Aubriana is here!!

Well, David and I spent Monday going up to Logan to drop off the boys at my aunt Angie's house. With all of our close relatives out of town except Melissa, we had no idea what we were going to do with our children while I was in the hospital. I can't tell you how nice it was to know that they were being well-cared for and having fun! Angie is so much fun and my boys can't get enough of her and her family. We spent the day up there and saw lots of my mom's family, then got home about 10:00 and went to bed. I didn't sleep well at all. I was tossing and turning all night and waking up and not being able to fall back asleep. I was so relieved when 6:00 came and I could get out of bed.

David and I showed up at the hospital at 6:30. I was so tired and nervous that I couldn't remember my address or my doctor's name! I felt really dumb, having to turn to David as the admit nurse was asking questions. My doctor forgot to schedule the induction with the hospital, so they had no idea I was coming! Luckily, there were tons of rooms open and a few phone calls later we were in room 117. They hooked up the monitors and prepped me, including that nasty IV, which I hate. Jessica, who was our nurse, did an excellent job with it though. I started having contractions around 8:00 in the morning. By 10:00, they were hurting enough that I was having to breathe through them and really focus, so we decided since I'm going to have an epidural anyway, might as well get it now. So, they called the anesthesiologist and he was there pretty quickly. The part that took forever was him putting in the epidural. I don't know what was taking him so long, but I was a bit nervous and in pain and I had to hold totally still for 5 or 6 contractions, about 10 minutes. That was probably the worst part of it all; my shoulder was aching and shaking at the end. I was having a hard time relaxing and it's hard to get air when you're hunched over, curling your spine into a C and you've got a baby in the way, pressing up into your lungs.

At that point, I was still a 1 and Aubrey was really high. They called the doctor to come break my water (this actually wouldn't happen for four more hours). He couldn't get over there right away, so we just hung on. At about 11, I was a 3 and very happy about that. The rest of the day was kind of boring, honestly. I finished my book, tried to find something good on TV, talked to David and tried to nap. They checked me about 1 and I was a 5-6, but my water still hadn't broke. Dr. Young was on his way down the hallway to break it, then heard that I was making progress, so he turned around and went back. He had a meeting to go to and he didn't want to miss the birth in case I progressed too quickly! I was disappointed, but oh well. So, about an hour and a half later, he breaks my water, I was about a 6. We really wanted him to break my water so they could put in an internal monitor, because her heart rate was dipping with each contraction and the monitor wasn't working very well; not a great combination.

Things didn't really speed up after that. She was still really high (we realized later that she was all wrapped up in the cord--it was around her neck and down around her foot, which is why it was taking so long to make any progress). Anyway, I got to about an 8 around 3:00. I was still an 8 at 5:00, so we decided to watch a movie. By this time, I'd called Melissa and she was in the hospital with me. We were hoping to have her by 6:00, when the nurses changed, but no luck. The new nurse came in and checked me around 6:20 and I was complete. Then it was a while to get everyone in position. I started pushing at about 6:46 and she was born at 6:48. She gave just the tiniest little cry.

I couldn't see her face at all at first, but I could see her long, pretty fingers and toes and she was a deep shade of lavender! The doctor was having trouble getting her untangled from the cord. Once I saw her face, she looked quite a bit like Griffin when he was first born, although that impression only lasted a few minutes. She was doing great a few minutes later, her Apgar score was 8/9, which is pretty high.

We couldn't stop cooing over her. She was just so different! She has the prettiest nose, just like I pictured from her profile in the ultrasound. She also has a tiny little mouth, which is pretty unusual in our family and dark, curly hair like Maxton had when he was first born and perfect, tiny ears. No cone head, since she spent nearly no time against my cervix and in the birth canal. She was 7 lbs 9 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. She's so long and skinny. In that first hour, she was so awake, more than the boys had been and she kept making this faces like she was just about to smile.

She's the best baby. I heard her give two little cries in her first 24 hours. The nurse said she didn't even try when they drew blood for the bilirubin test. She's also doing really well with nursing; she has the best latch so far of kids. We spent yesterday in the hospital; I was ready to go home in the early afternoon, but we had to wait 24 hours. I haven't had any pain medication since about 4:00 the morning after she was born. No stitches and I'm feeling pretty good. Mostly just tired. I was really excited to see my boys yesterday. Three of my aunts came down from Logan to bring them back and clean my house! They are just so kind and I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful family. My mom was really sad to miss the birth, but I know she's enjoying her time in Hawaii. She gets back tomorrow, so yay for that!

The boys are just loving their little sister. Xander wanted to hold her right off. When we pulled up the house yesterday, the first thing Xander asked was, "Did you bring Aubriana?" When I got up this morning, Maxton wanted to hold her. Griffin kept saying, "My baby. My baby. Nana," which melted my heart. He wanted to hold her too. I was a little worried he would be jealous, but he seems to have accepted her just fine. After I fed her this morning, I put her in the bassinet and there were three little boys looking down at her, so excited that she had opened her eyes and was looking around at them.

You can click on the photos to make them larger. I'm sure I'll be adding some more later.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Still no baby, but Griffin is cracking me up!

So, Griffin is turning into such a character! I mean, he's always made us laugh with his amazingly accurate facial expressions since he was a baby, but now, it's constant hilarity. This kid is sharp. He does NOT miss a single thing. He knows what is what. For instance, you cannot get away with giving something to one of his brothers and not give one to him. He also knows that any crinkling sounds means candy and he will come running, yelling, "Candy! Candy!" He also refuses to do things differently from his brothers. Yesterday we went to Grandma's for a little while and walking there and back, he wanted to run and keep up with them. No hand holding for him and forget about a wagon or stroller. He insists he can do everything they can do.

Another thing he does is call everyone by name. So cute! Last night I was putting him in bed, and I handed him his stuffed tiger and he looks up at me, grins and says, "Thank you, Mommy." Just melt your heart adorable. He's always saying thank you and if you thank him, he will say, "You're welcome, Mommy." He also loves to come wake me up in the morning, play with me for a little while, then when he wants to take off, it's "Bye, Mommy. Bye Mommy." He's so darn cheerful. If there's something he doesn't want to do, he'll yell at you, "No. Thank you!" and run off. Cracks me up. I'll tell him, "Griffin, time to change your diaper." "No! Thank you!" and off he takes.

He's also discovered colors. Mostly yellow. Anytime he notices the color of something, he calls it yellow. He did this thing for a while where he'd go around saying, "Yellow-blue. Yellow-blue," but that's mostly passed now. He's slowly learning the other colors, but we don't push it too hard, since he's got a 50% chance of being colorblind (all my boys have that chance, but so far Max and Xander doen't seem to be, although Max will occasionally mix up his colors, but not in any regular way).

Just a few minutes ago, Griffin was standing on a upturned bucket. I told him he'd better be careful or he'd fall, and the ham starts waving his arms around and swaying and saying, "Woah, woah, woah!" just to tease me. Silly kid.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

No progress

Well, here's my baby update, such as it is. They stripped my membranes yesterday afternoon, which didn't feel great, but didn't really hurt either. I had a few contractions, so we decided to go walk up the canyon. Three miles and an hour later, the contractions basically stopped. I had them off and on all night, but nothing regular. They say it can take up to 48 hours for them stripping them to do anything, but at this point, I'm pretty much planning on the induction on Tuesday. As far as other progress, I haven't really started at all, but that doesn't worry me so much, because I was in labor with Griffin for a long time before I dialated at all. I've only started out dialated with one (Maxton, I was a four when then induced me and had been for over a week).

Today would be perfect, but I'm not counting on it. I would just love to have the long weekend with David home before he goes back to work. Tuesday is just bad timing for all of that. He only has like 1.5 days of vacation, so if he's gone and my mom is gone, it might be a bit of a tough week. But we'll make it through. I know my mom is making me a few meals to put in the freezer and I generally feel great after having a baby, but it still worries me a bit.

However, I feel like I've done everything possible to have this baby and it's just out of my hands now. I feel peaceful, like things will work out, but I'm sad that my mom probably won't be here for her birth, but that's life. I've tried everything I know to start labor, but I just don't think she's ready to give up her warm, comfy spot.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Veggie Tales funny

So, Xander and Max have been really into Veggie Tales again lately. If you're at all familar with them, they have have these great breaks in the middle of each episode with a "silly song." So, yesterday in the back of the van, Xander and Max were singing parts of the silly songs that they could remember. There's one called "The Song of the Cebu" (pronounced say-boo). A cebu is kind of like a cow. So, Max is singing, "Ceeee-booooooooo." Then he sings, "Say puuuuuuuurple!"

Griffin pipes up from the middle seat, "Purple."

It hurts to laugh that hard when you're as pregnant as I am.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

WARNING: Whining ahead.

I've had such a frustrating afternoon. I really want to go into labor before my mom leaves on Friday if at all possible. I had an appointment this afternoon and they were going to strip my membranes to see if that would do it, but the doctor had an emergency surgery and they changed my appointment to Wednesday afternoon. I nearly cried.

Next, we decide to go to Olive Garden (this was mostly to cheer me up). It was raining this afternoon and the windows in our van were cracked and I got pretty wet sitting in the seat, only realized this as I got out of the van at Olive Garden. Oh well.

We had dinner, it was pretty good. I come out and as I'm stepping off the curb, my flip flops slip and landed straight on my duff! Now, I'm very very wet, but not hurt. My flip flop is broken though and I was pretty embarrassed.

To top it off, we were going to go walk at the mall to see if we could get my contractions really going (I've been have those silly Braxton-Hicks all afternoon), but Griffin had a poopy and we forgot the diaper bag. So we had to come home instead.

Dur. It's just one of those days when the little things start to add up.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

We're getting so close!

Today I'm 38 weeks. I've been having contractions on and off for weeks now, and I'm really hoping that I will have this little girl before my mom leaves this Friday. I have a doctor's appointment this evening and they are going to strip my membranes. Crossing my fingers that it puts me into labor, although it didn't when I had it done with Maxton. If not, the latest I will have her will be May 29th, since they are going to induce me that day if I don't come before then. So nice to have an end in sight!

David is so cute. He's so excited for her to get here. It's just about all we talk about these days. Her older brothers are anticipating it too. Griffin will come up to my belly and say, "Baby." He also likes to put his head to my belly, almost touching it, then say, "Hi, Nana! I wuv you." Cracks me up every time. I'm not sure at 19 months he really understands, but it's still sooooo cute!

I still have quite a bit to do to get ready for her. Her clothes are all put away, we've got some diapers and the other essential baby supplies, but I still haven't packed a hospital bag. I keep hoping that if I don't pack a bag, she'll try to catch me off guard. Of course, logically, it makes absolutely no sense. So, I'm going to pack the bag today.

Two days ago, I had David take some photos of me. As soon as he heard, Maxton wanted to be in the photos with me. I think this is my new favorite photo--I want an 8x10" for my wall!

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.