Unfortunately Colton didn't show enough improvement when we were in the observation unit so they admitted him to the hospital last night. His test for RSV came back positive, while the whooping cough one was negative. We are in the infectious disease unit with a nice big room with our own bathroom and a decent TV, so we really can't complain :)
Last night was a good night for the little guy, but now he's fussy and coughing again :( We're hoping to go home today, but we'll have to wait and see what the doctor says.
The most encouraging thing throughout all of this is seeing how much love and support our friends and family are offering. The number of people praying for us and Colton is amazing, and I can't believe how many people have said to us "what can I do to help?" We have people offering to come and sit with him if we need a break, to bring us anything we might need, and just coming to hang out with us. I'm excited because my sister actually works here and will be stopping by for a visit sometime today (she also came by last night for a while).
So we wait and see, and hopefully Colton is through the worst of this and will be able to go home soon!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Not How I Thought I Would Be Spending My Weekend...
Josh and Ryan have both had bad colds, so when Colton started coughing last Sunday I didn't think anything of it (other than feeling really bad for my poor little guy). All week he has had this horrible cough, and he gets in coughing fits where he can't stop, and he's choking on mucus. His eating and wet diapers have slowed down tremendously as well. So yesterday I called the doctor and they told me to bring him in. The pediatrician listened to his chest for a long time and told me that she wanted me to bring him down to the ER because she was concerned that there was the beginning of pneumonia and he had lost 6 oz from the previous week. So I went home and got John and the kids and we headed downtown.
Since he has a cough and it could be whopping cough, we got in fairly quickly and given a room so that we could be separated from everyone else. We sat in that little room for about an hour and a half without anyone besides registration coming in. The kids were going nuts and bouncing off the walls, nevermind the fact that it was 1:30 and we still hadn't eaten lunch yet. Finally, around 1:45 there was a knock on the door and I thought the doctor was finally going to come in...WRONG! It was our neighbor! She said she was taking the kids for us. I swear that was one of the sweetest things ever done for us! My parents happened to be in a work-thing all day, so we really thought we were stuck with them. So they left and shortly after doctors and nurses started coming in. We saw a nurse who goes to our church, so she came in and talked to us for a little bit, and then another surprise, our pastor knocked on the door! It was nice during this time to have so many people surrounding us with prayers and love.
They decided that Colton needed an IV and tested him for RSV. That came back negative at 6:30 and they said that we needed to stay overnight with him in the observation unit. So we packed up our stuff and moved over to a nicer room that was bigger, had TV, and most importantly, cell phone reception!
The kids stayed with my parents and John and I both stayed with Colton last night. He went back to the coughing fits which stunk, but the nurse was able to suction out a lot of gunk numerous times throughout the night. This morning I headed over to watch Kylie's gymnastics meet while John stayed with Colton.
Right now we're just waiting on the results of the whooping cough test and the other viral tests to see if we can go home or have to stay another night.
He's being a good sport throughout the whole thing and doesn't really cry too much. It just breaks my heart to hear him cough and see his IV in his arm :(
Since he has a cough and it could be whopping cough, we got in fairly quickly and given a room so that we could be separated from everyone else. We sat in that little room for about an hour and a half without anyone besides registration coming in. The kids were going nuts and bouncing off the walls, nevermind the fact that it was 1:30 and we still hadn't eaten lunch yet. Finally, around 1:45 there was a knock on the door and I thought the doctor was finally going to come in...WRONG! It was our neighbor! She said she was taking the kids for us. I swear that was one of the sweetest things ever done for us! My parents happened to be in a work-thing all day, so we really thought we were stuck with them. So they left and shortly after doctors and nurses started coming in. We saw a nurse who goes to our church, so she came in and talked to us for a little bit, and then another surprise, our pastor knocked on the door! It was nice during this time to have so many people surrounding us with prayers and love.
They decided that Colton needed an IV and tested him for RSV. That came back negative at 6:30 and they said that we needed to stay overnight with him in the observation unit. So we packed up our stuff and moved over to a nicer room that was bigger, had TV, and most importantly, cell phone reception!
The kids stayed with my parents and John and I both stayed with Colton last night. He went back to the coughing fits which stunk, but the nurse was able to suction out a lot of gunk numerous times throughout the night. This morning I headed over to watch Kylie's gymnastics meet while John stayed with Colton.
Right now we're just waiting on the results of the whooping cough test and the other viral tests to see if we can go home or have to stay another night.
He's being a good sport throughout the whole thing and doesn't really cry too much. It just breaks my heart to hear him cough and see his IV in his arm :(
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Colton Turns 1 Month...
On February 11, 2011, Colton turned 1 month old. This past month has absolutely flown by...I can't believe how fast it went. It doesn't help that I have been so busy with work and still trying to fit in school activities and normal household chores.
Here are his 1 month stats:
Weight: 11 lbs. 5 oz (81%)
Height: 23 inches (87%)
Head: 37 3/4 cm (41%)
Right now he has his first cold, thanks to his big brothers :( But I can't complain, over the past month we have been through a lot of sickness, including dibilitating stomach aches, and he has missed all of those, so hopefully we'll get through this one and only cold.
As for me, I put on "real" clothes this past week for the first time and it was extremely depressing :( I'm about where I was with Ryan at this time, so it's "normal" for me, but it's still depressing! I have about 25 lbs. to lose, and hopefully I'll be able to do it quickly! I do need to get on the ball though! This week is my postpartum check-up with the doctor, so it's a good week to go and join the YMCA and get moving!
Here are his 1 month stats:
Weight: 11 lbs. 5 oz (81%)
Height: 23 inches (87%)
Head: 37 3/4 cm (41%)
Right now he has his first cold, thanks to his big brothers :( But I can't complain, over the past month we have been through a lot of sickness, including dibilitating stomach aches, and he has missed all of those, so hopefully we'll get through this one and only cold.
As for me, I put on "real" clothes this past week for the first time and it was extremely depressing :( I'm about where I was with Ryan at this time, so it's "normal" for me, but it's still depressing! I have about 25 lbs. to lose, and hopefully I'll be able to do it quickly! I do need to get on the ball though! This week is my postpartum check-up with the doctor, so it's a good week to go and join the YMCA and get moving!
Monday, February 07, 2011
Colton's Birth Story...
It has definitely been proven, based on the fact that Colton is almost one month old, that life with 4 kids is extremely busy…so busy that I am just now sitting down to write out his birth story!
So the night of January 10th John, the kids, my parents, my sister and her husband and I headed to Red Robin for our “last hurrah” dinner. It was a great dinner and my sister gave me and the kids our presents. She got “the baby” a stuffed monkey (she always gets each child a special stuffed animal) and an awesome swaddle blanket. She got the kids each a water bottle with their name on it, and continuing her tradition (NOT PURPOSELY) she got Kylie a “Kyle” cup :)
After dinner we headed home and John’s parents were there waiting for us. They were spending the night at the house so that someone was there with the kids between the time we went to the hospital and the time our nanny got there. We all hung out a while, the kids went to bed, and then I finished packing. John’s mom and I also went through each of the kids’ baby books comparing stats and trying to predict how this baby would stack up. John started working on our picture cards – we were planning on having cards made with the baby’s name on them and taking a picture of each person who visited us in the hospital holding “the baby” to put on the card. Unfortunately it took John a long time to get it right. We also finally decided on our names and spelling: Colton Joseph and Peighton Joanne.
I finally went to bed around 11:30, but I was so nervous I just couldn’t fall asleep. I finally did fall asleep around 12:15. Ryan woke me up around 3:15 and I never fell back asleep. I was never nervous with the other kids, so this was so strange! I got out of bed around 3:50 and got ready and packed up.
We got everything loaded up and finally left the house at 5:10. John prayed before we left, just like he has done for each of the kids, and it was sad knowing this was the last time. We drove through Krispy Kreme to pick up some donuts for the nurses. We checked in at the hospital and everyone was so nice! They had a room ready for us, but no nurse, so we went and waited in the waiting room until a little before 6:30.
They took us back and I changed into the gown and they tried to give me my IV. Unfortunately she had to try twice, but I got through it. They asked me the usual million questions and finally we were ready to rock. We kept looking out the window because the first large snow storm of the year was supposed to hit that day. And it wasn’t supposed to start until around 9:00 AM. The nurse hooked the Pitocin up and we were on our way.
After about an hour the nurse checked me again and I hadn’t really made any progress, so she upped the Pitocin. About an hour later I got my epidural because they were going to break my water. Now, the whole reason I was going to change hospitals was because this hospital made the husband leave the room during the epidural. I ended up staying at this hospital because I loved everything else about it. We told our nurse this as John was getting ready to leave the room, and she told us to hang on and she would talk to the anesthesiologist (who she said was super laid-back). Sure enough, when they both walked into the room, he said that John could stay with me! From then on everything was a piece of cake :) John held my hand while I squeezed the life out of it and after a few minutes I was good to go! We could not stop thanking our wonderful nurse and the anesthesiologist! After that they broke my water…all clean fluid! That was just before 10:00 AM…
The snow had started falling and the nurse checked me a little after 11:30 and I was 6 CM. She decided it was time for my doctor to be called to come in because she knew it would take a little bit with the storm. I also decided that my nanny and dad should get the kids around 12:15 and bring them over. This was the beginning of my stressing…I had two sets of people that HAD to get here before this baby decided to get here :) My nurse turned down the Pitocin so that I wouldn’t progress too quickly.
½ hour later I was feeling pressure and my epidural was wearing off a little. I was having some pretty bad back pains. I got another dose of my epidural, and my nurse checked me and I was 9 ½ CM!!! I was freaking out because not only was my doctor and my kids not there yet, John had gone downstairs with his parents to get lunch! I asked my nurse if there was a chance that I would have this baby without my doctor and she said “yes!”
Right after that my doctor walked in! I was so happy! Right after that, John walked in! So out of all the people I wanted to be there, the two most important people were there :) Shortly after that John looked out the window and saw my dad and the nanny and the kids pull in the parking lot. I instantly felt at ease. The nurse had me do a practice push and had me stop quickly. She told me no practice was necessary as this baby was going to fly out! It was 1:00 at this point. My doctor finished getting “suited up” and we jokingly said how cool it would be if the baby was born at 1:11 on 1/11/11. She told us she was totally cool with waiting. So we just hung out and chatted…John, my doctor, my nurse, the baby nurses and me. Finally at 1:06 my doctor had me push again and told me to stop it was too early. So we timed the contraction and at 1:10 and 30 seconds I started pushing. The head came out fairly quickly and then I started pushing like the dickens and nothing. My first thought was the time…I knew that I only had so much time to get my 1:11, so I tried harder. Then my thoughts went to the fact that it wasn’t safe for the baby to be stuck like that, and I tried harder. But that stubborn baby wouldn’t budge. My doctor told my nurse to get on top of me and for another nurse to get the vacuum, but just as they started doing that, my doctor told them that she had gotten it, and the baby slid out. All I remember of those 2 minutes was pushing like I had never pushed before and thinking that I might not be able to do this. I remember John pushing me and telling me I could do it, and when the baby finally came out, I remember falling backwards out of pure exhaustion, and John looking over at my with a huge smile on his face telling me “it’s a boy!” Everyone immediately began commenting on how big he was, and I could tell he was huge! I had known it all the time, and yet people still doubted me :) The worst part about the whole thing was that the clock had switched over to 1:12 just 10 seconds before he was born, so he was almost born at 1:11 on 1/11/11, but instead, actually born at 1:12 PM on 1/11/2011.
They put Colton on my chest, but I was so worn out I don’t remember much of it. They took him over to evaluate him and when it was time to weigh him, I couldn’t wait to see the scale. When they put him on it, the weight jumped over 10 lbs., but then settled at 9 lbs. 9.5 oz. His length was 21 ½ inches – a truly huge baby! His whole face was so bruised from the traumatic birth – I felt so bad for him!
One of the best parts of the deliver was when my doctor was finishing up and told me that I didn’t have any tears and no episiotomy was necessary. I’m still in shock that I delivered such a big baby without tearing! After everyone was cleaned up, we brought the kids in to meet their new little brother. Kylie was upset it was a boy, but she did a great job hiding it. John told me later that he pulled her aside and talked to her. He told her it was OK to be upset (and I later told her that I was disappointed too…another little girl would have been wonderful) but that God gave us another little boy for a very special reason, and we needed to remember that.
The kids went out and Kylie told everyone it was a boy. Then everyone that had been out waiting came in to see me – my dad (my mom had to teach), John’s parents and John’s sister Jamie. Shortly after that a couple from church visited us and prayed with us, which was really nice.
After waiting the mandatory 1 ½ hours we headed up to our postpartum room, which, but pure coincidence, was room 311 :) We watched the nurse give Colton his first bath and evaluate him. I just couldn’t get over how purple his face was :( After the bath and everything, the kids went back to the house and my sister came over to visit me. She also went and got me my standard Big Mac meal from McDonald’s, including a very large Diet Coke :)
My sister ended up staying with me until about 10:15 that night. It was super nice because John went back to the house to help get the kids ready for bed, so I wasn’t alone. My brother-in-law came over and hung out for a while too. John brought us dinner (to eat at 9:30 :) ) and we had a great night.
The first night we actually sent Colton to the nursery that first night because since he was born so quickly, he didn’t get all of the fluid pushed out of his lungs, so he would gag on it a lot as his body was trying to get rid of it and it scared me. So I got a good night’s sleep that first night :)
The next day we had some visitors and John and I were able to just sit and relax. The kids were at school/with our nanny and we got to just enjoy Colton. The hospital is my favorite part of having a baby, so I was trying to relish every second, knowing it would be my last time :( Unfortunately we were not able to get Colton circumcised because he has a vascular lesion, so our pediatrician wants us to see a pediatric urologist to have it done. We have an appointment scheduled for the end of this month…
Colton has really been a great baby so far…he usually gives me 4 or 5 hour stretches at night between feedings, and recently I’ve been able to get him to sleep in his bassinette (as opposed to his bouncy seat). He LOVES to be swaddled, so usually if I swaddle him up, he’ll go into a sleep coma and I’m able to get some things done. Thankfully, since I didn’t tear or need any stitches, I have been fine since the day I got home. I really wasn’t sore hardly at all, and except for normal new-mom exhaustion, I have felt great!
I’m working during the first part of my maternity leave. Thankfully it’s all from home and I still have my nanny, so life is really good right now. The hardest part of having four kids right now is leaving the house I think. We have to get four kids dressed and coats on and into car seats, which can be exhausting! Thankfully Kylie and Josh can do everything themselves, but we still have to tell them when/what to do at times.
The time is going way too quickly. I can’t believe that Colton has been a part of our family for so long. I feel like he just got here, and I know it’s only going to get worse…
So the night of January 10th John, the kids, my parents, my sister and her husband and I headed to Red Robin for our “last hurrah” dinner. It was a great dinner and my sister gave me and the kids our presents. She got “the baby” a stuffed monkey (she always gets each child a special stuffed animal) and an awesome swaddle blanket. She got the kids each a water bottle with their name on it, and continuing her tradition (NOT PURPOSELY) she got Kylie a “Kyle” cup :)
After dinner we headed home and John’s parents were there waiting for us. They were spending the night at the house so that someone was there with the kids between the time we went to the hospital and the time our nanny got there. We all hung out a while, the kids went to bed, and then I finished packing. John’s mom and I also went through each of the kids’ baby books comparing stats and trying to predict how this baby would stack up. John started working on our picture cards – we were planning on having cards made with the baby’s name on them and taking a picture of each person who visited us in the hospital holding “the baby” to put on the card. Unfortunately it took John a long time to get it right. We also finally decided on our names and spelling: Colton Joseph and Peighton Joanne.
I finally went to bed around 11:30, but I was so nervous I just couldn’t fall asleep. I finally did fall asleep around 12:15. Ryan woke me up around 3:15 and I never fell back asleep. I was never nervous with the other kids, so this was so strange! I got out of bed around 3:50 and got ready and packed up.
We got everything loaded up and finally left the house at 5:10. John prayed before we left, just like he has done for each of the kids, and it was sad knowing this was the last time. We drove through Krispy Kreme to pick up some donuts for the nurses. We checked in at the hospital and everyone was so nice! They had a room ready for us, but no nurse, so we went and waited in the waiting room until a little before 6:30.
They took us back and I changed into the gown and they tried to give me my IV. Unfortunately she had to try twice, but I got through it. They asked me the usual million questions and finally we were ready to rock. We kept looking out the window because the first large snow storm of the year was supposed to hit that day. And it wasn’t supposed to start until around 9:00 AM. The nurse hooked the Pitocin up and we were on our way.
After about an hour the nurse checked me again and I hadn’t really made any progress, so she upped the Pitocin. About an hour later I got my epidural because they were going to break my water. Now, the whole reason I was going to change hospitals was because this hospital made the husband leave the room during the epidural. I ended up staying at this hospital because I loved everything else about it. We told our nurse this as John was getting ready to leave the room, and she told us to hang on and she would talk to the anesthesiologist (who she said was super laid-back). Sure enough, when they both walked into the room, he said that John could stay with me! From then on everything was a piece of cake :) John held my hand while I squeezed the life out of it and after a few minutes I was good to go! We could not stop thanking our wonderful nurse and the anesthesiologist! After that they broke my water…all clean fluid! That was just before 10:00 AM…
The snow had started falling and the nurse checked me a little after 11:30 and I was 6 CM. She decided it was time for my doctor to be called to come in because she knew it would take a little bit with the storm. I also decided that my nanny and dad should get the kids around 12:15 and bring them over. This was the beginning of my stressing…I had two sets of people that HAD to get here before this baby decided to get here :) My nurse turned down the Pitocin so that I wouldn’t progress too quickly.
½ hour later I was feeling pressure and my epidural was wearing off a little. I was having some pretty bad back pains. I got another dose of my epidural, and my nurse checked me and I was 9 ½ CM!!! I was freaking out because not only was my doctor and my kids not there yet, John had gone downstairs with his parents to get lunch! I asked my nurse if there was a chance that I would have this baby without my doctor and she said “yes!”
Right after that my doctor walked in! I was so happy! Right after that, John walked in! So out of all the people I wanted to be there, the two most important people were there :) Shortly after that John looked out the window and saw my dad and the nanny and the kids pull in the parking lot. I instantly felt at ease. The nurse had me do a practice push and had me stop quickly. She told me no practice was necessary as this baby was going to fly out! It was 1:00 at this point. My doctor finished getting “suited up” and we jokingly said how cool it would be if the baby was born at 1:11 on 1/11/11. She told us she was totally cool with waiting. So we just hung out and chatted…John, my doctor, my nurse, the baby nurses and me. Finally at 1:06 my doctor had me push again and told me to stop it was too early. So we timed the contraction and at 1:10 and 30 seconds I started pushing. The head came out fairly quickly and then I started pushing like the dickens and nothing. My first thought was the time…I knew that I only had so much time to get my 1:11, so I tried harder. Then my thoughts went to the fact that it wasn’t safe for the baby to be stuck like that, and I tried harder. But that stubborn baby wouldn’t budge. My doctor told my nurse to get on top of me and for another nurse to get the vacuum, but just as they started doing that, my doctor told them that she had gotten it, and the baby slid out. All I remember of those 2 minutes was pushing like I had never pushed before and thinking that I might not be able to do this. I remember John pushing me and telling me I could do it, and when the baby finally came out, I remember falling backwards out of pure exhaustion, and John looking over at my with a huge smile on his face telling me “it’s a boy!” Everyone immediately began commenting on how big he was, and I could tell he was huge! I had known it all the time, and yet people still doubted me :) The worst part about the whole thing was that the clock had switched over to 1:12 just 10 seconds before he was born, so he was almost born at 1:11 on 1/11/11, but instead, actually born at 1:12 PM on 1/11/2011.
They put Colton on my chest, but I was so worn out I don’t remember much of it. They took him over to evaluate him and when it was time to weigh him, I couldn’t wait to see the scale. When they put him on it, the weight jumped over 10 lbs., but then settled at 9 lbs. 9.5 oz. His length was 21 ½ inches – a truly huge baby! His whole face was so bruised from the traumatic birth – I felt so bad for him!
One of the best parts of the deliver was when my doctor was finishing up and told me that I didn’t have any tears and no episiotomy was necessary. I’m still in shock that I delivered such a big baby without tearing! After everyone was cleaned up, we brought the kids in to meet their new little brother. Kylie was upset it was a boy, but she did a great job hiding it. John told me later that he pulled her aside and talked to her. He told her it was OK to be upset (and I later told her that I was disappointed too…another little girl would have been wonderful) but that God gave us another little boy for a very special reason, and we needed to remember that.
The kids went out and Kylie told everyone it was a boy. Then everyone that had been out waiting came in to see me – my dad (my mom had to teach), John’s parents and John’s sister Jamie. Shortly after that a couple from church visited us and prayed with us, which was really nice.
After waiting the mandatory 1 ½ hours we headed up to our postpartum room, which, but pure coincidence, was room 311 :) We watched the nurse give Colton his first bath and evaluate him. I just couldn’t get over how purple his face was :( After the bath and everything, the kids went back to the house and my sister came over to visit me. She also went and got me my standard Big Mac meal from McDonald’s, including a very large Diet Coke :)
My sister ended up staying with me until about 10:15 that night. It was super nice because John went back to the house to help get the kids ready for bed, so I wasn’t alone. My brother-in-law came over and hung out for a while too. John brought us dinner (to eat at 9:30 :) ) and we had a great night.
The first night we actually sent Colton to the nursery that first night because since he was born so quickly, he didn’t get all of the fluid pushed out of his lungs, so he would gag on it a lot as his body was trying to get rid of it and it scared me. So I got a good night’s sleep that first night :)
The next day we had some visitors and John and I were able to just sit and relax. The kids were at school/with our nanny and we got to just enjoy Colton. The hospital is my favorite part of having a baby, so I was trying to relish every second, knowing it would be my last time :( Unfortunately we were not able to get Colton circumcised because he has a vascular lesion, so our pediatrician wants us to see a pediatric urologist to have it done. We have an appointment scheduled for the end of this month…
Colton has really been a great baby so far…he usually gives me 4 or 5 hour stretches at night between feedings, and recently I’ve been able to get him to sleep in his bassinette (as opposed to his bouncy seat). He LOVES to be swaddled, so usually if I swaddle him up, he’ll go into a sleep coma and I’m able to get some things done. Thankfully, since I didn’t tear or need any stitches, I have been fine since the day I got home. I really wasn’t sore hardly at all, and except for normal new-mom exhaustion, I have felt great!
I’m working during the first part of my maternity leave. Thankfully it’s all from home and I still have my nanny, so life is really good right now. The hardest part of having four kids right now is leaving the house I think. We have to get four kids dressed and coats on and into car seats, which can be exhausting! Thankfully Kylie and Josh can do everything themselves, but we still have to tell them when/what to do at times.
The time is going way too quickly. I can’t believe that Colton has been a part of our family for so long. I feel like he just got here, and I know it’s only going to get worse…
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
I Would Like To Introduce....
Colton Joseph Stickel
Born at 1:12 PM (that's a great story)
Weight: 9 lbs. 9.5 oz (yep, you read that right)
Length: 21.5 minches
I will post his birth story in a little bit, I just wanted to let everyone know that we are doing great and he's absolutely adorable!!
Born at 1:12 PM (that's a great story)
Weight: 9 lbs. 9.5 oz (yep, you read that right)
Length: 21.5 minches
I will post his birth story in a little bit, I just wanted to let everyone know that we are doing great and he's absolutely adorable!!
Updating...
Our nanny is going to get the kids from school at 12:15 because the storm is hitting us and we want to make sure they are here in time.
The nurse just checked me and I am 6 cm, so she has called my doctor in...we're all very worried about her getting here on time with all of the snow. The nurse has also turned down my pitocin so that I don't progress too quickly.
The nurse just checked me and I am 6 cm, so she has called my doctor in...we're all very worried about her getting here on time with all of the snow. The nurse has also turned down my pitocin so that I don't progress too quickly.
Everything going great!
Hubby here...
The epidural is now in and things are looking good. I will give another update shortly...
The epidural is now in and things are looking good. I will give another update shortly...
January 11, 2011...
So here I am...it's 7:50 AM on January 11, 2011 and I'm having a baby!
This morning Ryan woke up around 3:15 and I never went back to sleep (and this after going to bed at 12:15 AM!). So I got up around 3:50 and got ready. I made sure I ate breakfast before I left this time (in case I have a long day like I did with Ryan).
We left the house around 5:10 and went through Krispy Kreme (had to get the nurses some donuts!) and got to the hospital around 5:35. We checked in (super nice ladies up front), but they were really busy last night/early this morning, so we had to sit and wait for a nurse (they had a room ready for us, but no nurse).
They finally called us back at 6:20 and we got the process going. By 7:00 AM I was hooked up and medicine was flowing. The baby's heartbeat is staying around 140 which is where it's been this whole pregnancy, and I'm not really showing any signs of contractions yet. The plan is for me to get my epidural in an hour and then break my water then too. When the nurse checked me I was about 4 cm, so that's a good start!
My room set up is the same as the rooms when I had the boys, so I'm guessing boy based on that :) I am super excited to find out if our family will be evened out or if the boys will truly take over :)
This morning Ryan woke up around 3:15 and I never went back to sleep (and this after going to bed at 12:15 AM!). So I got up around 3:50 and got ready. I made sure I ate breakfast before I left this time (in case I have a long day like I did with Ryan).
We left the house around 5:10 and went through Krispy Kreme (had to get the nurses some donuts!) and got to the hospital around 5:35. We checked in (super nice ladies up front), but they were really busy last night/early this morning, so we had to sit and wait for a nurse (they had a room ready for us, but no nurse).
They finally called us back at 6:20 and we got the process going. By 7:00 AM I was hooked up and medicine was flowing. The baby's heartbeat is staying around 140 which is where it's been this whole pregnancy, and I'm not really showing any signs of contractions yet. The plan is for me to get my epidural in an hour and then break my water then too. When the nurse checked me I was about 4 cm, so that's a good start!
My room set up is the same as the rooms when I had the boys, so I'm guessing boy based on that :) I am super excited to find out if our family will be evened out or if the boys will truly take over :)
Monday, January 10, 2011
Our Last Weekend As A Family of Five...
This past weekend just flew by, as I knew it would.
Saturday night we had house church, which of course was super fun as always. One of the families in our house church is moving out to LA for a few months so it was our last one with them for a while. We will miss them a ton!
Saturday we got up and took Joshie to basketball practice. I told John that it was our last Saturday morning where we could sit all the kids at the table and have them eat breakfast by themselves and go about our own thing…the next practice would involve a little one that needs to be fed and changed, and then most likely changed again right as we’re heading out the door :)
So Joshie had a fun practice. He always has so much fun out there! We signed him up late, so the only session that had room was the older one (1st and 2nd graders). He holds his own no doubt and it’s neat because there is a kid from Kylie’s class that loves to play with him, so when they’re counting off, each week he strategically places himself where he and Josh will be on the same team. I think it’s so cool that it’s the 2nd grader trying to be with the Kindergartener and not the other way around as is most often the case.
After that we had to go and get Kylie’s friend a birthday present, and then it was home for lunch and naps. I headed out to get my nails done and pedicure (some of my customary pre-baby appointments), and then my parents took the boys to the train show while we took Kylie to her gymnastics meet. I wish my parents were camera people because I would have loved to see pictures of the boys, but at least I know they had so much fun there and I can’t wait to go with them next year!
John told Kylie on the way to her meet that if she got a 9.0 on anything, she could pick any restaurant to go to afterwards. I felt bad because that’s a lot of pressure for her second meet and you never know how a judge is going to score…I would rather have something like if she didn’t fall on beam or something like that.
So we sat through warm-ups (which was so uncomfortable for me…I was having contractions the whole time), and finally, it was time to start. Kylie’s team started on floor and she did a great job! Such a great job that she got a 9.0!!! So right off the bat she knew she got to pick where we got to go and eat :) She did great on her other events too…I think she got jipped on her vault score, but she didn’t seem to mind.
We headed out afterwards and she said she wanted to go to Olive Garden. So we went to one and the wait was horrible (and this was at 8:00 at night!), so we headed to another one. On the way there she said she’d rather go to Chick-fil-a, so we went there instead. It was so nice to have a night with just John, her and I.
Sunday we got up and went to church where everyone was so kind and supportive. I got so many congratulations from people and our pastor’s sermon was on change so of course we were used as an example of changes coming! Two very sweet ladies prayed over John and I after the service which meant so very much to me. I’m so thankful to be a party of such a wonderful and loving church family.
After church we took Kylie to the birthday party. I started doing all the chores that needed to be done around the house and then went to pick her up. I had promised her that before the baby came I would take her to the Bare Escentuals store so that we could play make-up together. So when I picked her up from her party we headed straight over there. She was so surprised! The lady did a great job with her and she looked so gorgeous! I got a make-over too and then we headed out to pick up some last-minute items for the baby and the house (i.e. diaper bag).
We spent Sunday night doing laundry, cleaning up and getting organized. I was so exhausted! But after the kids went to bed John and I were able to sit and watch some TV. He had put together the new bouncy seat and brought the swing up, so seeing them in the family room made everything so real. We can’t figure out why, but this time has been harder for us to accept as real. I think it’s because it went by so quickly, and now that the time is here, we’re trying to get used to the idea that there really will be a baby here in a day.
I will of course be blogging from the hospital like I did with Ryan. I just went back and read those posts and it was so neat to see my progression and relive that time. I can’t wait to be done being pregnant, but I’m also feeling nervous for some reason. My stomach has been in knots the past couple of days and I haven’t been sleeping that great. It doesn’t help that they are calling for a pretty big snow storm to hit us tomorrow. The day when family members will be traveling to see us and we have to bring the kids over and just the right time, etc. I just pray that everything goes smoothly and that I have a quick and easy labor and delivery!
Saturday night we had house church, which of course was super fun as always. One of the families in our house church is moving out to LA for a few months so it was our last one with them for a while. We will miss them a ton!
Saturday we got up and took Joshie to basketball practice. I told John that it was our last Saturday morning where we could sit all the kids at the table and have them eat breakfast by themselves and go about our own thing…the next practice would involve a little one that needs to be fed and changed, and then most likely changed again right as we’re heading out the door :)
So Joshie had a fun practice. He always has so much fun out there! We signed him up late, so the only session that had room was the older one (1st and 2nd graders). He holds his own no doubt and it’s neat because there is a kid from Kylie’s class that loves to play with him, so when they’re counting off, each week he strategically places himself where he and Josh will be on the same team. I think it’s so cool that it’s the 2nd grader trying to be with the Kindergartener and not the other way around as is most often the case.
After that we had to go and get Kylie’s friend a birthday present, and then it was home for lunch and naps. I headed out to get my nails done and pedicure (some of my customary pre-baby appointments), and then my parents took the boys to the train show while we took Kylie to her gymnastics meet. I wish my parents were camera people because I would have loved to see pictures of the boys, but at least I know they had so much fun there and I can’t wait to go with them next year!
John told Kylie on the way to her meet that if she got a 9.0 on anything, she could pick any restaurant to go to afterwards. I felt bad because that’s a lot of pressure for her second meet and you never know how a judge is going to score…I would rather have something like if she didn’t fall on beam or something like that.
So we sat through warm-ups (which was so uncomfortable for me…I was having contractions the whole time), and finally, it was time to start. Kylie’s team started on floor and she did a great job! Such a great job that she got a 9.0!!! So right off the bat she knew she got to pick where we got to go and eat :) She did great on her other events too…I think she got jipped on her vault score, but she didn’t seem to mind.
We headed out afterwards and she said she wanted to go to Olive Garden. So we went to one and the wait was horrible (and this was at 8:00 at night!), so we headed to another one. On the way there she said she’d rather go to Chick-fil-a, so we went there instead. It was so nice to have a night with just John, her and I.
Sunday we got up and went to church where everyone was so kind and supportive. I got so many congratulations from people and our pastor’s sermon was on change so of course we were used as an example of changes coming! Two very sweet ladies prayed over John and I after the service which meant so very much to me. I’m so thankful to be a party of such a wonderful and loving church family.
After church we took Kylie to the birthday party. I started doing all the chores that needed to be done around the house and then went to pick her up. I had promised her that before the baby came I would take her to the Bare Escentuals store so that we could play make-up together. So when I picked her up from her party we headed straight over there. She was so surprised! The lady did a great job with her and she looked so gorgeous! I got a make-over too and then we headed out to pick up some last-minute items for the baby and the house (i.e. diaper bag).
We spent Sunday night doing laundry, cleaning up and getting organized. I was so exhausted! But after the kids went to bed John and I were able to sit and watch some TV. He had put together the new bouncy seat and brought the swing up, so seeing them in the family room made everything so real. We can’t figure out why, but this time has been harder for us to accept as real. I think it’s because it went by so quickly, and now that the time is here, we’re trying to get used to the idea that there really will be a baby here in a day.
I will of course be blogging from the hospital like I did with Ryan. I just went back and read those posts and it was so neat to see my progression and relive that time. I can’t wait to be done being pregnant, but I’m also feeling nervous for some reason. My stomach has been in knots the past couple of days and I haven’t been sleeping that great. It doesn’t help that they are calling for a pretty big snow storm to hit us tomorrow. The day when family members will be traveling to see us and we have to bring the kids over and just the right time, etc. I just pray that everything goes smoothly and that I have a quick and easy labor and delivery!
Thursday, January 06, 2011
38 Week Appointment...
Weight: 166 lbs. (I was at a different office and have concluded the scales are slightly different)
Total weight gain of 48 lbs. Yikes!
BP: 122/80
HB: 140
Dilated: Still "a good 3 cm"
This was my last pregnancy appointment...EVER! I have to admit it was kind of sad. While I will never miss being huge and not being able to get around (and all the other "joys" of pregnancy), it is still so sad when a chapter in your life is ending, and for us, the chapter of child-bearing is definitely ending.
Everything is all set for next Tuesday morning. My doctor gave me a copy of my orders, as well as my customary copy of my chart to keep in the baby's box. I'm excited because starting tomorrow, our days are going to be filled (house church tomorrow night, basketball practice and Kylie's meet on Saturday, a birthday party for one of Kylie's good friends on Sunday) and they will go by so quickly! The only thing bothering me is that we still haven't decided on a girl name! We have it narrowed down, but we really have to make the final decision!
While I'm obviously done being pregnant (I'm so freaking miserable!), I'm trying to enjoy my last couple of days without a little one attached to me. When I get up in the middle of the night to pee I can go right back to sleep - I don't have to feed someone and hope they go back to sleep. My schedule does not revolve around a little person right now and I'm really trying to enjoy that. But I will be so glad to get my energy back. I hate that I can hardly carry Ryan upstairs anymore - it just takes too much out of me! I hate feeling like such a lazy person...I can't wait to get back to normal!
Total weight gain of 48 lbs. Yikes!
BP: 122/80
HB: 140
Dilated: Still "a good 3 cm"
This was my last pregnancy appointment...EVER! I have to admit it was kind of sad. While I will never miss being huge and not being able to get around (and all the other "joys" of pregnancy), it is still so sad when a chapter in your life is ending, and for us, the chapter of child-bearing is definitely ending.
Everything is all set for next Tuesday morning. My doctor gave me a copy of my orders, as well as my customary copy of my chart to keep in the baby's box. I'm excited because starting tomorrow, our days are going to be filled (house church tomorrow night, basketball practice and Kylie's meet on Saturday, a birthday party for one of Kylie's good friends on Sunday) and they will go by so quickly! The only thing bothering me is that we still haven't decided on a girl name! We have it narrowed down, but we really have to make the final decision!
While I'm obviously done being pregnant (I'm so freaking miserable!), I'm trying to enjoy my last couple of days without a little one attached to me. When I get up in the middle of the night to pee I can go right back to sleep - I don't have to feed someone and hope they go back to sleep. My schedule does not revolve around a little person right now and I'm really trying to enjoy that. But I will be so glad to get my energy back. I hate that I can hardly carry Ryan upstairs anymore - it just takes too much out of me! I hate feeling like such a lazy person...I can't wait to get back to normal!
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
A Very Heavy Heart for an Old Friend...
I had a really good friend in junior high (at church, not at school). Actually, there was a group of us that did so much together...we practically lived at church. We saw each other three times per week, went on missions trips together and of course tried to hang out outside of church as much as we could (it was hard because our church was huge and I lived 1/2 hour away from it, and most of my friends lived in the opposite direction).
Anyway, a few months ago I reconnected with this one friend on Facebook. I had read that she had moved out to Denver and had gotten married and had two adorable little boys. She posts quite frequently on FB and has a blog, so I always felt like I knew what was going on in her life. Her husband looked a lot like her, so their kids looked very much like both of them. Their family pictures were gorgeous - all with roughly the same hair color and such similar faces!
A couple of days before Christmas she had posted that her husband was sick and that Christmas was not going to be quite the same this year and she was bummed about it. I felt bad because I know how hard I tried to keep our family healthy over the holidays this year because being sick over Christmas sucks! And then on 12/23 I saw this FB post from her "my husband died in my arms this morning. I have no words."
I had to re-read that so many times because at first, my mind left out the "died" part, so I thought this was a post about how he was better and she could be with him (he had been quarantined). But then when I re-read it and computed what she was saying, I was hit hard. John just happened to come upstairs by the computer at this time and I told him...my heart was so heavy. This is something that happens to other people, not people I know. This is something that happens to older people, not a girl that is just a few days older than me and to a couple that has been married about the same amount of time as John and I. How could this happen?
I read her blog post this morning about that horrible morning for her, and I cried. Right here at my desk at work, I cried. I started to think about how I would react in that situation...if John collapsed on me. He is my rock...he is the strong one of the family...I can't even imagine what I would do if the person that was the one who held us up and took care of us suddently needed to be saved.
So hug your husbands/wives a little tighter today, and tomorrow, and the day after, because you really never know when it might be your last hug. And please pray for my friend Tricia...I'm sure she needs so many prayers right now.
Anyway, a few months ago I reconnected with this one friend on Facebook. I had read that she had moved out to Denver and had gotten married and had two adorable little boys. She posts quite frequently on FB and has a blog, so I always felt like I knew what was going on in her life. Her husband looked a lot like her, so their kids looked very much like both of them. Their family pictures were gorgeous - all with roughly the same hair color and such similar faces!
A couple of days before Christmas she had posted that her husband was sick and that Christmas was not going to be quite the same this year and she was bummed about it. I felt bad because I know how hard I tried to keep our family healthy over the holidays this year because being sick over Christmas sucks! And then on 12/23 I saw this FB post from her "my husband died in my arms this morning. I have no words."
I had to re-read that so many times because at first, my mind left out the "died" part, so I thought this was a post about how he was better and she could be with him (he had been quarantined). But then when I re-read it and computed what she was saying, I was hit hard. John just happened to come upstairs by the computer at this time and I told him...my heart was so heavy. This is something that happens to other people, not people I know. This is something that happens to older people, not a girl that is just a few days older than me and to a couple that has been married about the same amount of time as John and I. How could this happen?
I read her blog post this morning about that horrible morning for her, and I cried. Right here at my desk at work, I cried. I started to think about how I would react in that situation...if John collapsed on me. He is my rock...he is the strong one of the family...I can't even imagine what I would do if the person that was the one who held us up and took care of us suddently needed to be saved.
So hug your husbands/wives a little tighter today, and tomorrow, and the day after, because you really never know when it might be your last hug. And please pray for my friend Tricia...I'm sure she needs so many prayers right now.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Christmas 2010...
Our church had Christmas Eve service this year, which was new. In the past, there has been no service, and while the first year was difficult for me to get used to, I had begun to cherish the calm Christmas Eve we had grown accustomed to with nowhere that we had to rush off to. So this year was a little difficult as we had to plan our day around the 4:30 service.
But once I was there, I remember why it was hard to get used to not having a service. Seeing everyone dressed up (our church is normally fairly casual) and wishing everyone a “Merry Christmas” was enough to put anyone in the Christmas spirit. I had some great hot chocolate and the kids sang “Silent Night” while signing it, and Kyle was part of a reading. I was so content.
And then our pastor started preaching, and my mind began to wander back to that night over two thousand years ago. I’m pregnant. Very pregnant. And for the first time, I’m very pregnant over Christmas. I thought about what it was like for Mary to make that long journey on a donkey while very pregnant. I thought about Mary having to give birth in a setting other than a controlled environment (like a hospital!) – I say this because John has adamantly reminded me over and over again that we’re not sure where she actually gave birth, only that they had to spend the end of the night in the stable. I thought about how she laid him in a manger, and I wouldn’t dream of having anything rougher than the carpet touch my newborn, and yet there was probably hay all around baby Jesus. There were animals around Him…imagine that today…wild animals around a newborn??? And yet that’s how Jesus came into this world, and He was here to save us. While the service was very light-hearted and wonderful, the magnitude of the thoughts that went through my head were very heavy. Thankfully the event ended with some great news about a friend and the overall cheeriness that comes with Christmas.
As we were driving home I realized that our big dinner that we had planned (prime rib, green beans and potatoes) would take 2 hours to make and we would not be eating until 8:30, and then by the time we did all of our other Christmas Eve rituals, we and the kids would not be getting to bed until really late. So I ran out and got KFC and we had a great, fast dinner :)
After dinner the kids opened presents from my sister and from John and I (their annual PJs), and then they quickly went to bed. John, Suzie and I went to work finishing up everything we needed to finish and then heading to bed ourselves. John and I continued with our tradition of opening each other’s presents before we went to bed. I had gotten John some clothes and other things, and he handed me my present. He has been getting me new knives each year to add to my collection. But I knew this year he didn’t feel like getting me knives (which I was OK with because I have enough to cook anything I need to cook). We had talked about getting a new camera because we had talked to a camera shop and were told that instead of putting more money into lenses for our camera, we should get a new camera because technology had improved so much in the 7 ½ years since we had gotten our camera. But I knew that was a huge expense and I told him that we should wait. So when he handed me his little present, I was relieved to see one little box. It was a flash for my camera. My biggest complain about my fabulous camera is that it doesn’t take very good pictures in low light, so I was excited to get a flash! We then got ready for bed and as the lights went off and I started to watch a little TV, John handed me another present…it was a flash card. He told me and he was reaching under the bed again “you’re going to need a new one of those for this” and he handed me two more boxes. These boxes contained a new camera and a new lens. While I was “upset” at his trickery, I was so excited and so happy. For me, while I love getting new things, even creating a Christmas wish list was hard…I don’t need anything, and I’m so content with what I have been blessed with, so while this was an incredibly wonderful present, it was also hard for me to swallow and accept. After playing with the camera for a few minutes, we finally went to sleep :)
I woke up at 3:30 in the morning (about 2 hours after going to bed) to John leaving the bedroom and telling our two little santa-watchers that they had to get off the couch and go back to bed. That’s right, Kylie and Josh had planned on sitting on the couch and just looking at their presents under the tree until we got up the next morning. Thankfully, they did go back to sleep, but only for 3 more hours :(
Christmas morning started with me putting some fruit together for breakfast, and Kylie and Josh “patiently” waiting for Ryan to wake up so they could start opening presents. Finally around 7:30 we let the kids wake Ryan up and we started opening presents. Kylie opened her big present first – an iPod touch. Even as I write this she is having so much fun playing with it with her friend that happened to get one for Christmas too. Joshie got a new bike and a basketball hoop for the basement and some little golf stuff. Ryan got a lot of Woody and Buzz toys.
After we opened presents we played with the presents :) We also cleaned up the house, getting ready for John’s family who was coming over in the evening. Then we all got ready and headed over to my sister’s house for brunch and more presents.
When we got to Cindy’s house, the girls all immediately started cooking. We made sausage, bacon, hash brown casserole, omelets and tator tots. It took us a while (we were doing omelets in boiling water and I put too many bags in at once), but it was a great lunch and it was fun eating with everyone.
After lunch we all opened presents. Again, it was so apparent how extremely blessed we are. The kids got things they wanted off their lists, and I got some great things too, ranging from cooking items to gift cards to Sephora. John got his gas card and beer, which while it was kind of a joke (he had e-mailed everyone telling us there was no need for a list, just get him a gas card and beer), he truly loved it! He also got some gift cards to his golf store so that he can get some new clubs this spring. I loved giving away all of the gifts I have been gathering for people over the past month.
After opening the presents we had to load up and head home. As soon as we got home, John’s parents arrived and we hung out with them while also getting everything ready for dinner. John’s sisters arrived shortly after and it was so nice to sit and talk and watch the kids play with their cousins. John’s parents gave the kids their presents – they got Kylie a Kindle, which they had told us a while ago so it was fun to finally see her reaction and talk about it with her! They gave Josh a tire swing and some other little things, and he and Ryan got a tiny little air hockey game and they love it! They got Ryan some books to go with the Tag system and some games for his “DS.”
After a while we ate dinner and then we did our flash mob. We had practiced this a couple of nights before and it turned out great except for the fact that John’s dad got up and started dancing with us! We did it to “We Are Family” and we had a whole “routine” planned out. But as soon as the first one started dancing, his dad joined right in. The whole thing turned out really well and we had fun!
After that it was time for the gift exchange. We had all drawn names so we exchanged those gifts and then everyone hung out some more. The majority of the people didn’t end up leaving until around 11:00.
So, even though I’m hugely pregnant and miserable 90% of the time, it was a fabulous Christmas! Now I get to enjoy this whole week home with my great kids. I’m sure there will be lots of playdates (already have two scheduled), as well as lots sitting around and relaxing :)
But once I was there, I remember why it was hard to get used to not having a service. Seeing everyone dressed up (our church is normally fairly casual) and wishing everyone a “Merry Christmas” was enough to put anyone in the Christmas spirit. I had some great hot chocolate and the kids sang “Silent Night” while signing it, and Kyle was part of a reading. I was so content.
And then our pastor started preaching, and my mind began to wander back to that night over two thousand years ago. I’m pregnant. Very pregnant. And for the first time, I’m very pregnant over Christmas. I thought about what it was like for Mary to make that long journey on a donkey while very pregnant. I thought about Mary having to give birth in a setting other than a controlled environment (like a hospital!) – I say this because John has adamantly reminded me over and over again that we’re not sure where she actually gave birth, only that they had to spend the end of the night in the stable. I thought about how she laid him in a manger, and I wouldn’t dream of having anything rougher than the carpet touch my newborn, and yet there was probably hay all around baby Jesus. There were animals around Him…imagine that today…wild animals around a newborn??? And yet that’s how Jesus came into this world, and He was here to save us. While the service was very light-hearted and wonderful, the magnitude of the thoughts that went through my head were very heavy. Thankfully the event ended with some great news about a friend and the overall cheeriness that comes with Christmas.
As we were driving home I realized that our big dinner that we had planned (prime rib, green beans and potatoes) would take 2 hours to make and we would not be eating until 8:30, and then by the time we did all of our other Christmas Eve rituals, we and the kids would not be getting to bed until really late. So I ran out and got KFC and we had a great, fast dinner :)
After dinner the kids opened presents from my sister and from John and I (their annual PJs), and then they quickly went to bed. John, Suzie and I went to work finishing up everything we needed to finish and then heading to bed ourselves. John and I continued with our tradition of opening each other’s presents before we went to bed. I had gotten John some clothes and other things, and he handed me my present. He has been getting me new knives each year to add to my collection. But I knew this year he didn’t feel like getting me knives (which I was OK with because I have enough to cook anything I need to cook). We had talked about getting a new camera because we had talked to a camera shop and were told that instead of putting more money into lenses for our camera, we should get a new camera because technology had improved so much in the 7 ½ years since we had gotten our camera. But I knew that was a huge expense and I told him that we should wait. So when he handed me his little present, I was relieved to see one little box. It was a flash for my camera. My biggest complain about my fabulous camera is that it doesn’t take very good pictures in low light, so I was excited to get a flash! We then got ready for bed and as the lights went off and I started to watch a little TV, John handed me another present…it was a flash card. He told me and he was reaching under the bed again “you’re going to need a new one of those for this” and he handed me two more boxes. These boxes contained a new camera and a new lens. While I was “upset” at his trickery, I was so excited and so happy. For me, while I love getting new things, even creating a Christmas wish list was hard…I don’t need anything, and I’m so content with what I have been blessed with, so while this was an incredibly wonderful present, it was also hard for me to swallow and accept. After playing with the camera for a few minutes, we finally went to sleep :)
I woke up at 3:30 in the morning (about 2 hours after going to bed) to John leaving the bedroom and telling our two little santa-watchers that they had to get off the couch and go back to bed. That’s right, Kylie and Josh had planned on sitting on the couch and just looking at their presents under the tree until we got up the next morning. Thankfully, they did go back to sleep, but only for 3 more hours :(
Christmas morning started with me putting some fruit together for breakfast, and Kylie and Josh “patiently” waiting for Ryan to wake up so they could start opening presents. Finally around 7:30 we let the kids wake Ryan up and we started opening presents. Kylie opened her big present first – an iPod touch. Even as I write this she is having so much fun playing with it with her friend that happened to get one for Christmas too. Joshie got a new bike and a basketball hoop for the basement and some little golf stuff. Ryan got a lot of Woody and Buzz toys.
After we opened presents we played with the presents :) We also cleaned up the house, getting ready for John’s family who was coming over in the evening. Then we all got ready and headed over to my sister’s house for brunch and more presents.
When we got to Cindy’s house, the girls all immediately started cooking. We made sausage, bacon, hash brown casserole, omelets and tator tots. It took us a while (we were doing omelets in boiling water and I put too many bags in at once), but it was a great lunch and it was fun eating with everyone.
After lunch we all opened presents. Again, it was so apparent how extremely blessed we are. The kids got things they wanted off their lists, and I got some great things too, ranging from cooking items to gift cards to Sephora. John got his gas card and beer, which while it was kind of a joke (he had e-mailed everyone telling us there was no need for a list, just get him a gas card and beer), he truly loved it! He also got some gift cards to his golf store so that he can get some new clubs this spring. I loved giving away all of the gifts I have been gathering for people over the past month.
After opening the presents we had to load up and head home. As soon as we got home, John’s parents arrived and we hung out with them while also getting everything ready for dinner. John’s sisters arrived shortly after and it was so nice to sit and talk and watch the kids play with their cousins. John’s parents gave the kids their presents – they got Kylie a Kindle, which they had told us a while ago so it was fun to finally see her reaction and talk about it with her! They gave Josh a tire swing and some other little things, and he and Ryan got a tiny little air hockey game and they love it! They got Ryan some books to go with the Tag system and some games for his “DS.”
After a while we ate dinner and then we did our flash mob. We had practiced this a couple of nights before and it turned out great except for the fact that John’s dad got up and started dancing with us! We did it to “We Are Family” and we had a whole “routine” planned out. But as soon as the first one started dancing, his dad joined right in. The whole thing turned out really well and we had fun!
After that it was time for the gift exchange. We had all drawn names so we exchanged those gifts and then everyone hung out some more. The majority of the people didn’t end up leaving until around 11:00.
So, even though I’m hugely pregnant and miserable 90% of the time, it was a fabulous Christmas! Now I get to enjoy this whole week home with my great kids. I’m sure there will be lots of playdates (already have two scheduled), as well as lots sitting around and relaxing :)
Thursday, December 30, 2010
37 Week Appointment...
BP: 104/70
Weight: 163 lbs. (I actually lost 2 lbs., and over Christmas no less!)
HB: 138 BPM
Dilated: "a good 3 cm"
I had a non-eventful appointment yesterday...my doctor is on vacation so I saw one of the other doctors, which I always hate, just because I love my doctor. I signed my induction consent, which was good :) We'll see what she does with me at my next appointment - last time she said that there's a possibility of her breaking my water in the office and sending me over, and with me dilating at least 1 cm each week I could see her doing that. It all depends, I think, on how worried about the size of the baby she is. We'll just have to wait and see :)
Weight: 163 lbs. (I actually lost 2 lbs., and over Christmas no less!)
HB: 138 BPM
Dilated: "a good 3 cm"
I had a non-eventful appointment yesterday...my doctor is on vacation so I saw one of the other doctors, which I always hate, just because I love my doctor. I signed my induction consent, which was good :) We'll see what she does with me at my next appointment - last time she said that there's a possibility of her breaking my water in the office and sending me over, and with me dilating at least 1 cm each week I could see her doing that. It all depends, I think, on how worried about the size of the baby she is. We'll just have to wait and see :)
Thursday, December 23, 2010
36 Week Appointment...
Weeks: 36
Weight: 165 lbs.
BP: 106/70
HB: 140 bpm
Dilated: Almost 2 cm and baby's head is low!
I had a great appointment yesterday! She was double-booked a it was her only day working this week, but she still took the time to sit and talk with me about our upcoming baby. Thankfully my body is getting ready to evict this little thing! When she checked me she said "the baby's head is nice and low, but you probably could have told me that" and she was right! I have had so much pressure and pain that I hope something was going on in there!
We have set an induction date, which is very nice...1-11-11!! So if nothing happens sooner, I will go in that morning to have my baby...less than three weeks away!!!
Weight: 165 lbs.
BP: 106/70
HB: 140 bpm
Dilated: Almost 2 cm and baby's head is low!
I had a great appointment yesterday! She was double-booked a it was her only day working this week, but she still took the time to sit and talk with me about our upcoming baby. Thankfully my body is getting ready to evict this little thing! When she checked me she said "the baby's head is nice and low, but you probably could have told me that" and she was right! I have had so much pressure and pain that I hope something was going on in there!
We have set an induction date, which is very nice...1-11-11!! So if nothing happens sooner, I will go in that morning to have my baby...less than three weeks away!!!
Thursday, December 09, 2010
34 Weeks...
I had my 34 week appointment yesterday...here are my stats:
Weight: 163 lbs (that means a 45 lb. weight gain so far)
BP: 110/70
HB: 145
I had heard from my sisters-in-law who had just delivered at the hospital that I normally deliver at their husbands had to leave the room when they got their epidural. This is a huge deal for me because I HATE needles, and John really helps me through any shots/ivs that I need. So I talked to my doctor about it yesterday and she said that my hospital has had a lot of changes lately that really take control away from the doctors. The hospital now has policies on how much pitocin they will give, how long they will let you labor, etc. This really ticks me off because I want my doctor making those decisions, not a hospital that knows nothing about me! So We will be touring another hospital next week, and I'm thinking I might deliver there because my doctor said that they still let the doctor control everything. I talked to my friends last night and they all seemed to have good experiences at this other hospital, so I'm not too worried, but as with anything, change does stress me out a little.
But either way, I will have a baby in the next 4 - 5 weeks, which is really just freaking me out because I'M NOT READY!!! Yeah...still no girl names...
Weight: 163 lbs (that means a 45 lb. weight gain so far)
BP: 110/70
HB: 145
I had heard from my sisters-in-law who had just delivered at the hospital that I normally deliver at their husbands had to leave the room when they got their epidural. This is a huge deal for me because I HATE needles, and John really helps me through any shots/ivs that I need. So I talked to my doctor about it yesterday and she said that my hospital has had a lot of changes lately that really take control away from the doctors. The hospital now has policies on how much pitocin they will give, how long they will let you labor, etc. This really ticks me off because I want my doctor making those decisions, not a hospital that knows nothing about me! So We will be touring another hospital next week, and I'm thinking I might deliver there because my doctor said that they still let the doctor control everything. I talked to my friends last night and they all seemed to have good experiences at this other hospital, so I'm not too worried, but as with anything, change does stress me out a little.
But either way, I will have a baby in the next 4 - 5 weeks, which is really just freaking me out because I'M NOT READY!!! Yeah...still no girl names...
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Christmas Shopping...
I have great memories from when I was younger of going Christmas shopping. The malls were always decorated like crazy and there was loud Christmas music playing everywhere. I probably didn’t like being dragged from store to store when I was younger, but thinking back, the shopping was a huge part of Christmas.
Over the last couple of years I have tried to do as much online shopping as I can. With so many kids and working, I just don’t have the time and energy to drag everyone out and about and with free shipping deals, I often get better prices online. But I get sad that I miss, and that my kids are not experiencing the Christmas shopping.
So last night I decided that we needed to go to the mall. There were three things that I needed, and really, the only way for me to find them was to walk around the mall, so I thought this would be perfect! We loaded up the kids, dropped something off somewhere, and headed to the mall. I should also mention that I decided to do this on one of the coldest days/nights so far…the high yesterday was only 25 degrees, so I’m sure it was much colder at 6:30 last night.
The first thing we did was go to the food court and get Chick-fil-A for dinner. We had such a great dinner! We sat at a table way off with no one around us, and we all talked and watched the people shopping. I told John that I was so surprised at how empty the mall was for being this close to Christmas.
After dinner we started walking. I was having such great luck finding the gifts I needed (I needed 2 sets of white elephant gifts and I needed to get my “expecting” ornament for this year). We all went into the Apple store and all three of the kids played on everything. Josh planted himself in front of an i-Pad and played football the whole time, Kylie jumped between the i-Pods and computers, and Ryan just ran around and played with the computers.
When I was getting my ornament (which happened to be right by Santa), no one was waiting to see Santa, so he motioned for the kids to come over and even Ryan ran right up to him and jumped on his lap! We walked around some more, and the boys had a blast in a couple of sports-themed stores. Finally, around 8:20 we decided we should leave so that the kids could get to bed.
I told John on the way home that while I had a lot of fun, I was so disappointed in the “Christmas shopping experience.” There weren’t a whole lot of decorations, and I could barely hear Christmas music at times. And like I said, the mall was pretty much empty.
I know times are changing, and with the economy things are crazy, but it still stinks when re-enactments don’t live up to the memories.
Over the last couple of years I have tried to do as much online shopping as I can. With so many kids and working, I just don’t have the time and energy to drag everyone out and about and with free shipping deals, I often get better prices online. But I get sad that I miss, and that my kids are not experiencing the Christmas shopping.
So last night I decided that we needed to go to the mall. There were three things that I needed, and really, the only way for me to find them was to walk around the mall, so I thought this would be perfect! We loaded up the kids, dropped something off somewhere, and headed to the mall. I should also mention that I decided to do this on one of the coldest days/nights so far…the high yesterday was only 25 degrees, so I’m sure it was much colder at 6:30 last night.
The first thing we did was go to the food court and get Chick-fil-A for dinner. We had such a great dinner! We sat at a table way off with no one around us, and we all talked and watched the people shopping. I told John that I was so surprised at how empty the mall was for being this close to Christmas.
After dinner we started walking. I was having such great luck finding the gifts I needed (I needed 2 sets of white elephant gifts and I needed to get my “expecting” ornament for this year). We all went into the Apple store and all three of the kids played on everything. Josh planted himself in front of an i-Pad and played football the whole time, Kylie jumped between the i-Pods and computers, and Ryan just ran around and played with the computers.
When I was getting my ornament (which happened to be right by Santa), no one was waiting to see Santa, so he motioned for the kids to come over and even Ryan ran right up to him and jumped on his lap! We walked around some more, and the boys had a blast in a couple of sports-themed stores. Finally, around 8:20 we decided we should leave so that the kids could get to bed.
I told John on the way home that while I had a lot of fun, I was so disappointed in the “Christmas shopping experience.” There weren’t a whole lot of decorations, and I could barely hear Christmas music at times. And like I said, the mall was pretty much empty.
I know times are changing, and with the economy things are crazy, but it still stinks when re-enactments don’t live up to the memories.
Monday, December 06, 2010
A Great Weekend!
This past weekend was busy, but a lot of fun!
Friday night we had house church. Our topic was “discipline” and it was good hearing other parents talk about what they do with their kids and what we can all do to raise the kind of kids we want to raise. We had so much fun talking afterwards that a couple of the families didn’t leave until 11:30! I love it when people stay long…I always have so much fun hanging out with everyone!
Saturday I spent the day doing laundry and taking care of the kids. John had to work at Holidays in Powell, so it was just the kids and I all day. Around 3:00 the kids and I headed over to Holidays in Powell. The first thing the kids did was drop their letters off for Santa in the huge mailbox. Then we went in and they sat on his lap. We had been prepping Ryan for this for weeks and he told us that he was not going to cry and he was going to tell Santa exactly what he wanted for Christmas. But as it was our turn, and Mrs. Clause was talking to each of the kids, Ryan did not want to get out of the stroller! Josh sat on his lap first and talked to him, and then it was Ryan’s turn. Thankfully John came over from his booth and helped me out :) He had Santa play tug of war with the candy cane with Ryan and pretty soon Ryan was laughing. After that Ryan was comfortable enough to give him a hug and then sit there and talk to him. After that I got a picture of all three, and then Kylie sat on his lap.
Once we were done with Santa, we went into the craft room and the kids did a ton of crafts! It’s such a fun time…everything is free and the kids always have such a blast! After they were all done, we headed home and I fed the kids dinner and let myself sit down for a little bit.
John came home around 6:00 and we started getting ourselves and the kids ready. We had our house church date night and all the kids were going to one house where we had two baby-sitters lined up. Then the adults were heading out for a great dinner. The kids got showers/baths and put on/packed up their PJs and we headed out. The two sitters that we had are girls from church that the kids and parents absolutely LOVE! The one girl we had nanny for us a couple of weeks this past summer.
So the adults all headed out (there were 8 of us). The restaurant was really good (J. Liu’s)! The only downside was the seated at the table next to us right after we were seated were two women and 3 little kids (ranging in age from probably 5 months to 3 years). Of all the times and all the places! Of course I love kids, but when we are out for an adult dinner, I don’t want to sit next to toddlers throwing fits. And it’s weird because this was not a child-friendly restaurant, so I’m surprised they even brought them in there (besides the fact that it was 8:45 at night!).
After our two-hour dinner, we headed over to Jenni’s ice cream and had a great dessert. Our entertainment for the night was one of the guys pumping his French press coffee and then complaining about the pieces of coffee grounds in his cup. We were still joking about that at church the next day :)
We finally got the kids at 11:30 and they were so exhausted! We got up and went to church and then came home for Joshie’s first playdate with a kid from school. After his friend left we spent the afternoon cleaning up/cooking/relaxing. Our church was having a potluck dinner/play that night, so I had to make food for it.
We left before dinnertime and headed to church. The potluck was amazing, as usual! The food was fantastic and the kids were really easy this year (compared to prior years with Ryan in a stroller, etc.). I asked John what in the world we were thinking going back to a baby again when things were getting so easy! After dinner we headed into the Rec Center theater where our church had bought out a special performance of a one-hour special “A Christmas Carol Musical.” It was cute and the kids had a lot of fun!
Afterwards we headed home and the kids got ready for bed. John and I watched some TV and hung out with Ryan who was being cute as usual.
It was really a fun weekend and not too stressful! Hopefully the next couple weekends are the same way…I don’t want to let the stress of this time of year get to me :)
Friday night we had house church. Our topic was “discipline” and it was good hearing other parents talk about what they do with their kids and what we can all do to raise the kind of kids we want to raise. We had so much fun talking afterwards that a couple of the families didn’t leave until 11:30! I love it when people stay long…I always have so much fun hanging out with everyone!
Saturday I spent the day doing laundry and taking care of the kids. John had to work at Holidays in Powell, so it was just the kids and I all day. Around 3:00 the kids and I headed over to Holidays in Powell. The first thing the kids did was drop their letters off for Santa in the huge mailbox. Then we went in and they sat on his lap. We had been prepping Ryan for this for weeks and he told us that he was not going to cry and he was going to tell Santa exactly what he wanted for Christmas. But as it was our turn, and Mrs. Clause was talking to each of the kids, Ryan did not want to get out of the stroller! Josh sat on his lap first and talked to him, and then it was Ryan’s turn. Thankfully John came over from his booth and helped me out :) He had Santa play tug of war with the candy cane with Ryan and pretty soon Ryan was laughing. After that Ryan was comfortable enough to give him a hug and then sit there and talk to him. After that I got a picture of all three, and then Kylie sat on his lap.
Once we were done with Santa, we went into the craft room and the kids did a ton of crafts! It’s such a fun time…everything is free and the kids always have such a blast! After they were all done, we headed home and I fed the kids dinner and let myself sit down for a little bit.
John came home around 6:00 and we started getting ourselves and the kids ready. We had our house church date night and all the kids were going to one house where we had two baby-sitters lined up. Then the adults were heading out for a great dinner. The kids got showers/baths and put on/packed up their PJs and we headed out. The two sitters that we had are girls from church that the kids and parents absolutely LOVE! The one girl we had nanny for us a couple of weeks this past summer.
So the adults all headed out (there were 8 of us). The restaurant was really good (J. Liu’s)! The only downside was the seated at the table next to us right after we were seated were two women and 3 little kids (ranging in age from probably 5 months to 3 years). Of all the times and all the places! Of course I love kids, but when we are out for an adult dinner, I don’t want to sit next to toddlers throwing fits. And it’s weird because this was not a child-friendly restaurant, so I’m surprised they even brought them in there (besides the fact that it was 8:45 at night!).
After our two-hour dinner, we headed over to Jenni’s ice cream and had a great dessert. Our entertainment for the night was one of the guys pumping his French press coffee and then complaining about the pieces of coffee grounds in his cup. We were still joking about that at church the next day :)
We finally got the kids at 11:30 and they were so exhausted! We got up and went to church and then came home for Joshie’s first playdate with a kid from school. After his friend left we spent the afternoon cleaning up/cooking/relaxing. Our church was having a potluck dinner/play that night, so I had to make food for it.
We left before dinnertime and headed to church. The potluck was amazing, as usual! The food was fantastic and the kids were really easy this year (compared to prior years with Ryan in a stroller, etc.). I asked John what in the world we were thinking going back to a baby again when things were getting so easy! After dinner we headed into the Rec Center theater where our church had bought out a special performance of a one-hour special “A Christmas Carol Musical.” It was cute and the kids had a lot of fun!
Afterwards we headed home and the kids got ready for bed. John and I watched some TV and hung out with Ryan who was being cute as usual.
It was really a fun weekend and not too stressful! Hopefully the next couple weekends are the same way…I don’t want to let the stress of this time of year get to me :)
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Thanksgiving 2010...
This Thanksgiving was a wonderful and relaxing time! I decided to take off Wednesday, so I only worked two days last week, which was really nice since I hadn’t had a day off since the beginning of September. I had our nanny come a little later that day, and she got the kids breakfast while I made my shopping list and went grocery shopping. After that, Ryan went over to see my dad and the nanny took Kylie and Joshie to Chuck E. Cheese’s (she had promised them this before I decided to take the day off), while I did laundry and got the groceries organized.
I got a little bit of cooking done and before I knew it John had come home and my sister had arrived from Michigan. We ordered pizza and got to work on making noodles and the crust for the apple pies and getting the sticky buns ready. I actually got to bed at a decent time, which has never happened! I’m usually up pretty late cooking.
Thanksgiving morning I woke up and got ready to watch the parade. I put out a bunch of cut-up fruit as well as cooked the sticky buns. My sister ran in the turkey trot that morning, and as hard as she tried, she couldn’t convince John to join her (it was cold and rainy). After the parade, and after my sister got back, we started right in with all the cooking. We ended up eating dinner around 5:00 and it was fabulous despite some cooking snafus (but Suz and I pinky swore that we would never tell anyone about the burnt noodles and the quadrupled corn soufflé recipe :) ).
After dinner my other sister and brother-in-law came over. We ate dessert and played some games (catch phrase, rummy and BS (or “shenanigans” as we called it for the kids). We all crashed pretty hard that night!
Friday we hung out (there was no way I was going to go shopping after having been on my feet all day the day before), watched football and just played with the kids. We went to a sporting goods store to get Joshie a football that he has been wanting, and John left there making comments about what great deals they had. Apparently he really had no idea how great Black Friday was :)
That night we went over to John’s sister’s house for Thanksgiving on the other side of the family. The kids had a lot of fun playing football and playdough with their cousins.
Saturday was the Ohio State Michigan game, and my sister and I made our annual sweet potato chips. We LOVE these things and look forward to making them anytime we can! After the game I went out with my dad and got my poinsettias and candles and John brought up all the Christmas decorations. We got the tree up that night, but no decorations. The kids were disappointed, but we promised them that Sunday we would get everything done.
Sunday we had a communion service at church and then we came home and finished decorating the house. The kids got to play with the neighbors a lot, and it was just an overall relaxing day. Unfortunately my dad and Suzie had to head home late that afternoon :(
It was such a nice weekend and Monday was a hard adjustment! I had gotten used to going to bed late and sleeping in a little bit. But at least I know that in a few weeks I’ll have a whole week off for Christmas, and then 3 months off after that :)
Ryan playing "ipad" while we decorated for Christmas:
I got a little bit of cooking done and before I knew it John had come home and my sister had arrived from Michigan. We ordered pizza and got to work on making noodles and the crust for the apple pies and getting the sticky buns ready. I actually got to bed at a decent time, which has never happened! I’m usually up pretty late cooking.
Thanksgiving morning I woke up and got ready to watch the parade. I put out a bunch of cut-up fruit as well as cooked the sticky buns. My sister ran in the turkey trot that morning, and as hard as she tried, she couldn’t convince John to join her (it was cold and rainy). After the parade, and after my sister got back, we started right in with all the cooking. We ended up eating dinner around 5:00 and it was fabulous despite some cooking snafus (but Suz and I pinky swore that we would never tell anyone about the burnt noodles and the quadrupled corn soufflé recipe :) ).
After dinner my other sister and brother-in-law came over. We ate dessert and played some games (catch phrase, rummy and BS (or “shenanigans” as we called it for the kids). We all crashed pretty hard that night!
Friday we hung out (there was no way I was going to go shopping after having been on my feet all day the day before), watched football and just played with the kids. We went to a sporting goods store to get Joshie a football that he has been wanting, and John left there making comments about what great deals they had. Apparently he really had no idea how great Black Friday was :)
That night we went over to John’s sister’s house for Thanksgiving on the other side of the family. The kids had a lot of fun playing football and playdough with their cousins.
Saturday was the Ohio State Michigan game, and my sister and I made our annual sweet potato chips. We LOVE these things and look forward to making them anytime we can! After the game I went out with my dad and got my poinsettias and candles and John brought up all the Christmas decorations. We got the tree up that night, but no decorations. The kids were disappointed, but we promised them that Sunday we would get everything done.
Sunday we had a communion service at church and then we came home and finished decorating the house. The kids got to play with the neighbors a lot, and it was just an overall relaxing day. Unfortunately my dad and Suzie had to head home late that afternoon :(
It was such a nice weekend and Monday was a hard adjustment! I had gotten used to going to bed late and sleeping in a little bit. But at least I know that in a few weeks I’ll have a whole week off for Christmas, and then 3 months off after that :)
Ryan playing "ipad" while we decorated for Christmas:
Aunt Suzie and Joshie during the OSU/Michigan game:
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
A Very Special Day for Joshie...
A very monumental thing happened on Saturday night…Joshie asked Jesus into his heart!
I’ve been talking to Joshie for about a year now, explaining Heaven and hell and what you need to do to go to Heaven, but then the conversation would just end…he would never ask any follow-up questions. This Sunday was communion service at church, and so we talked to him about it again on Sunday. First I talked to him, and it was so reassuring that he knew all the answers to my questions, but again, no follow-up. Then later, John took him upstairs and that’s when it happened.
He was so cute about it and so happy. We called Kylie in and he told Kylie “I’m going to Heaven” and Kylie had a puzzled look on her face and then said excitedly “he did it?” Then she told us that when he first said it, she thought he meant he was going to Heaven right now. She was so happy for him! She’s always been so worried about him and Ryan, no matter how many times I assure her that they are still babies, and if anything were to happen to them, they would still go to Heaven.
So Joshie took his first communion on Sunday and I was so proud of him!
I’ve been talking to Joshie for about a year now, explaining Heaven and hell and what you need to do to go to Heaven, but then the conversation would just end…he would never ask any follow-up questions. This Sunday was communion service at church, and so we talked to him about it again on Sunday. First I talked to him, and it was so reassuring that he knew all the answers to my questions, but again, no follow-up. Then later, John took him upstairs and that’s when it happened.
He was so cute about it and so happy. We called Kylie in and he told Kylie “I’m going to Heaven” and Kylie had a puzzled look on her face and then said excitedly “he did it?” Then she told us that when he first said it, she thought he meant he was going to Heaven right now. She was so happy for him! She’s always been so worried about him and Ryan, no matter how many times I assure her that they are still babies, and if anything were to happen to them, they would still go to Heaven.
So Joshie took his first communion on Sunday and I was so proud of him!
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