Everli Mae: A Labor Story

Everli Mae Jones was born Friday May 8th at 6:30 in the evening. She weighed 6 pounds 4 ounces, and was 18.5 inches long.

Here's how the day went:
at 9:30 that morning i went to my dr's appointment, he wanted me to come in to check and see if i was still having issues with high blood pressure because the last time i went to the hospital my readings were too high... and because of another consecutive reading of high blood pressure in his office, he decided to induce me. after dropping Bayli off with family, we headed to the hospital.

at 10:30 i got admitted to the hospital, walking past the triage rooms we had visited way too many times and straight to our delivery room was such an amazing feeling.

at 11:30 we started pitosin to get my contractions going stronger. i was only at 1.5 cm dilated and 80% effaced when we started. (the same dilation and effacement i've been for the past three weeks)

at 12:45 the dr came in and broke my water. when he did this, i was 2 cm dilated. as i laid in bed I could for sure feel the contractions, but i had been experiencing the same kind of pains for the past few weeks, so i was doubtful they would be doing anything with helping me dilate. My family came to visit and distract me, bayli was there for a bit before she went to my parents house to nap, once my family left, I went for a walk around the hospital to try and get things moving along. i did this for about an hour or more and then went back to bed to try and breathe through the contractions as they continued to get more intense. i distracted myself by watching videos on youtube of men trying to endure through simulated labor pains.

by now it was 4:00 and i was only at 3cm dilated. figuring i was in for the loooong haul since my labor was progressing slower than id hoped after having my water broken, and enduring the pain for as long as i could, and even trying to help them along by walking, i asked to get the epidural.

after getting everything with that taken care of it was about 4:45 and my nurse wanted me to lay on my right side to help the baby's head get into the correct position, she said the plan was to have me switch sides each hour to kind of "corkscrew" her head into the right place. i laid on my side for an hour while i almost dozed off to sleep because the relief from the epidural was so wonderful.

at 5:45 we switched sides. she checked me and i was dilated to a 4, we both were thinking it would be hours until i delivered. she went to go get the new nurse that would be replacing her since it was almost 6:00 (shift change happens between 6-7.) so that she could start explaining what was happening with me and my labor's progression to the new nurse before she left.

around 6:15 as my first nurse was in the room explaining things to the new nurse i started feeling some changes occur in my cervix. i wasn't feeling the same kind of pressure as i felt with bayli, but i knew that something was different. she hadn't even finished explaining the stuff to my new nurse but i interrupted her anyway and asked her to check me, she checked me and said i was dilated to a 7. surprised, she told me that things would be happening fast now, and that in an hour or less i'd have my baby! so we texted my parents and told them to hurry and bring Bayli to the hospital. the nurse quickly finished explaining things as they got the room ready.

at 6:25 i started feeling much more pressure, i doubted that i could have dilated even more in such little time, i had literally been checked only 10 minutes before, but i said i was feeling ready to push anyway, and she checked me and i was at a 9, we did one practice push to get me to a 10. it worked, and with perfect timing, our dr came in. we did two pushes through the next contraction. i used a mirror so i knew that she was crowning. then he explained that i would need an episiotomy again, which didn't surprise me, as i felt the next contraction coming on, i pushed, he cut, we did another push which got her head out, then the last final push and...

at 6:30 pm out came the rest of her.

in summary:
it took 3 weeks of prodromal labor,
6 hours of early labor after being induced (the last 2 hours of which i had an epidural)
15 minutes of transitional labor
6 total pushes through 3 contractions.
and we had ourselves a baby.

they laid her on my chest and started to clean her off. she was tiny, and covered in vernix, just like bayli was. but she was also different. lots of blonde hair, not a big crier, she nursed almost immediately and this entire time while i delivered my placenta and got stitched up, she and i just laid there together, i cried happy tears, she whimpered infrequently. turns out i needed 16 freaking stitches to repair my two tears, but i didn't feel or even think about any of it. we said goodbye to our first nurse. as she left she said "thanks for hurrying so that i could see that beautiful babe."

the doctor finally finished my stitches, and we could hear my parents talking outside our room with Bayli, i couldn't wait for her to meet her sister. as soon as the dr left and i was covered again we let my daughter and my family in the hallway come in. i had had tons of time holding Everli, but i hadn't even realized that Garrison hadn't held her yet. so after he helped bayli up onto my hospital bed to take a look at her new sister, garrison finally took his turn at holding his new daughter.

for about an hour or so we had so much fun in our delivery room letting everyone take turns holding her. more friends and family came over, i ate dinner, and Everli this whole time just hung out kinda still covered in vernix, but beautiful as ever, and totally pleasant. she seriously never cried.

the time came for us to go to the mom and baby floor, and for Everli to go get her bath and get checked in the nursery. i was feeling wonderful, and i wanted so much to be able to watch her first bath, so my nurse pulled some strings and i got permission to go down with my husband and both of us could be there watching the happenings in the nursery. i was told that i had to stay seated in the wheelchair, which i felt was unnecessary, but still if that was the requirement, i was willing.

the nursery was amazing. once she was all clean, and deemed healthy, we went back to our room, said goodnight to Bayli (who had been watching from the hallway) and all 3 of us fell asleep. seriously my recovery has been awesome, i really love this whole second child thing. it's like my body knows what its doing and how to fix itself this time around. I really have been so lucky to be blessed with a smooth easy recovery, and to have been given such an amazing, beautiful, healthy, well tempered new daughter. (she loves her sleep and we love her for it.)

parenting a newborn has been like riding a bike, everything came flooding back, how to nurse, how to change a diaper, how to avoid being peed on, how to burp, what the different cries mean, and even the schedule. it all came flooding back and it was as if she'd always been a part of our lives.

i love her so much, and Bayli has transitioned into being a big sister beautifully. when i watch the two of them interact i feel like my heart is going to explode. Nothing with this pregnancy or delivery went the way i thought it would. but it turns out i got everything i didn't know i wanted.

Everli is such a joy in our family. it's safe to say we are all obsessed with her.

Girl Without a Name

Image Via

on my side of the family, the girls names all end in "i"

it's a fun tradition that i am excited to carry on to my girls, and something that they can choose to participate in themselves when the time comes for them to have daughters, but i hope they do!

coming up with Bayli's name was really easy. it's a name i have loved for years, and when i told it to garrison, he was instantly on board. this time around things have not been so easy... we have considered almost every potential "ending in i name" under the sun. all around our house you will find scraps of paper with names written down, trying to figure out how to spell it with an "i" or just unique names that i wanted to remember.

i feel like naming a child is such a big deal. it determines so many things, and is so permanent. Garrison and i both have unique names, and we love them! plus, we have the last name of "Jones" which is obviously really unique. but seriously, because of our plain last name, we feel like we can be a little unique with the first, and middle names. i am the more eclectic of the two of us, and tend to gravitate toward some pretty weird names, for example, the grey part of bayli grey is more of a reflection of my personality than garrison's.

another thing that complicates things is that i am really picky... not only do i want it to be a name that ends in an i, but also a name that doesn't sound like a nickname(like cami, or bri, or gigi) and i like them to have two-three syllables, i don't want it start with a "B" because we already have a Bayli, and i'm okay with some unique spellings, but when it get's too weird... they just look embarrassing for the child and scream you are mormon in my opinion. as far as Garrison's requests go... he just wants the name to be semi normal, and for us to name her what we will be calling her. for example, he doesn't want us to name her "charlotte" knowing that we will only ever call her "lottie". so... obviously you can see the predicament we are in.

just for fun, and because i'm sure our little daughter would love looking back on this in the future... let's share some of the names we've considered recently.

First names:
Cambri
Remi
Naomi
Elli
Livvi
Jovi
Emmi

Middle names:
Eloise
Clover
LaVee
Camilla
Flora
Gemma
Indigo

Bayli... she just wants to name her "pinkie pie" i guess technically we could have that end in an i...

if any of you have suggestions or know of some cute names that end in an i that maybe we haven't seen before. i'd love to hear it in the comments below!

Baby Diary: a letter to the future you.

i found this jewel, while going though my old posts today and decided it was worth sharing.

(Written on September 26th 2011)

Dear Baby:
    There are a lot of things that a mother wants to tell her kid. So I figure, why not start 3 months in the womb? Here are just a few things I want you to know about me, your dad, and your future life.

     If there is ever an argument in our house over who loves you more. Just know, we love you the same amount, just in different ways. (but, if it counts for something, i've loved you the longest.)
    Today, I caught myself dancing with my tummy hoping that you would sense the love I have holding you in my hands.
    You were an "oops", "accident" whatever else you want to call it. I won't deny it, we weren't planning on bringing you into the world just yet, but... that just proves that you are way more like your mom then you even know. no one else would make an entrance like that unless you were as impatient and dramatic as I am. :)
     Your going to think that "modern family" is for old people but it's really not that much older than you are so don't hate me and your father for loving it so much, you may in fact just have to cry for a minute while we laugh our eyes out.
    Your dad will always provide for you. provide someone to laugh at. provide the food you spray all over our kitchen, provide the hugs and kisses before you go to bed at night. provide the happy attitude you see in mommy because he just loves her so much. provide the discipline that will make you a happier person in the end, and most of all, provide a constant and reliable friend and companion like he has for me, and like his dad has provided for him.
     You are always allowed to stain daddy's shirts and clothes with your spit up. not.
     you better be a cuddly monkey because im pretty sure with all our friends and family that already love you, you will never have to be put down.
    if you ever want to know why we raised you like we did, go ahead and read babywise and see if it doesn't convince you too!
    you will have over a thousand pictures taken of you before you are a week old. im almost positive of that, just get used to it. and smile big for mommy!
    im sure your dad will have about as many nicknames for you as he does for me. just say hello and give him hugs and no matter what he calls you, you'll be ok. promise. if it sounds bad, it's not. i've been through "chugga", you can get through anything.
    wear your seatbelt always. always.
    I WILL cry on your first day of school, just expect it.
   there are rules for certain places, no yelling in church, no screaming in the library, no temper tantrums in front of people im trying to impress, no running at grandma's, no leaving grandpa's without a hug, and no going to bed without brushing your teeth. these are just the basics, you'll learn more along the way.
    i would appreciate it a ton if you would make your birthday as easy for me as possible. the faster you come the better. just be easy on me. im scared.
    you are the oldest kid, which means that you will probably have it the hardest, just appreciate the person it makes you. and your allowed to call your younger siblings spoiled. i did.
    you will have your own lullaby. don't be jealous if you like someone elses more than yours. someday, they will be just as jealous of yours.
    im sorry, if landon ever becomes a "girl name". we tried our hardest to pick a manly one. and if your a girl, Bayli Grey is my favorite. don't diss.

  

Bayli 9 month update

the 9 month appointment with the doctors went great. she was super calm and didn't really cry for her shots. (i'm really hoping this trend continues, because when i hear other babies cry in the doctors office it breaks my heart, i can only imagine what it is going to be like when my own child rears her head back and lets out a yell directed directly at my heartstrings... terrible) Bayli has continued her trend of staying nice and little compared with everyone else's statistics but, she's healthy and happy and that's all that matters. she still doesn't have any teeth and the doctor said he can't see/feel any coming in anytime soon. we don't have any stairs in our house so, she hasn't gotten much practice with that, but her crawling besides the stairs is awesome. she's trying to walk and loves to stand. she pulls herself up anywhere and everywhere she can, i can already tell she is going to be a monkey climber. we just keep thinking her first steps will be any day now!!! excited. nervous. eeeek.

anyway, she is doing great. so far she hasn't been hit too hard by all the sicknesses that are traveling around this winter. she currently has a stuffy nose but, that immediately followed the flu shots that the doctor gave her, so we are hoping it will just be a little short lived flu from the shot. we are also starting to see some attitude from her, especially when we are in places that we want her to be quiet and sit still. (um... church) so far the only cure we have found are little colorful circles of yumminess the rest of us call fruit loops. we are still trying to figure out what we can do to help her with that.

if you didn't see her video of her first christmas, then first, i would reccommend watching it, it's super cute, and second, i would just like to say. she still is in love with her little doll. thank you disney for making that one. genius! she also loves her walkers and anything that lets her be mobile. 

she is still sleeping through the night and usually gets 11 hours every night. because we are going longer between feeds, for the past few months i have slowly been noticing my milk production decreasing and now we are down to just nursing for the first and last feed of the day, and bottles in between. in some areas this is very nice, and in others it is not, but, i knew i wanted to be done nursing by the time she turned 12 months old so, i guess we are just starting the weaning process a little early. i would rather have the 11 hours of sleep at night than a little more cash in my wallet so to me it is a good trade.

honestly, she is becoming more and more fun. she laughs easier, she plays with us, interacts, and loves us. it's really nice to see her have some receptive feelings and to see her personality develop even more. being a parent is the hardest and most rewarding thing, but seeing her grow and realizing how far she, and we, have come from those first few days is really remarkable. it's crazy to think of how much we have come to know and realize about raising a kid without "formally learning" it. learning which cries are for attention, or for her bottle, or because she's genuinely hurt. learning when to do the hard things, and learning what's best for her without her being able to tell us with her words. learning how she says "i love you" and learning if she wants mom, or dad. there are so many things that "they" don't teach you when you become a parent. and so many people wish that babies came with a users guide or manual, but, after looking back, even now, this early in her life, it's fun to realize that you know what, we can do it without help. all you need, is a mommy, a daddy, and a baby to learn from. they really are the best teachers. 

6 months

i remember when Bayli was just a newborn and people told us that we needed to embrace and love each day because they would fly by so quickly and before we knew it she would be all grown up. well, i definitely listened, and we tried our hardest to embrace each day like they said. to remember each stage and each milestone. that is one of the very best things about this blog.... it's a place for me to document her growth, because of this blog i take pictures of her frequently, probably more frequently than if i didn't have a blog and it really is so fun to look back and remember her when she was her tiny little 4 pound self. well... it's crazy to think that she is already 6 months old. back when we were counting her life in days and weeks, 6 months seemed like a lifetime away, but, it's here nonetheless and honestly it's a little bittersweet.

bitter because i know that she is never going to go back, those memories and phases of her life are over and done with. but, very sweet because her new phases are so exciting and new and it's great to see her learning and progressing by leaps and bounds, and honestly... i'm learning a lot too.

she is still the same baby that i described in this post, but one of my new favorite things about her is how much more attentive she is, we can actually play with her, and tickle her, and make her laugh, and she is getting so much better at being patient and letting us know what she wants. honestly, it's been really fun and as much as i loved the cuddly lazy days of the newborn age, having an engaging and independent and squirmy 6 month old really has to be a tad bit more fun. more exhausting yes, but also more fun.

here are her stats from her growth chart from the doctor. (honestly, these will be pretty boring for you, i know, but this is just a place for me to keep track)
1 week old: head-1st percentile weight-0.24 percentile length-2nd percentile
2 weeks old: head-3rd percentile weight-0.61 percentile length-20th percentile
2 months old: head-21st percentile weight-28th percentile length-33rd percentile
4 months old: head-19th percentile weight-36th percentile length-80th percentile
6 months old: head-25th percentile weight-25th percentile length- 62nd percentile

i guess to sum it all up, we've got ourselves a little girl that is a little taller than average, and a little smaller in weight and head circumference. oh, and also, a few months ago we noticed that she started preferring her left hand over her right, and she still is, so... maybe she's gonna be left handed?? but, she also could just be tricking us. her eyes have changed from dark blue to hazel and now they honestly look mostly green in most lights so... who knows that could continue changing too. i guess we will just have to wait and see.

as i mentioned in this post, we are still sticking with the babywise method and are loving it. she is such an easygoing and downright easy baby. i can't tell what about her is "nature vs nurture". but hopefully we can keep doing what we are doing and she will continue to be this easy as she grows. she is still sleeping through the night and loves her new bedtime routine which involves a bath and massage and songs and stories and basically an entire play performed by both her parents. i know it sounds like a whole lot of overwhelming extras but, it's the one time of the day that we are all together, with 100% of our focus on her instead of trying to keep her happy while we focus on other things. it's really nice.

she loves baby food and is even starting to use a sippy cup. she hates formula and we are trying our hardest to get her willing to take a bottle for those moments when i haven't pumped any extra breastmilk. it's the biggest struggle we have with her. -if anyone has any suggestions i'd love to hear them-

at the end of the day, she sure is growing up. and growing up fast. much faster than we anticipated. but... that's the same ol' song and dance everybody says. i guess we just have to keep doing what we are doing, learn along the way, and remember to embrace each day because, before we know it... she really will be all. grown. up.

10 things for your first week home with baby

the first week home after having a baby is a crazy one! so many changes, and so many surprises! but it also is a week full of lots of learning. one of the things i realized is just how much some accessories and random things have made my life so much easier! i would like to share a few of them with you because these are things you will want to have stocked in the house before you deliver because going to the store the first night home is the LAST thing you will want to do.


1. Lansinoh Soothies Gel Pads: these are a MUST for about the first week. (you'll want to buy at least 2 boxes) imagine putting a jello jiggler circle on your nipple after each feeding. that's basically what these are. they are soooo soothing and cold up against your sore nipples, they provide a barrier between you and your bra or breast pad. they are slightly medicated and so they help you heal faster and the biggest thing is that with these your nipples don't dry out so if you scab, the scabs stay soft and you don't get chapped/cracked. if you haven't been warned before. let me warn you now. breast feeding hurts. lots. and it could hurt for up to three months so... do all you can to make sure that your baby's latch is right and that you are taking care of yourself because if you think it's just going to get better quickly... maybe. but maybe not. and that's why really smart awesome people invented things like this.

2. good toilet paper: everything down there is really sore and swollen and possibly stitched up or you have hemorrhoids. i promise you don't want to have toilet paper flakies that could possibly get infected OR rough toilet paper scratching your already broken... you know, "downstairs" plus, with all your bleeding you will -and should- be going to the bathroom frequently.

3. Swaddle Baby Wrap: you may not like the idea of strapping your child down like in an insane asylum but... you baby does. after being in the confines of your womb for 9 months, being all tightly wrapped is comforting. i recommend the summer swaddle because it comes with velcro so that you can almost guarantee they won't wiggle themselves out of the wrap. (it also helps them sleep better and longer, more on that subject here)

4. maternity bras: once you say goodbye to the colostrom and say hello to milk, your breasts go into high gear. you will probably be engorged and leaking constantly as your body matches your baby's desired milk production. maternity bras do two things. easy fast access to the nipple for feedings, and they hold the breast pads in place when your not feeding. you will want to wear one literally every minute of the day besides showering. a "sports bra style" nursing bra is nice because you will have to wear a bra at night while you sleep -no more sleeping naked ladies!- and the other padded/regular nursing bras work well during the day to give extra padding in case your breast pad fills up while your up and about or visiting. you will want to avoid bras with underwires in them as they can cause mastitis. when deciding how many to get and what size. a good idea is to go up a full cup size and then buy the rest after the baby is born. how many depends on how frequently you do laundry and how messy of an eater your baby is. i would recommend at least 3. and you'll probably need to get more later. (if you want to make your own instead i show you how to here)

5. a t.v. series to watch: if your breast feeding, like i already mentioned, its not the most pleasant experience in the beginning. it kinda stings and tingles and makes your nipples sore. and sometimes sore enough that they will bleed, crack and scab. because of this it is really nice to have a distraction during feedings. this is where having some tv episodes on hand come in. either via buying/renting the series on dvd, using netflicks or hulu, or just having a whole bunch stocked up in your dvr. it really is the best distraction and a 45 minute show (fast forwarding through commercials) is the perfect amount of time for a diaper change, feeding, and burping or while you use a breast pump.at least until you and your baby get better and faster during feedings. my favorites are Lost, Friends, and for a quick funny one, Brooklyn Nine-Nine .

6. another SD Card for your camera: running on little sleep and exhaustion doesn't make you have the desire to upload photos onto your computer to clear memory on your camera. instead just get another sd card so that you don't have to miss those few precious moments when they make that certain face, or are posed in a particular way.

7. stool softeners: the body naturally gets constipated for child birth. this is nice while in labor because you don't have to get up and go #2, also because it allows a little more room in the birth canal since you don't have a full bum to take up any space. but... this means a few days later you will have one intense and painful session in the bathroom. -one of my nurses referred it to giving birth to the ugly cousin- start taking these before you go into labor. it's not a laxative so you don't have to worry about reenacting that scene from dumb and dumber. but they really do help!

8. breast pads: you'll want to grab some breast pads because you could need to change your pad with every feeding (every 3 or so hours) for the first few weeks. thats alot of pads people. once your milk regulates you should only need to change out your pad daily. (some women can even stop using them altogether) these are my favorite

9. frozen meals and snacks: in case you don't have family/friends/neighbors bringing you and your family meals these will ease your mind and help you recover. having nice healthy meals pre-prepared that you know you like and that your husband can easily heat-up/put-together will give you that energy you need to be a mom and heal from what your body just went through.

10. A soft towel: showering is a great way to treat yourself nice while you feel so dirty and sore. but... if you have a rough towel, all of that feel good happiness that came from your shower instantly goes away as you pat dry your nether regions and nipples with what feels like a porcupines back because of how sensitive you are. do yourself a favor, splurge and get a good one. This one is soft, and dark enough not to show stains

But... on a positive note. it's all worth it! if you'd like to read my birth story click here.

if you have a favorite item that you couldn't have lived without during that first week home i'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

BABY DUE! (and a 37 week belly photo)

So, the dog was right. Its baby time! This is my last belly shot! In the photo I'm actually in the hospital public bathroom right before I dropped off my labs. I just had a thought that maybe I should take one really fast. (And Boy am I glad I did) I've gained a total of 17 pounds, and really am so excited to meet our little girl!
Turns out I've got preclampsia and because of the labs I dropped off tonight they have decided to induce me right away because the only cure to preclampsia is having the baby so, they are starting pitosin to make the contractions -I'm already having naturally- a little stronger so that I can dilate faster. Im also on magnesium because it will keep me from having seizures due to the preclampsia.
Baby is doing great and looks like shes ready to come meet us. It's a crazy feeling... Being told your gonna be a mom and meet your daughter within the day. Wow. So surreal. Hopefully things go well (and fast) I honestly dont know what I'm getting myself into. Good thing garrison is such a good supporter. Hes being a trooper through it all and just can't believe he didn't bring his backpack he packed two nights ago. :)

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Baby Shower #1

as I mentioned in this post. a huge thank you to my sisters Stefani and Debbie for throwing this beautiful shower for me. i love you. it was such a fun event! here are a few pictures proving just how fun it was. :) and thank you for everyone who came and the gifts you gave. i cannot believe how spoiled this little girl is already and she isn't even here yet! your gifts and advice you gave will be put to good use!

my beloved sisters Stefani and Debbie, thanks for all the hard work you both did to put this together!

can you see the belly button dimple?

no, we didn't plan the same silly face, pregnant minds think alike i guess.

opening presents

all three of us are due within a month from each other!

THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!

Baby Diary: one month left... if we can make it that far

the doctors office was a bit interesting today. we went in for our 36 week appointment, a few things change at the 36 week appointment. 1. from now on the doctor will always perform a cervical exam to check to see how things are progressing. 2. they are weekly appointments instead of monthly.

(this is where things start getting real personal up in here)

during the exam we found out a few interesting things. one, the baby is "for sure" head down and ready to go. and two, i am 1.5 cm dilated and 70% effaced.  for those of you who have no idea what that means here is a picture that kinda explains the two:

what this means is basically i could either stay like this for the next few weeks if i progress slowly or, it could be a sign that labor is coming soon! either way i am very lucky that things are moving in the right direction. some women need medical assistance to get just this far along. i guess all the contractions i've been having  lately have been doing something!

i think the biggest thing that happened at this appointment was that it really hit that i'm going to give birth to a baby. a living little human. of course i've known that this would happen all along but now i really KNOW. birth is really coming, and it could be soon!
CRAZY!

36 week belly pictures

Only one month left till our little kickers due date! Luckily I'm still wearing my pre-pregnancy clothes and am doing well. We have our big drs appointment in 2 days and hopefully she will still be head down and growing like usual. People keep saying that this far along you notice a decrease in fetal movement but... She is just kicking away all the time like usual. Its fun when I wear tight shirts like I am today because people from across the room can see her moving and will comment on how big and strong she is.
Im way excited to meet this little bundle of energy and cannot believe how fast the day is approaching when I will be able to look her in the eyes and hold her with my arms instead of my hips!

Garrison and I have been so blessed by the love and advice and gift giving from those that surround us. Although we still have a little ways to go before we will be" ready" for her arrival (if ever) we would not be as prepared as we are without your help. So, thank you.

More posts soon about the progress on our house, the nursery, and baby shower numero dos!!

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Baby shower numero uno

Thank you so much to my sisters debbie and stefani for throwing me my first baby shower! Once I get my computer up and running, and the internet installed I will post more pictures but for now all you get is this lovely shot of what my hubby would look like if he was the one carrying our little kickers instead of me! So cute. Haha! P.s. That cake, it tasted even better than it looked.

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32 week picture

We still dont have our internet set up and my computer is going through a major makeover so until we fix those (hopefully within the week) I guess lame short posts with blurry pictures from my phone will have to do. Here I am at about 32 weeks. At my doctors appointment I hadn't gained a single pound from last month but... Apparently its just fine because the baby is growing just like shes supposed to. My measurements are right on track.

This picture really doesn't give it justice. I will post pictures of me in tighter shirts soon! So far with 8 weeks left I have gained 11 pounds total and although I'm still fitting in my pre-pregnancy clothes, its starting to get uncomfortable. I was thinking I might be able to make it through the entire pregnancy without using maternity clothes but, if I still want to do that, the last few weeks will be spent either in sweats or naked for sure!

Alot of people are confused by my pregnancy. Its really unusual I guess to stay this small but, to try and answer your questions, I guess its because of my genetics. My mom stayed pretty small too and left the hospital wearing her pre-pregnancy jeans and felt smaller than she was before getting pregnant. Granted, shes a few inches taller than me and so I doubt ill be that lucky. But, I also haven't experienced an increase in appetite. For the past few weeks whenever I do certain activities I start to contract or have braxton hicks. One of those activities is over-eating. So... Especially lately, I haven't been eating a ton. That phrase "eating for two" doesn't sound fun to me. I eat just like normal and try to drink tons of water.

Its crazy to think that I only have 2 months left! We still have so much left to do so hopefully these two months go as slowly as everyone says they will!

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30 Week Pictures

She just keeps growing. Its a slow and steady pace, but its growing! Only a few weeks left!
P.s. Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. We've been moving and still dont have the internet hooked up. Thank goodness for phones!

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Baby Diary: milestones

some of the "pregnancy milestones" you go through seem like the biggest deal to you, but they are not that big of a deal to basically everyone else. but. because they are such a big deal to me, and this is my blog, i'm gonna do an entire post about them just so they get the attention i feel they deserve. :)

found out we were pregnant: 7 weeks

first saw the baby via ultrasound: 9 weeks

heard her heartbeat for the first time: 9 weeks

threw up: never (knock on wood)

first felt the baby move: 18 weeks

called the doctors office "just to make sure": 18 weeks

started lactating: 18 weeks

had my first craving: 18 weeks

realized that it wasn't a weird vein, and that yep it was in fact a stretch mark: 19 weeks

bought our first baby item: 19 weeks
hit the halfway point: 20 weeks

found out her gender: 24 weeks

felt her hiccups: 24 weeks

hitting the viability point: 24 weeks

had someone assume i miscarried because i wasn't showing yet: 25 weeks. (not really a milestone)

wore maternity clothes for the first time: 25 weeks

heard her heartbeat via stethoscope in our own home: 25 weeks

had someone recognize me as pregnant instead of just fat: 26 weeks

some of the milestones yet to come: (will be filled in later to keep record)

gained ten pounds: 28 weeks

had a stranger touch my belly:

realized that if the baby was born today it would most likely be totally healthy:33 weeks

had my first contraction/braxton hick:29 weeks

wanted the baby out of me more than i wanted it in me:35 weeks

had that super dramatic phone call to garrison where he rushes home from work thinking "it's baby time" the entire way and breaks at least 2 traffic rules: 29 weeks (luckily it was a false alarm)
gained twenty pounds:

went to the hospital:29 weeks

delivered the baby!:

you wanna know what?! this whole pregnancy has gone by SOO fast! i can't believe that her due date is only 3 months away!!! hello 3rd trimester, boy am i nervous to meet you.

Baby Diary: Nursery Wishlist

because my clothing wishlist post was so much fun and actually has been very helpful, i decided to do a nursery wishlist in a similar way. because of our moving disaster talked about here and here we don't actually have a room to work on yet. but we are trying to finish as much of the small things like getting our ideas sorted out and minor decorations taken care of this month before we move.
the nursery will be yellow and grey with "you make me happy when skies are grey" as the theme. of course there will be lots of birds and branches. -surprise surprise, it's me you guys. you probably could have predicted i would do this theme a few years ago.- from there we don't really have any plans because we haven't even seen the room yet. we don't even know what the lighting and flooring are like. so... here goes the wishing.

this rug: etsy, "eight by ten" multiple sizes and prices ranging from 30.00-195.00

this chandelier/nightlight: homemade. $0 i already have the supplies i just need to take the time and blow up the oversized balloon and make the thing.

this door muffler: homemade not in the color pink, hopefully it works!

this oversized ruler: for marking growth and we can bring it with us when we move. i hope it will fit in the nursery instead of next to the front door like it is in the picture.

this for inspiration: replace all the teal and orange with various shades of yellow and it would be perfect. i LOVE the wall color and vinyl wall stickers. hopefully patti oldham can make some for me i will have to ask her.

this pillow: land of nod 62.00 "when skies are grey" the concept is awesome, maybe i can make something similar, i don't think 62 dollars is worth it.

these curtains: i'm thinking yellow and white stripes up against a grey wall. with a dark grey curtain behind them to block out the light completely during daytime naps.

this material: especially the chevron. oh man.

these for wall art: i can't decide which one i like better.

 

this pillow: land of nod 16.00 each. i love the yellow bird in front!

this mobile: land of nod 56.00 this is more for inspiration than for purchasing.

or maybe this one: warning, apparently these birds are a terror to balance so they don't fall upside down when hanging.

This nightstand: land of nod 119.95. i like the white because our crib is white. this would be perfect next to the rocking chair.

this wall art: homemade. look for looms at yard sales. use left over yellow and grey material from the sheets and quilt. not as many.