She's Here!!

I finally have two minutes to sit down and update everyone. It has been an absolute crazy week to say the least. One week ago I was complaining about still being pregnant and today I am a mother to two beautiful kids. You'd never know it from my previous sentence. . . but boy is this new world terrifying!!

I don't really know a better way of doing this without turning this entry into a novel, so let me just create a time line to fill you in (be warned that there are some moments of TMI):

Monday April 20 11pm: Contractions start. They are perfectly timed. Minute long contractions every 3-5minutes means let's go to the hospital.

2am: Arrive at the hospital, get into a gown, and and put under a one hour watch to check for cervical change.

3:45am: We get sent home

Tuesday April 21 at 9:45am: Go into my OB for my weekly check up. I am 4cm dilated and the doctor strips my membranes in hopes of inducing labor.

I walk and I walk and I walk and I walk and I walk and I walk and I walk

Thursday April 23 11pm: Contractions start up again 8minutes apart. I am able to fall asleep thinking there was no way I was actually going into labor this time.
1am: I wake up out of a dead sleep having a really painful contraction. I start timing them.

2am: I wake Tim up and let him know that we should probably go to the hospital.

3am: Get to the hospital and get all checked in. I am in labor this time and I get to stay!!

6:30 am: Dr. Helliwell comes in and breaks my water in hopes of speeding things along. I put in my request to have an epidural. I get fluids started and I am told I will have to wait for the epidural.

7:30am: I am dying!!! C-section starts and I get left knowing that I will not be getting an epidural for at least another hour.

8:30am: I am told that there is an emergency c-section about to take place. Because I am in transition I can't sit still for an epidural. Anaesthesiologist leaves. :(

9:00am Dr. Helliwell comes in and starts setting up for delivery.

9:54am: She's born!! 20 1/4 in. long, 6lbs. 15oz., and hairy as they come!!

Since she was born without any anaesthesia she came into this world fully alert, awake, and ready to make herself heard. She has some seriously powerful lungs.




Our precious baby girl


All drapped over Daddy's arm. Wait until she's wrapped around your finger Dad!


Proud big brother Drew with his Lil Sis'


Check out the hair. This is how much she had, and yes, we have already shaved it!


Moments after. . .



So much more to come!!

My Bows

I finally took a few pictures of the bows I've been making... check it out!! The pictures really aren't that great, but atleast you have some idea.




This is my newest one. It is zebra print and hotpink which matches her carseat, blanket, and high-heels


The curly-Q ones are called Korker bows and even though they take a long time and use up a lot of ribbon they are my absolute favorite!




Here is the collection. I made the board all by myself as well!! I am getting so crafty these days. Now if I can only figure out how to sew.

A moment of humor

I just had to share this with everyone because I was humored by it. I have been packing bags for the hospital lately, making lists, checking it twice, making bows for the outfits I am taking to the hospital, etc. Anyways, I got to thinking about how much I am not looking forward to wearing those horrible hospital gowns the whole time I am in labor. They are old, well worn in, and do nothing for your figure. Since they don't give you an option to wear your own gown I decided to accessorize mine.




These are the awesome Knee-high socks I will be wearing during L&D!!
:) The are so cute, and comfortable.

Doctor's appointment 4/14 warning: TMI moment

I am posting this only because as a very pregnant woman the only thing that matters these days is how bad I want to meet my baby, how bad I don't want to be pregnant anymore, and how bad I want to watch the scale move in the opposite direction. So, when the Doctor gives you a glimmer of hope that the long road is finally coming to an end you want to shout it out to the world. Be forewarned, lots of cervical detail to follow:

I was told that I am a solid 3cm. dilated, but can "stretch" to 4cm. I don't really know what the "stretch" means, but he said 4, and that's all I heard. I am still 80% effaced, and baby is still at -1 station. Let me just say that when I went into the hospital to have Drew I was NOTHING..... no progress at all, and now I am walking around 4cm. dilated! Its kind of cool to think about, but oh so uncomfortable to live with.

I really feel like this baby is coming really soon. In fact, I have moments in my day where I swear I'm in labor, and then it goes away. My doctor is out of town until Sunday and I don't want to have this baby without him so I am hoping she doesn't come too soon.

My next appointment is on Tuesday, so we'll see what happens then!!

Easter

Just a quick recap on this years Easter celebrations. Drew enjoyed his first Easter egg hunt at Gigi's house. He really did a good job of finding the "balls" and putting them in the basket. Then he proceeded to launch them across the yard and feeding Jeffy his hard-boiled eggs. It was nice getting together with family that morning and eating a huge, delicious breakfast. Tim and I talked all week long about going to church, and then we ended up not going. Our day got so busy, and then... well there's really no excuse, but its the thought that counts right?




Drew staking his claim on an egg



Showing off his treasures. This was moments before the eggs turned into balls and dog treats



Tim being such a good Daddy and helping Drew

Wildflowers

The following pictures are from a photo shoot that my dear friend, Heather, took for us. I just had to have wildflowers in my pictures, but had I known the adventure that would ensue I would have reconsidered. After a a beautiful, but very long drive to no where we arrived on gorgeous field filled with beautiful flowers. You would never know it from the pictures, but the terrain out there is not smooth.... bugs everywhere... we could hear swarms of bees...the wildflowers have pricklies all over them which itch like crazy... and in order to get to the beautiful fields we had to climb through a fence all while dodging the giant barbed wire used to keep people out. After driving for an hour.... they were not keeping us out!!

Disclaimer: These pictures merely depict what I look like very pregnant. They are not intended for making judgments on how I may look the rest of my life. A very strict nutrition and exercise plan will commence upon arrival of Lyla. :)

THANK YOU HEATHER FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT TO DO THESE, AND FOR AN ADVENTURE TO REMEMBER!

Just a quickie

Real quick I just wanted to update everyone one a couple of things. First of all, the weather here is getting CRAZY!!!! Second of all, Drew is wearing an Argentine Football Association soccer uniform and it is so cute! Not everyone will appreciate this, but I know Valeria definitely will! It was a gift from my older brother and his Fiancee. It has taken many months for him to grow into it, but I think it finally fits. It is so cute, thank you guys!



This is the greeting Tim gets every day when he comes home from work. He is clapping his hands so hard. It is so cute to watch! Daddy is definitely his hero!



Watching Dad take down the umbrellas for the windstorm. Eyes glued to him. Notice the little glob of drool. How many Mom's out there want to pull out the wipes?



So we have this canopy in our backyard and the wind was taking it to the neighbors house. This thing is absolutely huge too!!



This was our weight until we figured out what exactly to do.... Tim wanted to anchor it to the grass with some tent stakes, add some umbrella weights, and move it towards the fence line. I suggested taking the netting off.



I WON!! He is taking the netting off. Grunting and groaning the whole time and complaining that he pulled his forearm.


Drew wondering what exactly is wrong with Daddy


Drew sweeping. If nothing else, one day this adorable little man will make a wonderful housewife. You see the patch of dirt towards the bottom left of the picture? He was trying to clean that.




I thought this video was funny because Drew is grunting and groaning as he is trying to move the canopy. These were the exact sounds Dad was making. Ha ha ha. Oh, check out the wind!

It's not all about me!

My two other posts don't mention anything about Drew and I was feeling like a horrible mother so I decided to fill you in on his week. The last two days have been challenging to say the least. I
really think he knows that something is changing or about to happen and he is acting out. Yesterday, Sunday, was an absolute nightmare. Nothing made him happy.... NOTHING!! He cried more yesterday than he has every cried in his whole life! It was like having a newborn in the the house again. I am so grateful that he did choose a Sunday to behave so badly though because Tim was home to not only witness it, but also to help out tremendously. Today was an improvement, but he was still not his usual happy-go-lucky kid. My friends told me that his behavior signifies the soon arrival of Lyla..... I HOPE!!


Oh, Oh, Oh...... This morning was a HUGE break-through for Drew. His poops are like clock-work so I've learned to check him often around those times, and keep my nose open. Well, today I am getting his breakfast ready in the kitchen. He walks in, points to his diaper, and says "Poo, poo!" He caught me completely off guard and I did the classic Mom "uh-huh" and kept on making breakfast. Once again, now pointing with the whole hand, a much more deliberate "Poo, poo!" I walked over to him, checked his diaper, and much to my surprise a poop!!!!!!!! I was overjoyed and so proud!! We did high-fives, big kisses, and I whisked him off to change his diaper. Drew is normally the kind of kid that will poop, and continue about his business as if there is no discomfort in his diaper. So, today was a huge moment in history!! The things that overwhelm me with joy these days are far from the joys of my pre-baby life. Whatever those were...

I didn't really do a great job with pictures this week, but here are a couple.



Tim and Drew working on the sprinklers. Drew loves doing anything Dad does. He is his little shadow. I love watching them work together.



Drew crashing my baby shower for a moment to receive a gift that Gigi got him. He now has a very cool "Big Brother" T-shirt that matches Lyla's "Little Sister" tee. I can't believe he is going to be a big brother.... he is still such a baby!!

My health . . . the update!

So, just to recap:

Last Tuesday I was told that I have preeclampsia based on my multitude of symptoms. They ran some blood work that same day and I was eagerly awaiting the results of it throughout the week. I had a couple of days where I was feeling absolutely terrible, and then a couple of days where it seemed as though 4 more weeks was do-able. Come Friday I still had not gotten my results so I put on my best angry voice and called the doctors office. They still had not results, but encouraged me to come in and do a Non stress test (NST) to see how Lyla was doing and take a urine sample to check my protein levels. Upon arrival my blood pressure was still quite high, and my urine showed signs of protein as well. To make matters worse, the 20min. NST took over an hour because Miss Lyla was in deep sleep ad refused to move. Just as I thought they were going to send me home, the Nurse Practitioner told me I needed to go to the hospital. I smiled, nodded, and left the doctors office knowing that I was NOT GOING TO THE HOSPITAL!!

9:30p rolls around and I am cozy in bed when I receive a phone call from my doctor requesting that I go to the hospital immediately for blood work. I told him that I didn't want to go because I didn't want to miss my baby shower. . . and he pulled out the baby card!!!!! He said "Well, don't you want to make sure that the baby is ok?" What do you say to that..... No??? of course not, so I waddle my way out of bed and tell Tim we're going to the hospital...

Bla Bla Bla.... Midnight rolls around and the hospital sends me home with a clean bill of health. No Pre-eclampsia and no protein in the urine!!!!


So now I am just waiting to get the results back from my other blood work that will let me know just how "out of whack" my thyroid is.


I know my body better than anyone else, and I know I have been having some strange things happening, and I know something isn't right. Today was a good day, we'll see how tomorrow goes.


I'll keep everyone posted!

Baby Shower!!

Yay for me. . . my baby shower was on Saturday April 4! I tell you what, opening gifts for little girls is far more fun that for little boys. I got a ton of stuff that I am so excited to start using. Aside from the gifts, it was so nice getting my girlfriends and family together. I had to take pictures of a few of the gifts I got. Take a look:




My friend Peejay got me these high heel shoes for infants!! They are called heelarious and boy are they. They totally match my carseat cover that I got!!



This is a stroller blanket that Gigi made for Lyla. I don't know if you can tell, but her name is embroidered on the pink side. I love hot pink and zebra!!



This quilt is made 100% out of minky and so super soft. Another wonderful craft of Gigi



Me opening presents. Terrible picture, I know, but there weren't any good ones (the camera is really not my friend these days).


This adorable pillow case dress was made by my friend, Lindsay. I really am surrounded by a lot of really talented people. Yay for me!

Thank you to my parents also for the awesom double stroller they bought me!!

I actually feel prepared now. . . materialistically anyway! I don't know if I can ever really be ready in any other way. I just want to see what she looks like. Will she have my nose (I hope)? Tim's hair? Blue eyes? Brown? Will she be a blondie like Drew? I really want to meet her!!

Just a few pictures and a video

Drew Pulling his wagon. He absolutely loves doing this up and down the street



Drew and Ceinwen in his toy box. It was so funny watching them try to squeeze into it. Ceinwen, by the way, is Drew's first love. They enjoy cuddling together, sharing blankets, eating out, and quiet nights hiding in the closet.



The lovebirds doing what they do best. Ceinwen gets all of the pillows organized on the floor and then invites Drew to join her with a very authoritative "Come." Drew loves a powerful woman! They are so cute together.




This is Daddy's new toy that Drew has also claimed as his own. It is a half size motorcycle. Drew loves sitting on it with Dad until the engine comes on and then he bolts. This makes Mommy very happy!


Drew walking Jeffy. Jeffy knows who's boss, and it isn't Drew.