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Hello again! I didn’t want to leave you hanging so here is part 2 of Hunter’s birth story. If you missed it you can find part 1 here! We left off with Brian and I driving to the hospital it get checked and see if I was really in labor.

Now, the hospital is only 10 minutes from our house and in the time it took to drive there I had two contractions. My biggest fear at this point was that it wasn’t true labor and they wouldn’t omit me. I was also a little scared because these contractions were pretty painful and if this wasn’t real labor I didn’t want to know what was! I also had two contractions from the time it took to walk from our car to the 5th floor of the hospital.

We checked into Labor and Delivery and found out that the midwife I had been seeing, Tracy, was on call but would be done at 7:00am (it was now about 5:00am). They led us to a room and the nurse told me she could tell that I was having a lot harder time getting through the contractions than I did when she talked to me on the phone. She said that because I was over due I would definitely be omitted no matter where I was at in the labor, I was definitely going to have this baby! Tracy checked me and I was 4cm dilated and 100% effaced. Quite the change from Wednesday and she was pleased. After that things got a little blurry. They officially omitted me and got an IV going. Then the next shift of nurses took over and I met Amanda and Connie the two women who would help me bring this baby into the world.

Immediately they guided me through contractions helping me to focus and breath. I knew these ladies were going to be awesome when I got a little panicking about having a blood draw (since I usually faint when I feel normal) and Amanda grabbed my hand and had me tell her about our baby’s room. She knew just what to say to keep me calm and focused.

I told them I was having pain in my back when I contracted so they suggested I get into the big Jacuzzi tub. It felt pretty good to be in the warm water with the jets but the contractions were getting more and more painful. I don’t know how I knew how to do this but I started making low moaning tones each time I had one. I had read that contractions were like strong menstrual cramps. Uh…..no! Much more painful. They definitely felt like waves of pain, I could start to feel one come on and it would build to almost an unbearable level and then come back down. I labored alone for awhile in the tub. At one point Brian came in with tears in his eyes. He said it was so hard to know that I was in so much pain and not be able to do anything about it. I reassured him that this was pain with purpose and I would get through it. Amanda came in and did some guided imagery with me and also massaged my back. The contractions were still very painful but it helped me to get through each one.

Now, I had never said that I wanted an undedicated birth. I didn’t know how labor would feel or what my pain tolerance was. My “plan” was to see how I felt and then decide if I wanted or needed some type of help. After laboring in the tub for about two hours I asked Amanda if I could be checked and possibly get an epidural because I didn’t know how much longer I could handle the pain. She said sure.

I got out of the tub and into the bed. I’m not even sure how far a part the contractions were but I remember it was hard to move or do anything once they hit. Connie checked me and said joyfully that I was 9cm dilated and assured me I was having this baby soon. At this point it was 9:00am. They even started getting “the cart” out which they said meant we were close. Knowing that it would be soon I thought I could do it without the epidural and I think at that point it was too late to get one any way. The midwife, Carlene, who actually grew up in the neighborhood next to mine, came in to check me. She said yes I was at 9cm but I could tell by her face that it would be awhile before I moved on to the next stage of labor…pushing.

Wow! Despite the craziness that living with a newborn is we are managing to get into some semblance of routine, even allowing me to write this post that has been floating around in my head for almost a week.

When I was pregnant I enjoyed reading about other people’s birth stories since giving birth was something I had never experienced. A warning that I am about to share some of the gory details so if reading about labor and delivery is not your thing I suggest you stop reading and come back another time Mainly I want to write this post for myself so that I can try and remember what an amazing experience bringing a life into the world was so if you care to share in the journey read on!

It’s actually really hard for me to believe that a week ago I technically went into labor. If you recall I had visited the midwife on Wednesday and had my membranes stripped. I woke up Thursday and went about my normal routine. If I recall, I went to the YMCA and swam 20 laps, did some light cleaning at home, relaxed in front of the TV while knitting, and read for a few hours. I remember that the cramping had gotten stronger and what I thought were Braxton Hicks contractions also were stronger and felt a little different. Yet, I still didn’t really think it was labor. Brian came home, cooked me dinner and my mom even stopped by to drop a few things off. I remember that while she was here a few of the contractions felt pretty uncomfortable and all I wanted to do was sit down.  Brian and I watched our favorite Thursday night shows and he even went out to get ice cream so we could have ice cream sundaes. At one point while we were watching TV he looked over at me and said, “Are you ok? You don’t look so good.” I was pretty casual about it and said, “I’m fine just one of those “fake contractions” were a little strong.

We went to bed kind of early because honestly I wasn’t feeling too well. Well, I absolutely could not sleep the contractions were getting more uncomfortable and I even found myself breathing through them. I kept an eye on the clock and realized they were coming about every 5-7minutes. At one point I got up to use the bathroom and thought that my water had broken. It was about 11:00pm on Thursday so we decided to call the hospital and chat with a nurse. She suggested taking a bath and if it was real deal the contractions would continue to get stronger and if it was false labor they would slow down. Well, they got stronger. I tried to sleep, I tried to lay on the couch and at one point I was overcome with pain. It was now about 4:00am Friday morning. We called the nurse again and she suggested coming in. I  clearly recall shutting our back door looking back at our dog Izzy looking confused and distraught in her kennel and thinking that my life was about to change forever! Stay tuned for part 2!

Hey friends! Just thought I’d pop in for a quick on while Hunter sleeps. There are so many things that I want to write about! Like Hunter’s birth story. Delivering a baby was seriously an amazing experience and I hope I can remember all the feelings and drama I went through and share some of it with you. I also want to write about these first few days adjusting to life with a newborn. It is REALLY overwhelming and I feel like for right now my whole world consists of this new little human I’m in charge of and my husband. Because of adjusting to this “new normal” when I do get a moment of free time I know that I NEED to sleep so eventually I will get around to writing these posts. For now here are some photos from our first few days with Hunter James. I will say that I am most overwhelmed by the amount of love I feel for my son. My heart is overflowing!

Skin to skin contact and the AMAZING labor and delivery nurse Amanda who helped me through delivery!

Our new family, just minutes old!

Getting weighed!

Baby feet!

First bath!

Proud Grandparents!

Jon and Raina’s first nephew!

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers! We are so happy Baby Sneaker is finally here!

Well, it seems we have made some progress! The midwife said I am 1 almost 2cm dilated and 75% effaced which she said was good progress from last week! He was able to strip my membranes and she said one of three things could happen. 1. Nothing, 2. I could start having contractions but not be in labor, 3. I could go into labor. Since my appointment I have definitely felt more cramping but this is normal, I definitely don’t think it’s labor…yet. Everything looked good on the ultrasound, so good that I didn’t need the fetal non-stress test. The plan for now is, if I haven’t gone into labor by Friday I will go back for another ultrasound and to be checked by the midwife. If all looks good at that appointment we will repeat the same procedure Monday. For sure I will be induced on Tuesday if I haven’t gone into labor on my own since they don’t like pregnancies to go beyond 42 weeks. Technically I guess I could argue my case that my due date is wrong  and have them let me go longer BUT honestly I am ready to have this baby! Even based on my calculations he will be 40 weeks so all will be well.  It is good to have a plan and at least an end in sight. The midwife felt like I would go into labor on my own and I hope that she is right. Well, that’s all for now! Stay tuned!

Well, here’s a post I never thought I’d have to write! I was hoping to be sharing adorable pictures of our little guy by now but instead here’s what you get!

Honestly, I don’t physically feel that awful. Sure I’m big, uncomfortable, and tired but nothing I can’t handle. I even swan 25 laps today! Mentally though it’s a little frustrating. I just can’t wait to meet this little guy. Every day I wake up thinking, “Could this be the day??” Then I go to bed at night thinking, “Guess not!” Of course it’s hard to make plans and I don’t want to travel too far from home just in case I do go in labor. It hasn’t been too bad keeping myself occupied and I really don’t mind people asking me how I’m doing, it’s good conversation. Of course I get to hear everyone’s suggestions for how to get labor started. Not gonna lie, I have tried a few of them! I know in my head that he has to come out SOMETIME but maybe once a day I get a little emotional just wondering when and how it’s going to happen. Then I remind myself that due dates are just estimates. Actually if you remember correctly they changed my due date based on how I was measuring at my first midwife appointment. Not to go into too much detail since goodness knows who reads this (hi mom and dad and people form church ) but I was charting my cycles in order to increase my chances of pregnancy and based on my last cycle my due date was actually February 24th. According to the computer software I used it estimates I could have the baby between February 14th and March 5th. So, I guess we are right in the middle of that! Tomorrow I go into the clinic where I will get and ultrasound, have a fetal non-stress test, and see the midwife. If everything looks ok I’m sure they will let me go a little longer on my own but I also fully expect them to talk about and maybe even schedule an induction. I would prefer to go into labor on my own. I am not against medical intervention during labor especially if it is what is best for me and the baby BUT I also believe that my body will know what to do, plus I have also heard that medicine used for inductions can make labor more painful which might mean I need more pain intervention.

What will be will be! No use worrying about it! For now I am enjoying my time off. In fact I picked up my knitting needles again and have already started working on a Halloween costume for our little guy.

Yoda Hat

Yoda Sweater

Fun stuff! I’ll be sure to be back tomorrow with an update!

Hi there friends! As I’m sure you can tell due to my frequent posting I am still waiting on baby and finding ways to spend my time!

For most of my pregnancy I had hardly any desire to cook. Oh sure, Brian and I would sit down and meal plan and I would pick some night to cook and have him pick some of my stand by recipes for me to make. What I really had no desire for was seeking out new recipes and trying them. I’m sure I bookmarked and starred a few recipes here and there during the last nine months but I can hardly remember making anything new and exciting and I certainly didn’t blog about it!

Well, I don’t know if I am “nesting” or just trying to find ways to occupy my time but I have been on a cooking spree lately and it’s all thanks so the latest and hottest social network Pinterest.  I actually joined Pinterest awhile ago when I read about it on Angela’s blog but no one I really knew was on it and I don’t why but it felt strange to follow complete strangers. It seems that lately though all my Facebook “friends” have been joining and posting so of course I’ve been “pinning” with the best of them. I find it a great source of inspiration for recipes, knitting ideas, and home care/cleaning ideas. If you’re on Pinterest follow me! And if you’re not, I highly recommend checking it out. I have two boards dedicated to recipes one where I pin recipes I’d like to try and  I just created a new board of recipes from Pinterest that I have tried and liked! Here are a few I’ve tried in the last couple of weeks and what I thought about them.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

I made a few changes to the original recipe. Instead of gorgonzola cheese on top I used blue chees. I also omitted the green onions and cilantro as a topping. Instead of panko bread crumbs I just used regular bread crumbs. This recipe was REALLY good and kind of unique. Brian does not like regular mace and cheese (I know, what if wrong with him?) but he was willing to give this a try and he loved it too! There were kind of a lot of steps involved in making this (and a lot of dishes) but I wouldn’t say it was particularly hard to make. It also made a TON we both had pretty big servings, and maybe even seconds and ate it for lunch a couple of days. I wouldn’t say this is a healthy recipe and I suppose you could use low-fat cheese but I just wanted to follow the recipe. I did use whole wheat pasta and served it with veggies, that’s healthy right?

No Bake Energy Bites

These little guys were SUPER easy to make. I actually made them about a week ago thinking they would be a good snack to take to with us to the hospital. Good thing I froze half of the batch. The recipe said you could use a variety of different add ins but I just kept it simple and stuck with the original ingredients. I did have a little trouble getting them to stick together. I think it is because I used all natural peanut butter (actual ground peanuts from the Co-Op) which are a little oily and maybe less sticky. I just added a little more honey and kept the dough in the fridge a little longer. These are a great quick bite before a yoga class or a swim  or just for a little snack. They also taste pretty good right out of the freezer (I know because this one came right out of freezer and into my mouth after the photo).

And tonight I made Chicken Crescents

Oh my! These were so good and so easy! Again, probably not the healthiest but definitely tasty and the perfect comfort food! You could probably healthify it by using low-fat crescent roles, low-fat cheese, and low-fat cream of chicken soup.  My only complaint is that I thought I cooked 2lbs of chicken and shredded it but I had a TON left over since you can’t fit too much in a crescent role. And I’m pretty sure I didn’t use two whole cups of cheese. I only bought one package of crescent roles because that’s what the recipe called for. I don’t really think you could have fit many more in the baking dish.  Guess we’ll have to come up with something else to make with it!

Just some fun and easy recipes to end the weekend! Enjoy! Here’s to hoping we’ll meet our little guy this week!

Hi there! Guess what? Still pregnant! Now that I am officially on maternity leave I bet you are wondering just exactly what I am doing with ALL my free time (or maybe you don’t care ). Well, I obviously have more time to blog so I’ll tell you! I’m sure it will be good to look back at this entry to see “the calm before the storm!”

I have been doing A TON of reading!

Honestly, I can’t even tell you the last time I read this much, especially since the last two and half years I’ve been in grad school and most of the reading I did was for class. I read in the morning when I wake up too early (I’ve been waking up at 5am or earlier lately!) and don’t want to get out of bed yet. Brian can usually find me reading in the afternoon and I read before I go to bed. I get all my books at the library. I don’t have a Nook or Kindle.  I debated getting one since once the little one comes I don’t know if I’ll have time to go to the library but I didn’t really want to spend the money on the item or the books and I wasn’t sure how many books you could “borrow” from the library on those devices. Maybe some day. My new favorite author is Diane Chamberlain. Her books are really page turners! I highly recommend her as an author!

Another great FREE resource from the library, DVDs.

Even though we have Netflix on demand I thought I’d get some chick flicks for when Brian is at work.

I’ve also been doing a little cooking and “precooking.”

Yesterday I made some Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili. I read on Stephanie O’Dea’s  blog (one of my go to blogs for crockpot recipes) that, “when you chop up 0ne onion you might as well chop up 10!” She suggested that when you prepare a recipe in the crock pot you should double up on the ingredients and put the second half in a gallon size freezer bag. Then you freeze the ingredients to make at another time. I added all the ingredients to the bag except for the broth, since I didn’t have enough and I think it’s easy to just add at the time of cooking. Now I have a meal all ready to go for when the baby comes!

I also washed up and sterilized baby bottles, pacifiers and the components of my breast pump. I plan on nursing but I figured just case I have trouble doing it I should have everything else prepared.

Yes, those are the tubes to the breast pump hanging from my cupboard handle, thanks to the suggestion of my sister-in-law Julie! Also, how do you like my “grass.”

My friend Becky who had a baby in August gave this to me as a shower gift. Yesterday when I was washing stuff up I said, “Where am I going to put all this stuff?” And Brian said, “Get the grass!”

I also try and get out of the house at least once day, usually to exercise and maybe run a small errand or two. Helps me from going stir crazy! It also forces me to shower and put on “real” clothes otherwise I might stay in pajamas all day long!

I try not to watch too much TV because it’s really easy for me to get sucked into some dumb mindless shows and I’d rather watch shows or movies I really want to watch when Brian gets home.

So, that’s what I’ve been up to! I know shortly that I will look back on these quite days following my own agenda with fondness but I still CAN NOT wait to meet our little guy!

Hello again! Still no baby! Trying to find things to keep me busy but not exhaust me! Hence this post!

I thought I would share with you some of the things that have helped me get through my pregnancy, my pregnancy “must haves” if you will!

First up, this guy!

This picture was taken at party this summer (by our friend Jim, hi Jim!) right after we told a lot of Brian’s friends we were expecting! I think my husband and I have a pretty amazing relationship. I always say, “we are such a good team!” We are both pretty independent people probably because we waited until we were older to get married but at the same time we work really well together. Throughout my pregnancy Brian has been a constant source of strength and support. He is very practical and direct and helps ease my worries about pregnancy. We also have some pretty well defined roles as far as out house work goes. I do certain chores and like to do them a certain way but I have had to let go of my control issue so Brian can do more of the housework. He does get mad when I “over do it” with my little nesting projects. He really wants me to put my feet up and relax! I know he is going to be awesome during labor and delivery and I can’t wait to see him as a dad!

Next up,  my body pillow!

(Note the puppy paws in the picture, I took this right after the picture I took of Izzy in my previous post.)

This was pretty much the first pregnancy item I bought per the recommendation of my cousin.   My old back injury flared up pretty early in my pregnancy and I wasn’t sure if it was due to injury or being pregnant. By laying on this pillow with the curved part between my legs and hugging the rest of the pillow my back is in good alignment and feels really comfortable. I have also used the curved part behind my back and propped up with other pillows to read. It also helped me to get use to sleeping on my side early on in pregnancy. I choose the Leacho Preggle Pillow because it wasn’t as big as some other pillows and could be used in a variety of position.

My back injury did not flare up for the rest of my pregnancy which I contribute to my next two must haves:

Yoga

and swimming

I have pretty much done yoga at LEAST once (usually twice) a week throughout my pregnancy and don’t intend to stop until the baby is born. Yoga makes me feel SO GOOD! It helps me open up and not feel like the baby is taking up so much room. It has also been good for strengthening my pelvic floor which will help during labor and after. Plus it helps to focus on breathing and relaxing. I LOVE yoga! Swimming also feels so good! I am so glad that I was a swimmer before being pregnant. At times it was the ONLY thing that felt good in my body. There is just something about being able to move my body and feel weightless at the same time. Again, I plan on keeping swimming until the end.

This next one might seem a little strange

Nasal Strips! I had no idea that congestion was a symptom of pregnancy but it is and I have it, almost from the beginning. It got really bad at night and I would often times have a hard time sleeping. Not to mention I started snoring which kept Brian up. When we went to visit the Gardner’s I had a pretty bad cold and Gardner suggested I try one of his Breathe Right Strips. It really worked! After that I have used one every night. I sleep better and Brian says my snoring has gotten better…a little! Just and FYI, I am showing a generic type of strip in the picture but I do truly think the name brand works better, I was just trying to save some $$.

And my last “must have”

regular pedicures! Now, I have had a pedicures before but only for special occasions and usually only in the summer. I have some pretty nasty feet and try to keep them looking somewhat decent on my own. In November it became pretty hard for me to reach my toes comfortably. I found a pretty inexpensive nail salon in the mall and got a pedicure. I was pretty much hooked from then on. Not only do you get to sit in a massage chair but it just feels good to get your feet pampered. I have had two more pedicures since then. I know that it is winter and the only time my feet are seen in public is at yoga or when I swim but I see them every day and I LOVE having them look so pretty!

So that is it! Some of the things that have gotten me through the last 9 months and made this pregnancy pretty happy and healthy!

Hey there! I’m still here and still pregnant, 2 days past my due date. Still no clue on when the little man will make his appearance. I can’t really say for sure if I’ve had “signs” of labor. The Braxton Hicks contractions have definitely gotten stronger and sometimes I wonder, “is this the real deal?” but the midwife said you’ll know you are really in labor if the contractions get consistently stronger and consistently more frequent, so far that hasn’t happened. I also have seemed to have lost my appetite and sometimes feel a little nauseous. I usually wake up hungry but only for something cold like a smoothie or cold cereal but for the rest of the day I kind of have to make myself eat not really sure if this is a sign of labor or just a sign of the end.

It has been kind of funny to see people’s reactions  when they see me at work or at that Y, they seem really surprised to see me and my giant belly! I think people don’t realize that due dates are just an estimate. I did in fact decide to start my maternity leave today. I just hated being in that state of limbo not knowing if I would be at the next event or if I would be able to respond to an email. So, I went to my last Youth Ministry program last night and handed the reigns over to my very competent replacement for the next three months. At first I felt relieved about my decisions but as the yesterday drew to close I kind of started to panic. I know that everything will be well taken care of but I really am going to miss work, I guess that is a sign of a good job. But at the same time there really is no reason for me to be there, I literally have NOTHING to do. Now I’m just going to put my feet up, maybe get a few little projects done, and enjoy the down time before my life is turned upside down.

A lot of friends and family have asked how we think Izzy is going to do with the new addition to our family.

Izzy is honestly the sweetest dog ever! I have seen other, smaller dogs bark and snap at her and she NEVER fights back. She has NEVER growled or snapped at a person. We can literally pull on her ears, her lips, her tail and she never gets mad. BUT she had bee our “baby” for the last 5 years AND she weighs 100lbs and I’m not really sure she knows it! Sometimes she gets a little exuberant and doesn’t realize her size. We have been doing a little preparation with her to get  ready for the baby. We’ve held a baby doll on our laps while watching TV and she doesn’t really seem to care. Yesterday we got a play mat in the mail and decided to test it out with Izzy and the baby doll.

Again, she really didn’t seem to care. She checked it out, licked the baby doll, sniffed at the toys but when we told her to leave it she did. I was more worried that she would tear the toys to pieces because they make noise but she didn’t. She was actually more excited that I was on the floor with her and wanted my attention. We don’t regularly get down on the floor with her (yes, she has full range of the furniture) so she thought I was there to hang out with her. This might take some getting use to. I know when I had to do my floor exercises to get the baby off my sciatica she first would bug me and follow me around but eventually she got bored and left me alone so I think she’ll be ok.

One thing we have changed, just this week, is our sleeping arrangement. Usually Izzy goes into our bed while we are watching TV. We let her stay in there while we read at night but then kick her out when it’s time to go to sleep. She would go out to our living room and sleep on the couch or the floor. Well, for a few weeks she would keep coming in our room at about 2:00am and wake us up. We always let her out but it didn’t seem like she urgently had to go to the bathroom. We don’t know if I had woken her up when I went to the bathroom or if she just heard us moving around and thought it was time to hang out with us. We decided  it had to stop. First of all we were both having a hard time getting back to sleep and secondly we knew that in the next few weeks we would already be getting up frequently in the middle of the night and we didn’t want to have to deal with a baby and a dog. So, now when we go in to read we put her in her kennel and lock the door for then night. Honestly I still feel guilty about it. I tell her what a good dog she is but she still looks bummed. I’m getting over it though, I know it’s for the best, we’ve definitely been sleeping better. This will be good practice when I have to say, “no” to my little boy.

Well, I guess that’s all for now! I was planning on including a list of my pregnancy “must haves” but this post is already too long! Stay tuned for that post and any news about our little guy!