Journal Jar Question: What is your earliest memory?
I believe this happened when I was about 3 years old. My dad was in the kitchen and he was getting some milk. We used to get our milk from a dairy and it was kept in a metal container in the fridge. I don't know if he was shaking it or just having trouble getting the lid off, but for some reason, I remember milk getting splashed EVERYWHERE. It was even on the ceiling, which I thought was very impressive. From then on, anytime I saw any marks or spots on a ceiling, I thought it was from milk (even when we were in a different house). lol
Monday, July 31, 2006
Sunday, July 30, 2006
The long awaited post with lots of pictures!
I realize that I am probably just a tad biased, but I truly believe that I have one of the most perfect babies ever!
Aurora Louise was born Friday, July 28 at 1:59 pm (PST). She weighs 7 lb 6 oz and is 19 inches long. She has red hair and blue eyes, though I believe her hair is a little darker than Acadia's was... maybe she will be more auburn? We'll see.
We went in to the hospital Friday morning to be induced. It turns out that by that time, I had developed a mild case of pre-eclampsia. However, it was not enough to need to be medicated and my doctor was not worried. We just made sure to monitor my blood pressure and Aurora's heart beat. I was started on Pit by 8:30 am... I was already dialated to a 4 but she was still pretty high up. There was some concern that she might not drop with the contractions the pit induced. But after a couple of hours thinking nothing was happening, we found out that sure enough, things were moving along. :) By 11:15 am I was in active labor and starting to wonder how long I wanted to wait for my beloved drugs, lol. Things were progressing fast and it wasn't long before I was sure I was ready for some relief. I had my epidural a little after noon and from then on... it was lovely! (Funny how that works *wink*)
My doctor broke my water but since Aurora was still a little high up, she didn't expect a whole lot of action right away. She headed back to the clinic to take care of some other work until I was closer. (Thankfully the clinic is just across the street from the birth center.) I am so glad for the epidural because everthing really happened quite fast from then on... I was having contractions right on top of each other and Aurora came down pretty fast. The nurse had to call back my doctor and I had to "hold in" Aurora for about 15 minutes until the doctor was back and they were all set to deliver. Btw, it is NOT fun to try to "hold in" a baby that is ready to come out! Again... THANK GOODNESS for the epirdual!!! But once we were all set, I was able to push and Aurora didn't waste anytime coming. I think I pushed for about 10 minutes and there she was!
With Acadia there were more concerns and when she was born, they weren't able to put her right on me. That was okay - I wanted her to be healthy, so I waited from across the room to hear her take her first breath and cry. But with Aurora, they immediately placed her on my stomach and I was able to look into her eyes and watch her take her first breath. Wow. She barely let out a couple of "wah"s, but it was enough to know that she was okay. That is the most I've heard her cry at one time since! From then on, she just quietly looked around, mostly at me (*proud mommy smiles*) and she even ate a little right away.
My mom, who had been with us the whole time, left to go get Acadia so she could come meet her little sister. We asked the nurse to wait to give Aurora a bath until Cadi was there to watch (per Cadi's request) so, they just took that time to get her footprints done, weigh and measure her, etc.
When Acadia arrived, she made a beeline straight to Aurora and held her little hand and said, "She's so adorable!" Acadia looked so happy! Soon after, the nurse asked Acadia if she could not only watch, but HELP give Aurora's first bath! That was really cool for Cadi! Acadia loves to watch the home video of when she was born and she thinks it is so funny that she cried during the whole bath... so she was really looking forward to seeing Aurora cry... But Aurora didn't cry at all! She made a little fuss when she was taken out, but that was it! Cadi still enjoyed the experience. ;)
So far, Aurora has been a very quiet, easy baby! She simply has not cried. And she is an excellent sleeper! She has slept most of the two nights she's been here for, waking only long enough to barely eat, then fall back to sleep (while eating). She eats well when I can manage to wake her long enough to feed her. I wonder how long this will last? But so far, nothing has changed. When she wakes up, instead of crying, she just makes little noises, then waits patiently for me to get her up, change her, and feed her.
I was given the option of staying another night in the hospital, but I felt that I would be fine going home, as long as my doctor prescribed some meds I was taking for pain - which she did. So last night, we all came home. Today everyone is at church while Aurora and I stay home. With how much she sleeps, I was able to upload our pics... so I'm going to share a few with you. :)
Meet Aurora...
This is a "before" shot:
Immediately after delivery:
With my doctor:
Daddy/Daughter moment:
Acadia meets her little sister for the first time:
Group Photo:
Sisters:
Ryan and his "Squeaker" (Because Aurora doesn't cry, but will occasionally let out a squeak, he has been calling her Squeaker.)...
Cadi kisses for Aurora:
Grandma and her newest grandchild:
Cadi gets to help with the bath!
Aurora's first visitor, my good friend, Amber:
Aurora doing what she does best:
On Day 2... Yep, she's still adorable!
Getting ready to come home:
A thoughtful homecoming from our friends:
To view all of the pictures, visit our Photobucket account, just click on the sub-albums for each day.
Aurora Louise was born Friday, July 28 at 1:59 pm (PST). She weighs 7 lb 6 oz and is 19 inches long. She has red hair and blue eyes, though I believe her hair is a little darker than Acadia's was... maybe she will be more auburn? We'll see.
We went in to the hospital Friday morning to be induced. It turns out that by that time, I had developed a mild case of pre-eclampsia. However, it was not enough to need to be medicated and my doctor was not worried. We just made sure to monitor my blood pressure and Aurora's heart beat. I was started on Pit by 8:30 am... I was already dialated to a 4 but she was still pretty high up. There was some concern that she might not drop with the contractions the pit induced. But after a couple of hours thinking nothing was happening, we found out that sure enough, things were moving along. :) By 11:15 am I was in active labor and starting to wonder how long I wanted to wait for my beloved drugs, lol. Things were progressing fast and it wasn't long before I was sure I was ready for some relief. I had my epidural a little after noon and from then on... it was lovely! (Funny how that works *wink*)
My doctor broke my water but since Aurora was still a little high up, she didn't expect a whole lot of action right away. She headed back to the clinic to take care of some other work until I was closer. (Thankfully the clinic is just across the street from the birth center.) I am so glad for the epidural because everthing really happened quite fast from then on... I was having contractions right on top of each other and Aurora came down pretty fast. The nurse had to call back my doctor and I had to "hold in" Aurora for about 15 minutes until the doctor was back and they were all set to deliver. Btw, it is NOT fun to try to "hold in" a baby that is ready to come out! Again... THANK GOODNESS for the epirdual!!! But once we were all set, I was able to push and Aurora didn't waste anytime coming. I think I pushed for about 10 minutes and there she was!
With Acadia there were more concerns and when she was born, they weren't able to put her right on me. That was okay - I wanted her to be healthy, so I waited from across the room to hear her take her first breath and cry. But with Aurora, they immediately placed her on my stomach and I was able to look into her eyes and watch her take her first breath. Wow. She barely let out a couple of "wah"s, but it was enough to know that she was okay. That is the most I've heard her cry at one time since! From then on, she just quietly looked around, mostly at me (*proud mommy smiles*) and she even ate a little right away.
My mom, who had been with us the whole time, left to go get Acadia so she could come meet her little sister. We asked the nurse to wait to give Aurora a bath until Cadi was there to watch (per Cadi's request) so, they just took that time to get her footprints done, weigh and measure her, etc.
When Acadia arrived, she made a beeline straight to Aurora and held her little hand and said, "She's so adorable!" Acadia looked so happy! Soon after, the nurse asked Acadia if she could not only watch, but HELP give Aurora's first bath! That was really cool for Cadi! Acadia loves to watch the home video of when she was born and she thinks it is so funny that she cried during the whole bath... so she was really looking forward to seeing Aurora cry... But Aurora didn't cry at all! She made a little fuss when she was taken out, but that was it! Cadi still enjoyed the experience. ;)
So far, Aurora has been a very quiet, easy baby! She simply has not cried. And she is an excellent sleeper! She has slept most of the two nights she's been here for, waking only long enough to barely eat, then fall back to sleep (while eating). She eats well when I can manage to wake her long enough to feed her. I wonder how long this will last? But so far, nothing has changed. When she wakes up, instead of crying, she just makes little noises, then waits patiently for me to get her up, change her, and feed her.
I was given the option of staying another night in the hospital, but I felt that I would be fine going home, as long as my doctor prescribed some meds I was taking for pain - which she did. So last night, we all came home. Today everyone is at church while Aurora and I stay home. With how much she sleeps, I was able to upload our pics... so I'm going to share a few with you. :)
Meet Aurora...
This is a "before" shot:
Immediately after delivery:
With my doctor:
Daddy/Daughter moment:
Acadia meets her little sister for the first time:
Group Photo:
Sisters:
Ryan and his "Squeaker" (Because Aurora doesn't cry, but will occasionally let out a squeak, he has been calling her Squeaker.)...
Cadi kisses for Aurora:
Grandma and her newest grandchild:
Cadi gets to help with the bath!
Aurora's first visitor, my good friend, Amber:
Aurora doing what she does best:
On Day 2... Yep, she's still adorable!
Getting ready to come home:
A thoughtful homecoming from our friends:
To view all of the pictures, visit our Photobucket account, just click on the sub-albums for each day.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
My last day as a mother off one.
In about 12 hours I will be induced and after what I hope to be a fairly short labor and delivery (HA!), we will be holding our new baby! I am ready! I am tired and sore and now that my mom is here, (well, she's less than an hour away) I feel like it is safe to go into labor!
I have never been good at being able to tell how a baby has been sitting, on me or anyone else... But I am feeling pretty sure she has dropped. I just feel SO MUCH pressure! It is quite uncomfortable. I spent most of the day sitting. It just hurts too much to be up and moving. This whole day I've just been telling myself, "One more day..." lol
We are very excited to meet Aurora. We wonder what she will look like, what kind of personality will she have... will she sleep through the night? lol Acadia is anxious - she is hoping to be able to come to the hospital immediately after the birth, in enough time to see her first bath. She loves watching the video from her own birth day and when she had her first bath. She thinks it is funny that she cried through the whole thing and I think she wants to see if Aurora does too. lol
I can't guarantee when I'll be able to post next, I will try to have my mom or Ryan post the announcement after she is born... hopefully with pictures too! :)
Stay tuned... :)
I have never been good at being able to tell how a baby has been sitting, on me or anyone else... But I am feeling pretty sure she has dropped. I just feel SO MUCH pressure! It is quite uncomfortable. I spent most of the day sitting. It just hurts too much to be up and moving. This whole day I've just been telling myself, "One more day..." lol
We are very excited to meet Aurora. We wonder what she will look like, what kind of personality will she have... will she sleep through the night? lol Acadia is anxious - she is hoping to be able to come to the hospital immediately after the birth, in enough time to see her first bath. She loves watching the video from her own birth day and when she had her first bath. She thinks it is funny that she cried through the whole thing and I think she wants to see if Aurora does too. lol
I can't guarantee when I'll be able to post next, I will try to have my mom or Ryan post the announcement after she is born... hopefully with pictures too! :)
Stay tuned... :)
Monday, July 24, 2006
I have a picture!
Today I had to go in for another blood pressure check and nonstress test. The bp was good but we had troubles getting Aurora to cooperate so they sent me to the birthing center for an ultrasound. It was awesome! :)
First of all, this is 100% positively a girl! lol
Secondly, she has a ton of hair! And she is a thumb sucker!!!
That's a scan of the pic, so it isn't super good... but you should get the idea. lol It's a close up profile of her sucking her thumb. :)
They also think she's going to be about 7 1/2 pounds - like Cadi was - that sounds good to me! :)
So far, everything looks good and we are on for the induction on Friday... unless I go into labor on my own! :)
First of all, this is 100% positively a girl! lol
Secondly, she has a ton of hair! And she is a thumb sucker!!!
That's a scan of the pic, so it isn't super good... but you should get the idea. lol It's a close up profile of her sucking her thumb. :)
They also think she's going to be about 7 1/2 pounds - like Cadi was - that sounds good to me! :)
So far, everything looks good and we are on for the induction on Friday... unless I go into labor on my own! :)
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Okay, I take it back...
Alternative Blog Title: Someone Please Take This Bag of Twizzlers Away From Me!
I do, I take it back... Being on bedrest STINKS!!! Especially when all your on-line friends decide they'd rather spend time with their families instead of being on-line! Come on people! What's more important? Enjoying a weekend with your hubby and/or kid(s) or sitting around on-line just to keep me company??? I ask you, Where are your priorities???
If I wasn't on bedrest, we would go to the Pioneer Day activity at the church tonight. Acadia was looking forward to it... but there is just no way! I am actually wondering if there will be lots of no shows because the heat is pretty bad and it is supposed to be outside. :S
This morning, Acadia came into the room with a bag of Twizzlers and asked if I wanted some. We had Twizzlers? I didn't know we had some!!! I opened that bag so fast and started munchin', lol. Yesterday, in one of my on-line chat sessions, I had been talking about red vines and I started craving them... Acadia was heaven-sent! Too bad she was about 18 hours late... but that's okay, Better late than never!
But now, I've gone through half the bag and I'm thinking... I probably shouldn't have so many Twizzlers in one sitting...
I do, I take it back... Being on bedrest STINKS!!! Especially when all your on-line friends decide they'd rather spend time with their families instead of being on-line! Come on people! What's more important? Enjoying a weekend with your hubby and/or kid(s) or sitting around on-line just to keep me company??? I ask you, Where are your priorities???
If I wasn't on bedrest, we would go to the Pioneer Day activity at the church tonight. Acadia was looking forward to it... but there is just no way! I am actually wondering if there will be lots of no shows because the heat is pretty bad and it is supposed to be outside. :S
This morning, Acadia came into the room with a bag of Twizzlers and asked if I wanted some. We had Twizzlers? I didn't know we had some!!! I opened that bag so fast and started munchin', lol. Yesterday, in one of my on-line chat sessions, I had been talking about red vines and I started craving them... Acadia was heaven-sent! Too bad she was about 18 hours late... but that's okay, Better late than never!
But now, I've gone through half the bag and I'm thinking... I probably shouldn't have so many Twizzlers in one sitting...
Friday, July 21, 2006
Test results are in...
I went in for my blood pressure check and non stress test this morning. My BP is down!!! That is good news! The only bad side of it is that I won't be getting induced today or this weekend. But, we're healthy and that is more important! :D
So, my doctor tried to schedule me in for an induction on Wednesday... the hospital is booked. :( So we got me down for Friday instead. If I don't go into labor befrore then, I go in on Friday morning!!! :D I will definitely have my July baby! This is good news!
Yesterday I had some serious contractions. I even called the birthing center because one lasted for over 20 minutes! But they said that as long as I was feeling the baby move it was okay... which I was. :) But I was still having contractions and they were only 5 minutes apart. I had Ryan leave work just a tad early, but by the time he got home they were almost completely stopped. :(
And that's where they stayed.
My doctor will be out of town for the next few days so if i do go into labor, I will have to have a different doctor. I'm not TOO worried about that, I really like my doctor but I really want to have this baby too! lol So, I'm still kind of hoping I go into labor soon. We will see...
And in the meantime, I'm still on bedrest since that seems to be working. It's super hot here, but thanks to A/C I'm doing okay. I go back in for another blood pressure check and non stress test on Monday and I see a doctor on Tuesday for a regular check up. And that... is my update! : )
So, my doctor tried to schedule me in for an induction on Wednesday... the hospital is booked. :( So we got me down for Friday instead. If I don't go into labor befrore then, I go in on Friday morning!!! :D I will definitely have my July baby! This is good news!
Yesterday I had some serious contractions. I even called the birthing center because one lasted for over 20 minutes! But they said that as long as I was feeling the baby move it was okay... which I was. :) But I was still having contractions and they were only 5 minutes apart. I had Ryan leave work just a tad early, but by the time he got home they were almost completely stopped. :(
And that's where they stayed.
My doctor will be out of town for the next few days so if i do go into labor, I will have to have a different doctor. I'm not TOO worried about that, I really like my doctor but I really want to have this baby too! lol So, I'm still kind of hoping I go into labor soon. We will see...
And in the meantime, I'm still on bedrest since that seems to be working. It's super hot here, but thanks to A/C I'm doing okay. I go back in for another blood pressure check and non stress test on Monday and I see a doctor on Tuesday for a regular check up. And that... is my update! : )
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Still waiting...
The lab results came back today and everything is normal. They were checking liver and kidney I guess... Tomorrow morning I will go into the doctor's office to have my blood pressure checked and we'll do a non stress test too. Depending on how that goes, we'll see if I get induced this weekend or not.
In the meantime... Bedrest is not that bad when you've got an A/C blowing right on you and you've got a laptop with internet connection and a ton of friends who selflessly chat with you all day long! lol I have had some contractions today. I had about an hour of them this afternoon and even as I type, I'm having more. They are getting stronger... but I'm not sure how consistent they are yet. So, who knows... I could be going in tonight... ???
It's just the waiting game for now... :)
In the meantime... Bedrest is not that bad when you've got an A/C blowing right on you and you've got a laptop with internet connection and a ton of friends who selflessly chat with you all day long! lol I have had some contractions today. I had about an hour of them this afternoon and even as I type, I'm having more. They are getting stronger... but I'm not sure how consistent they are yet. So, who knows... I could be going in tonight... ???
It's just the waiting game for now... :)
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Be careful what you wish for.
Today I saw my doctor. I do want to have this baby and I would like to be induced soon if she doesn't come on her own. But I do want her and I to be healthy!!!
My blood pressure has shot up and we are starting to worry about Pre-Eclampsia again. :( I would prefer NOT to have pre-eclampsia again. But, the good news is IF I do, it will be like it was with Cadi - I'm full term, she should be healthy... it will just be a pain. Because I am at 38 1/2 weeks, my doctor still hesitates to induce me unless it is necessary. So we did some lab work today and we will know by tomorrow how that turned out. It is likely that I will be induced on Friday. However, if the lab results are still okay, I will be going in Friday morning for a non-stress test and to retake my blood pressure. Again, we will re-evaluate and decide whether to induce at that point or not. If the answer is "not", I will be checked again after a couple more days... The latest I will go before getting induced is Wednesday.
My doctor says it's a balancing act... She wants to wait til I hit 39 weeks if possible because even these final couple of days are really good for the baby. (BTW, she says this baby feels like she won't be any bigger than Cadi was - 7 lbs 8 oz.) But she doesn't want to have me develop pre-eclampsia. So, she has put me on bedrest from now until the delivery. If that will keep my blood pressure down enough to let me wait until next week, she feels that is ideal. However, if I need to be induced there shouldn't be REAL cause for concern.
I was happy to learn that I am dialated some more. I'm just shy of a 3. :) That is good news for me! But no more walking or cleaning or anything else to try to help myself along with that.
Overall, I feel good. And now we play the waiting game... :)
My blood pressure has shot up and we are starting to worry about Pre-Eclampsia again. :( I would prefer NOT to have pre-eclampsia again. But, the good news is IF I do, it will be like it was with Cadi - I'm full term, she should be healthy... it will just be a pain. Because I am at 38 1/2 weeks, my doctor still hesitates to induce me unless it is necessary. So we did some lab work today and we will know by tomorrow how that turned out. It is likely that I will be induced on Friday. However, if the lab results are still okay, I will be going in Friday morning for a non-stress test and to retake my blood pressure. Again, we will re-evaluate and decide whether to induce at that point or not. If the answer is "not", I will be checked again after a couple more days... The latest I will go before getting induced is Wednesday.
My doctor says it's a balancing act... She wants to wait til I hit 39 weeks if possible because even these final couple of days are really good for the baby. (BTW, she says this baby feels like she won't be any bigger than Cadi was - 7 lbs 8 oz.) But she doesn't want to have me develop pre-eclampsia. So, she has put me on bedrest from now until the delivery. If that will keep my blood pressure down enough to let me wait until next week, she feels that is ideal. However, if I need to be induced there shouldn't be REAL cause for concern.
I was happy to learn that I am dialated some more. I'm just shy of a 3. :) That is good news for me! But no more walking or cleaning or anything else to try to help myself along with that.
Overall, I feel good. And now we play the waiting game... :)
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Hey Baby, Let's go to Vegas!
I am so excited! Last night I booked a flight to Vegas for later this year so I can attend Time Out For Women with some friends of mine! I'll be bringing my little bundle of joy (assuming she EVER decides to make her appearance... *wink*) but leaving my other munchkin with my wonderful, supportive, loving hubby!!! (He was the one to encourage me to go for this little Girl Getaway, even though I worried about it being selfish of me to want it.)
I can't wait! It will be my first REAL Girl Getaway/Women's Retreat/Ladies' Weekend/etc... EVER! Of course, I'll have the baby... but that's okay. My baby is going to be a perfect angel of course, so no one will even notice she's there! Even me! LOL I'm kidding... But I do think she'll be at a pretty good age to take... still sleeping a bit, not mobile, not too demanding... as long as she's fed and cleaned, she'll be happy. Let's pray for NO COLIC with this kid! lol
I can't wait! It will be my first REAL Girl Getaway/Women's Retreat/Ladies' Weekend/etc... EVER! Of course, I'll have the baby... but that's okay. My baby is going to be a perfect angel of course, so no one will even notice she's there! Even me! LOL I'm kidding... But I do think she'll be at a pretty good age to take... still sleeping a bit, not mobile, not too demanding... as long as she's fed and cleaned, she'll be happy. Let's pray for NO COLIC with this kid! lol
Monday, July 17, 2006
Overdue
No, not the baby... She's still technically not due yet. Though I've decided her due date is more of a deadline!
Nah, I'm just overdue on updating. But I have an update!
This morning I woke up and wanted to see the weather forcast, so I turned on the news. Just as the shuttle was landing, I started getting contractions. Not the normal Braxton Hicks, these were low and painful! And they were coming about 3-5 minutes apart. I didn't really assume it would continue, but I did warn Ryan since he was off to cover a co-worker's shift today. After an hour of these contractions, I decided to get up and take a shower. Of course, they slowed WAY down... and eventually stopped. I wasn't surprised.
So, Cadi and I decided to take advantage of the cool morning to go on a power walk. The whole way I had a tight tummy (normal for my walks) and near the end, I had a couple contractions. When we got home and I was able to sit down, I had a few more... but again, they've slowed way down and could very well be done completely right now.
This is all fine with me. I have mixed feelings about going into labor RIGHT NOW.
Pros:
•The b-day would be July 17... exactly one month after Cadi's... that would be cool.
•The weather is supposed to warm up by the end of the week... pushing 100 degrees on Friday and Saturday!!! I SO do not want to be preggers in that if I don't have to!
•Ryan doesn't go back to work until Thursday. My mom could decide between coming up right away or waiting until next week. Depending on what she would choose, Ryan would either go to work like normal on Thursday (if she were here) and then take next week off, or the opposite.
•I really wouldn't mind having this kid soon.
Cons:
•Ryan has a mid-term tonight and two labs tomorrow, plus at least one project due. If I have her today or tomorrow, we would most likely have to kiss this term good-bye and eat several hundreds of dollars... :(
•That's pretty much it. Well, of course there is still more we COULD do to get ready... but really, we're ready. As ready as we need to be.
So, either way. If nothing else, these contractions will HOPEFULLY help me along and when I see my Dr. on Wednesday I will be dialated a little more. :)
Nah, I'm just overdue on updating. But I have an update!
This morning I woke up and wanted to see the weather forcast, so I turned on the news. Just as the shuttle was landing, I started getting contractions. Not the normal Braxton Hicks, these were low and painful! And they were coming about 3-5 minutes apart. I didn't really assume it would continue, but I did warn Ryan since he was off to cover a co-worker's shift today. After an hour of these contractions, I decided to get up and take a shower. Of course, they slowed WAY down... and eventually stopped. I wasn't surprised.
So, Cadi and I decided to take advantage of the cool morning to go on a power walk. The whole way I had a tight tummy (normal for my walks) and near the end, I had a couple contractions. When we got home and I was able to sit down, I had a few more... but again, they've slowed way down and could very well be done completely right now.
This is all fine with me. I have mixed feelings about going into labor RIGHT NOW.
Pros:
•The b-day would be July 17... exactly one month after Cadi's... that would be cool.
•The weather is supposed to warm up by the end of the week... pushing 100 degrees on Friday and Saturday!!! I SO do not want to be preggers in that if I don't have to!
•Ryan doesn't go back to work until Thursday. My mom could decide between coming up right away or waiting until next week. Depending on what she would choose, Ryan would either go to work like normal on Thursday (if she were here) and then take next week off, or the opposite.
•I really wouldn't mind having this kid soon.
Cons:
•Ryan has a mid-term tonight and two labs tomorrow, plus at least one project due. If I have her today or tomorrow, we would most likely have to kiss this term good-bye and eat several hundreds of dollars... :(
•That's pretty much it. Well, of course there is still more we COULD do to get ready... but really, we're ready. As ready as we need to be.
So, either way. If nothing else, these contractions will HOPEFULLY help me along and when I see my Dr. on Wednesday I will be dialated a little more. :)
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Happy Birthday to Me!
Today is my birthday!!! All gifts, money, flowers, chocolate, etc can be sent via my home address... *wink, wink*
Actually, it's mostly a regular day... but Acadia and I have found a couple of ways to make it special. Here, let me give you the low-down...
As you may recall, Ryan spoiled me rotten for Mother's Day! And at the time, the understanding was that it was also an early birthday present. Totally fine... I mean, he did give me an air conditioner AND a new digital camera... yeah, spoiled rotten! Not to mention, the last two years have been big birthday celebrations for me. Last year we went killer whale watching in British Columbia (a life-long dream come true for me) and the year before, I got to go swimming with dolphins (another life-long dream come true for me) in Florida. So, I would say it's safe to say I have had my share of Big Birthdays and Great Gifts!
This year, Ryan has to work on my b-day. We would have requested the day off, but we'd rather save it for when the baby's born. Also, the last two days have been school days for Ryan - and he was swamped!
So... we'll just be having a low-key recognition of my b-day tonight when Ryan gets home (around 8:45 or 9 tonight).
Instead, today Cadi and I picked up the portraits we had taken at Sears two weeks ago. (Will post at the end of this post.) Then we went to my doctor's appointment. I was hoping she would agree to induce me next week, but that isn't looking likely. She is slightly concerned because my blood pressure has gone up a little. Since I had pre-eclampsia with Cadi, there is reason to keep a close eye on it. So far, it is okay though. It looks like the earliest we will induce will be the 26th. I'm hoping that I go into labor before that... we'll see. Of course, if my blood pressure goes up more next week, I may be induced then after all... Again, we'll see.
Fun stuff though - This was Cadi's first time to one of my doctor appointments. The doctor let Cadi help listen to the heartbeat. She put the gel on my tummy and then she got to put the doplar thingy on my belly. She put it down and immediately had a strong heartbeat! Usually, the doctor has to look around a little... so Cadi's a natural! lol
After the appointment, we went to the store to get my birthday cake. (The perks of not having anything special done for me is that I get to choose whatever I want! So... I chose an ice cream cake! :D ) We also got the fixings to make Hawaiian Haystacks for my b-day dinner tonight, since I've been craving that for a couple of days. :) However, when we got there (we were at Walmart), I noticed some little girls with their mom in the nail center getting pedicures. I thought to myself, "Self... it's your birthday. And you need a pedicure anyway. And the spa pedicure/manicure special is a good price." And that was all it took to get Cadi and I sitting in some comfy seats, with a nice massage (for me at least, Cadi's back couldn't reach the back of her chair to get hers), soaking our footsies, and relaxing for about an hour while we got pampered! It was Cadi's first time getting her nails done professionally. And she loved it!!! Immediately after we were done, she asked if we could go back next week! Hehehe.... no. But maybe in a couple of months, after things settle down with the baby.
If I had known we were doing this, I would have taken my camera! But I did take this pic of Cadi's mani and pedi when we got home... They charge the same amount for hers as for mine, but she got flowers on her toes and fingers for free.. which she loves!
And here are the portraits we got from Sears... There are quite a few...
So, no complaints from me. It's been a good day!
Actually, it's mostly a regular day... but Acadia and I have found a couple of ways to make it special. Here, let me give you the low-down...
As you may recall, Ryan spoiled me rotten for Mother's Day! And at the time, the understanding was that it was also an early birthday present. Totally fine... I mean, he did give me an air conditioner AND a new digital camera... yeah, spoiled rotten! Not to mention, the last two years have been big birthday celebrations for me. Last year we went killer whale watching in British Columbia (a life-long dream come true for me) and the year before, I got to go swimming with dolphins (another life-long dream come true for me) in Florida. So, I would say it's safe to say I have had my share of Big Birthdays and Great Gifts!
This year, Ryan has to work on my b-day. We would have requested the day off, but we'd rather save it for when the baby's born. Also, the last two days have been school days for Ryan - and he was swamped!
So... we'll just be having a low-key recognition of my b-day tonight when Ryan gets home (around 8:45 or 9 tonight).
Instead, today Cadi and I picked up the portraits we had taken at Sears two weeks ago. (Will post at the end of this post.) Then we went to my doctor's appointment. I was hoping she would agree to induce me next week, but that isn't looking likely. She is slightly concerned because my blood pressure has gone up a little. Since I had pre-eclampsia with Cadi, there is reason to keep a close eye on it. So far, it is okay though. It looks like the earliest we will induce will be the 26th. I'm hoping that I go into labor before that... we'll see. Of course, if my blood pressure goes up more next week, I may be induced then after all... Again, we'll see.
Fun stuff though - This was Cadi's first time to one of my doctor appointments. The doctor let Cadi help listen to the heartbeat. She put the gel on my tummy and then she got to put the doplar thingy on my belly. She put it down and immediately had a strong heartbeat! Usually, the doctor has to look around a little... so Cadi's a natural! lol
After the appointment, we went to the store to get my birthday cake. (The perks of not having anything special done for me is that I get to choose whatever I want! So... I chose an ice cream cake! :D ) We also got the fixings to make Hawaiian Haystacks for my b-day dinner tonight, since I've been craving that for a couple of days. :) However, when we got there (we were at Walmart), I noticed some little girls with their mom in the nail center getting pedicures. I thought to myself, "Self... it's your birthday. And you need a pedicure anyway. And the spa pedicure/manicure special is a good price." And that was all it took to get Cadi and I sitting in some comfy seats, with a nice massage (for me at least, Cadi's back couldn't reach the back of her chair to get hers), soaking our footsies, and relaxing for about an hour while we got pampered! It was Cadi's first time getting her nails done professionally. And she loved it!!! Immediately after we were done, she asked if we could go back next week! Hehehe.... no. But maybe in a couple of months, after things settle down with the baby.
If I had known we were doing this, I would have taken my camera! But I did take this pic of Cadi's mani and pedi when we got home... They charge the same amount for hers as for mine, but she got flowers on her toes and fingers for free.. which she loves!
And here are the portraits we got from Sears... There are quite a few...
So, no complaints from me. It's been a good day!
Monday, July 10, 2006
We're in the final stretch...
Now that I am officially "full term", being 37 weeks along, I have decided to take matters into my own hands.
This morning Acadia, the dog, and I went for a power walk. It was short, but it was quick paced and by the time we got home, we were short of breath and my tummy was tight. Just like what happened when I power walked while preggers with Cadi. This is good. I don't necessarily need to induce labor yet, but I want my body getting ready for labor. I want to be dialated and/or effaced at least a little when my doctor checks me on Wednesday!
Ryan and I have been discussing what dates we would choose if we were given permission to be induced. And ideally, at this point, it would be Wednesday, July 19. But we'll see what my doctor says. That is just what we want for OUR calendar! It's not necessarily up to us.
Last night I woke up at 3 am and couldn't get back to sleep. This was frustrating since I have not been getting much sleep at all lately. I'm averaging about 6 hours a night. :S Well, I couldn't sleep so I decided to get up and do some work in the nursery. I had made a few purchases on Saturday so I put things away, organized some other things, hung the wall hangings over the crib, etc. I've begun filling out my pre-registration forms and birthing plan. I'm pretty much packed. I'm going to select 3 or 4 outfits and let Cadi decide which one the baby should wear home. She'll like that. I also need to pack a 24 hour pack for Cadi so no matter when we need to take her to a sitter, she will have appropriate clothes and things to have with her.
I did manage to get back to sleep around 5 am and slept until 8... I ended up with 7 hours of sleep last night - hey, it's an improvement! lol
Another thing, I've been losing weight. Not a lot. And not on purpose. But I hear that is normal for the end of the pregnancy. So, I guess it's just another sign that we are very close to the end now! :D
We are all so excited!!! Though, while she's excited, Acadia is also feeling sad about my hospital stay. The only thing that makes it sound "okay" is if Grandma is here while I'm in the hospital. (Which would be possible if I'm induced... but if I'm not, then that could be hard to manage.) She is so dramatic about it. "I won't see you at all for 2 whole days!!!" Even though I have told her I will likely not even be gone for 2 whole days AND she can come visit me whenever she wants for however long she wants! (The hospital visiting hours are not really limited, which is nice.) But she just likes the drama and so... it continues. lol
I should be "nesting" and getting my house clean... good stuff like that. But at the moment it isn't happening. Maybe a little later. The weather is being so nice to me. We warmed up a tad over the weekend - I think we even reached 90... but now we're back down to 70s and should stay cool like this all week. I can't believe my luck! I did not expect to have such nice weather for so long! And I'm not complaining! I'm so grateful!!! So, with this cool weather, I should be able to do more. We'll see if that actually happens, lol.
This morning Acadia, the dog, and I went for a power walk. It was short, but it was quick paced and by the time we got home, we were short of breath and my tummy was tight. Just like what happened when I power walked while preggers with Cadi. This is good. I don't necessarily need to induce labor yet, but I want my body getting ready for labor. I want to be dialated and/or effaced at least a little when my doctor checks me on Wednesday!
Ryan and I have been discussing what dates we would choose if we were given permission to be induced. And ideally, at this point, it would be Wednesday, July 19. But we'll see what my doctor says. That is just what we want for OUR calendar! It's not necessarily up to us.
Last night I woke up at 3 am and couldn't get back to sleep. This was frustrating since I have not been getting much sleep at all lately. I'm averaging about 6 hours a night. :S Well, I couldn't sleep so I decided to get up and do some work in the nursery. I had made a few purchases on Saturday so I put things away, organized some other things, hung the wall hangings over the crib, etc. I've begun filling out my pre-registration forms and birthing plan. I'm pretty much packed. I'm going to select 3 or 4 outfits and let Cadi decide which one the baby should wear home. She'll like that. I also need to pack a 24 hour pack for Cadi so no matter when we need to take her to a sitter, she will have appropriate clothes and things to have with her.
I did manage to get back to sleep around 5 am and slept until 8... I ended up with 7 hours of sleep last night - hey, it's an improvement! lol
Another thing, I've been losing weight. Not a lot. And not on purpose. But I hear that is normal for the end of the pregnancy. So, I guess it's just another sign that we are very close to the end now! :D
We are all so excited!!! Though, while she's excited, Acadia is also feeling sad about my hospital stay. The only thing that makes it sound "okay" is if Grandma is here while I'm in the hospital. (Which would be possible if I'm induced... but if I'm not, then that could be hard to manage.) She is so dramatic about it. "I won't see you at all for 2 whole days!!!" Even though I have told her I will likely not even be gone for 2 whole days AND she can come visit me whenever she wants for however long she wants! (The hospital visiting hours are not really limited, which is nice.) But she just likes the drama and so... it continues. lol
I should be "nesting" and getting my house clean... good stuff like that. But at the moment it isn't happening. Maybe a little later. The weather is being so nice to me. We warmed up a tad over the weekend - I think we even reached 90... but now we're back down to 70s and should stay cool like this all week. I can't believe my luck! I did not expect to have such nice weather for so long! And I'm not complaining! I'm so grateful!!! So, with this cool weather, I should be able to do more. We'll see if that actually happens, lol.
Saturday, July 8, 2006
No pictures
First of all, I don't have a picture for today's Photo Scavenger Hunt. I'm bummed.
Secondly, I don't have any pictures to post from the 4th of July. I'm bummed.
Finally, I don't have any pictures from Cadi's swimming lessons. I'm bummed.
So, here's the deal. We have been switching stuff around with our computer. And the memory stick reader hasn't been reconnected. So I can't put up any pictures. I do have pictures from 4th of July, I just can't put them up here. Not yet anyway.
But sadly, I was so tired yesterday morning that when we rushed out to Cadi's last swimming lesson, I completely forgot to take my camera with me! So even when I do get the reader reconnected, I won't have swimming pics. :( I was so frustrated with myself!!! But at least I took lots of pictures during her last session.
Secondly, I don't have any pictures to post from the 4th of July. I'm bummed.
Finally, I don't have any pictures from Cadi's swimming lessons. I'm bummed.
So, here's the deal. We have been switching stuff around with our computer. And the memory stick reader hasn't been reconnected. So I can't put up any pictures. I do have pictures from 4th of July, I just can't put them up here. Not yet anyway.
But sadly, I was so tired yesterday morning that when we rushed out to Cadi's last swimming lesson, I completely forgot to take my camera with me! So even when I do get the reader reconnected, I won't have swimming pics. :( I was so frustrated with myself!!! But at least I took lots of pictures during her last session.
Tuesday, July 4, 2006
Happy Birthday USA!
I wanted to write something profound. Maybe have some really cool story or a quote or something. But I'm just not feeling in the mood to think one up or even dig one up.
But do not mistake that for a lack of patriotism.
I love my country! I feel incredibly blessed to live here. I don't think I am better than anyone else in the world, but I do believe I am fortunate enough to live in the best nation in the world. Sure, we have problems - and plenty of them! But even with the flaws we have here, this is still a free country, a beautiful country, a blessed country. I firmly believe that God preserved this land. I also firmly believe that God directed our founding fathers as they made choices that brought this nation about.
I feel humbled and grateful to all of the men and women who have made any sort of sacrifice in order to create and maintain this free nation. I honor them for the sacrifices they have made to allow me a place to live where I can be who I want to be, live where I want to live, do what I want to do, be with the people I want to be with, etc.
Today we will be heading over to my Aunt's house. It will be great fun, for sure! Not only will we have a great BBQ (even though I think my cousin Taylor is still working in Hawaii and won't be here to man the grill) and we'll have lots of fun fireworks (not to mention a great view of the city so we can watch all the fireworks going off all over town), but we will be spending the day with some fun, cool people that I love.
I hope that however you spend your holiday today, that you do it safely. And I hope you will take just a moment to remember why we celebrate this day. What a blessing to have a free country to live in!!!
But do not mistake that for a lack of patriotism.
I love my country! I feel incredibly blessed to live here. I don't think I am better than anyone else in the world, but I do believe I am fortunate enough to live in the best nation in the world. Sure, we have problems - and plenty of them! But even with the flaws we have here, this is still a free country, a beautiful country, a blessed country. I firmly believe that God preserved this land. I also firmly believe that God directed our founding fathers as they made choices that brought this nation about.
I feel humbled and grateful to all of the men and women who have made any sort of sacrifice in order to create and maintain this free nation. I honor them for the sacrifices they have made to allow me a place to live where I can be who I want to be, live where I want to live, do what I want to do, be with the people I want to be with, etc.
Today we will be heading over to my Aunt's house. It will be great fun, for sure! Not only will we have a great BBQ (even though I think my cousin Taylor is still working in Hawaii and won't be here to man the grill) and we'll have lots of fun fireworks (not to mention a great view of the city so we can watch all the fireworks going off all over town), but we will be spending the day with some fun, cool people that I love.
I hope that however you spend your holiday today, that you do it safely. And I hope you will take just a moment to remember why we celebrate this day. What a blessing to have a free country to live in!!!
Saturday, July 1, 2006
Time's just tick, tick, tickin' away!
Have you noticed? Did you see? Why don't you take a little look at the top of this page...
I'M ON THE LAST BOX ON MY TICKER!!!
Can you believe that?!? I'm in my 9th month!!! At any point, I could have a new baby. Well, not at this moment, because I haven't gone into labor yet. But at any moment I could go into labor!!!
This week I've started working on stuff that I had just kind of let wait...
I purchased the last of the big items. I started packing my hospital bag. I have the essentials, I do have a few more items to add. I also need to pack the diaper bag and write up my birthing plan. I really should decide what kind of announcements I want to do. I have no clue for now. But for the most part, I'm pretty much ready to go have a baby if she decides it's time to come.
I'm hoping she'll wait a couple of weeks though. But only a couple. lol
I'M ON THE LAST BOX ON MY TICKER!!!
Can you believe that?!? I'm in my 9th month!!! At any point, I could have a new baby. Well, not at this moment, because I haven't gone into labor yet. But at any moment I could go into labor!!!
This week I've started working on stuff that I had just kind of let wait...
I purchased the last of the big items. I started packing my hospital bag. I have the essentials, I do have a few more items to add. I also need to pack the diaper bag and write up my birthing plan. I really should decide what kind of announcements I want to do. I have no clue for now. But for the most part, I'm pretty much ready to go have a baby if she decides it's time to come.
I'm hoping she'll wait a couple of weeks though. But only a couple. lol
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)