I went grocery shopping and actually picked up some items for this baby that will be here in less than two weeks :) I got some diapers and diaper cream…pretty good things to have, don’t you think? I am shocked by how much prices have increased just since I had my son! A can of formula was $20 when I had my kids, and now it’s up to like $26.50! Good thing I nurse and don’t have to worry about paying that (although I do use some formula, so it will hit us a little).

After that we went to a park and had a little picnic until it was dark. We had fun, and for the first time (and probably the last now) we were able to sit at a table and watch the kids, instead of having to be right there with them as they played. Moments like that make me wonder why on earth we were crazy enough to have another one :) But don’t worry, I’m seeing all these pictures of newborns and I even got to hold one last week and I’m so very excited!

Now it’s back to work. I do have to say that I’m totally wiped out. Just getting up in the morning and getting myself to work has been such a challenge. I’m not sleeping well (which is new for me…I never have a problem sleeping) and my mind has already checked out. But I’m counting down the days. And I know the 20th will be here before I know it!

It's Not Just About ME...

With my first pregnancy I found a great message board that I was a part of… “Due in May 2003.” I learned a lot from the moms that already had kids and was able to voice my fears about being a first time mom. With my second pregnancy I viewed the “Due in June 2005” board, but I never participated, because honestly, I couldn’t handle all the dumb questions and wacko answers that were being thrown around.

With this pregnancy I again found a set of boards, “Due in October 2008” and have lurked there for a while. I swear the people have gotten even crazier and even more full of drama. But there was a post yesterday that really set me off, so I thought I would talk about it here, where I’m allowed to be apparently in the minority.

This poor lady who was about to be a first time mom asked a question about “FTM (first time mom) snobbiness.” She said that a really good friend and coworker just had her baby and fell off the face of the earth. No e-mail to let everyone know everything was OK, and completely ignored this lady’s calls, e-mails and texts. The only reason she knew that the lady had the baby was because she had posted something on her facebook. Almost every comment that came in told this lady “just wait until you have your baby, you’ll lock yourself in your house too,” or “when I had my baby, I turned off all my ringers and ignored everyone for three weeks” and so on.

I’m honestly shocked by this. I understand that having a baby as this huge deal that takes such a toll on your body and that you need so much rest right away, but to go to these extremes? Give me a break! I’ve been through this twice now, and yes, it’s not easy to pop a baby out, but I also know that life goes on! And especially with other little ones at home…I can’t act like my life is hanging on by a thread just because I had a baby. And I also know that there are definitely circumstances where these actions might be necessary…but these women responding were talking about normal births with no absurd complications.

And the thing that really got me was the cutting off everyone from the outside world. Personally, I have had so many people supporting me through this pregnancy. People ask me everyday how I’m feeling, how the baby’s doing. This isn’t just about me…there are many people on this journey with me! So how rude it would be of me to just shut them out the first few weeks…I think some of them are almost as excited as I am about this baby!

So while I understand people have different thoughts, I personally don’t want to be left alone when I have this baby. I love all the visitors in the hospital. I love the visits at home. I love the meals that have been lovingly prepared for me during those first few weeks. I just produced a fantastic little life, and I want to brag about it and show the world!

So you had better believe I will have pictures up right away. And if you live by me, feel free to stop by…while I might be moving a little slower, my life will be continuing on as normal!

Making Progress...

I had my 36 week appointment yesterday…yippee!!!

You know what that meant??? My first internal exam (not so yippee, but at least I got to see if I was progressing at all).

According to the doctor I am “a good 1 cm dilated and the baby’s head is really low.”

Yippee!!!! That means no c-section!!!

She is also going to schedule my induction and will let me know what time I need to go in on the 20th at my appointment next week.

So we’re on our way!!!

On a completely separate topic, today was my day to take my daughter to school. I love these mornings! I get to sleep in a little and then spend some good time with the kids as we eat breakfast and get ready for school. A super bonus about today was that hubby had finished with a client close to home and surprised us and came home to walk her to school too! So we really had some fantastic family time this morning.

First Day of Kindergarten!

This is my baby. However, it does not appear that she is staying my baby. No, my baby had her first day of Kindergarten on August 22nd.

She has been so excited to start school. So when the day came, she of course was up way before she needed to be. She didn’t have to be there until 10:00, so we were able to hang out and play and leisurely get ready for her first day. Hubby and I had of course taken off work as we were supposed to go with her for orientation for an hour.

We took her pictures and then walked her to school. One of the things I love most about our house (and the main reason we chose to build here) is the fact that the elementary school and middle school are right here in our neighborhood. So it literally only takes us five minutes to walk from our door to the front door of the school.

When we got there, the parents sat with their child as the teacher ran through some paperwork. We then helped our child with their school supplies, and then, sadly for us, it was time to leave. My daughter had no problem saying “goodbye.” She was more than ready!

It was weird, because now I had five hours with just my son, and it felt like someone was missing the whole day. I can definitely see how stay-at-home-moms long for school to start…to have some time either by yourself or with a reduced number of children has got to be a welcomed break after a full summer!

My daughter goes to school all day Tuesdays and Thursdays, and then Friday afternoons. I wasn’t sure what I thought about that schedule since every other district around here does either half-days or full day Kindergarten. But now? I love it! I love the fact that she doesn’t go to school on Mondays…it’s hard enough getting hubby and myself back into the work-week routine without having to worry about getting her ready for school as well. I also love that she gets a break every-other-day…she seems to really need that. It also helps on days like today where her allergies are really bad and I don’t have to worry about “should I send her to school or not.” It’s also nice because hubby and I have decided to take her to school here in the beginning. So he takes her Tuesdays and I take her Thursdays. I can’t wait until I’m on maternity leave and can take her and pick her up everyday!

On Tuesdays she has music and computers, on Thursdays she has gym and art, and then on Fridays they have library time. Every day she comes home happy and telling us she had so much fun! So far she has packed her lunch everyday, even though she knows that I’ve filled her school lunch debit card and she can buy her lunch anytime she wants to.

So yes, unfortunately my baby is growing up…but at least she’s having a lot of fun doing it and still makes me so proud every single day!