Big Birthday!

HAPPY 30th ANDY!!!

Dad and Maurene meet Nora

Nora's first time at a restaurant. She did really well.

More pictures?

I know there were a lot of cameras flashing when we took the group family photo. If someone has a good picture could you please pass it my way? Thank you!

Christmas with the Fergusons/Malias

Nora's Senior Pictures

You know what I'm talking about..."Lean up against that brick wall, peek from behind that tree, rest your chin in your hands..."

Christmas with the Urbans

Happy New Years!

We made it up until midnight, but probably one of the more subdued holidays...

42 weeks (with Nora!)

When Daddy is gone...

we take pictures of all the fun stuff he's missing...

First two days home - Dec. 25th & 26th

Photos from the hospital - Dec. 22nd - 24th

Today is our day!

Well I guess it technically wasn't because we snuck into the next day by a few hours, but here is our birth story with timeline....

6:00 a.m. - I woke up because my water broke. I had read and heard comments by others that said they were afraid it would break in public and I always thought, "how bad could it be?" I mean how much water would really come out? Thought retracted - it was an absolute ton .

6:15 a.m. - Called the midwife. Agreed that there was no need to come in for our 8:00 a.m. appointment. We decided to hang out at home and let labor progress.

8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon - Went to Walgreens for a few supplies. Took the dog to the vet and picked him back up. Did laundry, took bedding to the dry cleaners. Fed and watered all the animals. Showered, ate, tried to rest. Watched He's Just Not that Into You, surprisingly good for those who haven't seen it.

1:00 p.m. - Talked to doctors office. Agreed to come in and get checked at 2:15 since I was still not having good contractions.

2:15 p.m. - Got checked, think I was 2 or 3 cm, truthfully can't remember. Midwife put in Foley Catheter at this time to help with dilation (which should help contractions also) and we headed home to wait it out.

3:45 p.m. - Contractions are here and they are STRONG! Went up to hospital and was admitted.

From here on out my times are just estimates, I wasn't really watching the clock so my times are guesses....

4:15 p.m. - Checked again, was 5 cm. Catheter came out at this time.

4:20 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. - Labored. Walked, rocked, bounced on ball, got into whirlpool.

6:30 p.m. - Checked again, 6 cm.

6:35 p.m. - 12:00 midnight - Labored, same as above. New nurse came in at 7:00 p.m. Told us that she worked until 7 a.m. and would be there until we had a baby.

Midnight - Checked again, still at 6 cm. Thought my contractions were not strong enough to get me dilated. Decided to give it a little more time before starting Pitocin.

1:00 a.m. - No change, started Pitocin.

2:00 a.m. - Given half a dose of Nubain for the pain.

3:30 a.m. - Fully dilated, started pushing.

4:06 a.m. - Eleanor Lynn arrives! I really can't even describe the moment when I first saw her, it was incredible. Andy got to announce "It's a girl!" and cut the cord. The next few minutes were a blur of activity and excitement. I felt so empowered and kept saying to Andy, "I can't believe I just did that!" All the pain and discomfort seemed to be sent to a separate file in my brain because it felt like the negative stuff was just shut off. (I need to incorporate this skill for times when I'm not giving birth.) It truly was life-changing and it makes me tear up thinking about the experience of giving birth and having a daughter to this day. Welcome Baby Nora, we love you so much!

Good joke

I've had two people tell me to enjoy the last weeks of pregnancy as it will be the last time I get to sleep through the night for a long time. Hello, have you seen my stomach?!?! Sleep through the night??? You must be joking, that has not happened in months. My poor bladder which has been crushed to the holding capacity of a walnut and the disgusting, burp-y, acidic heartburn that seems to be nonstop has not allowed a full nights sleep in what seems like forever. Well, enough complaining. I've been at the computer for 25 minutes and my ankles are completely unrecognizable so time to go prop up my feet ; )

40.5 weeks

So induction day turns out to not be our day. Midwife says conditions "are not favorable" for inducing, which translates to - birthing suites are full and your induction paperwork was not called in to the hospital. We are disappointed for sure, mainly due to the mental preparation that we put into this day, but we know the midwives prefer to let labor begin on its own whenever possible. They also feel that if you induce when baby isn't ready you'll have a longer, more difficult labor, issues tend to come up with blood pressure for mom and stress for baby more frequently and we definitely don't want that. Sigh, I guess I get to be pregnant longer...off to Redbox to get some movies to help pass some time this weekend...

Still nothing....

40 week appointment this morning was about the same as the 38 week appointment. Nothing new to share really. Will start induction with a catheter on Friday (yes, Rory's birthday) if no action before then. Fingers crossed for something to start this week....

The Shelf

Braylen & Gracie enjoying the shelf. It also comes in handy for holding drinks. 39 week appointment tomorrow. Stay tuned....

38 weeks

Midwife said we are 80% effaced and the baby's head was nice and low, at a zero station. It won't be long now....

Busy, busy, busy

Well, no major news from here, just a quick update. Yesterday was quite the productive day for us. All old files and office paperwork was sorted. Final box of misc. nursery things were put away. Downstairs closet cleaned out and we filled two (more) boxes for charity. After that busy morning we rewarded ourselves with lunch at the Mining Co. and some football. Came home and I did a bunch of laundry while Andrew ripped up basement tile, drywall, and removed a few basement steps.

Andrew went to work this a.m. and I greeted our basement waterproofing crew at the house at 9:30 a.m. sharp. It's now noon and they have been jackhammering and pounding away all a.m. The corner of the basement by the staircase has had some water leak in previously and we finally said enough is enough, we had to get it fixed by the pros. Usually on my day off I like to relax in front of the TV for a bit, but since it is basically off-limits today I am a bit stunned with what I've accomplished in 4 hours. Wrapped some birthday gifts, packaged three books for my book exchange, bought curtain rods for the front room (thank you Cyber Monday deals), balanced all three check books and the money market account, and......drum roll please - uploaded, edited and ordered the rest of the 2006 and all of 2007 photos for our photo albums! It was 916 pictures total, a huge amount, and I don't even mind that I still have to do 2008 and 2009. Putting the pictures in albums was a big project I had really hoped to have completed before Cletus arrives and I feel like I just might be able to pull it off now!

Speaking of Cletus, I was having a talk with him/her last night and I said, "Now you just stay nice and snuggled in this whole week and most of the next and then you can come whenever you're ready. Mommy and Daddy have some work stuff to get finished this week and then we can devote all our attention to you." Will the baby listen? Time will tell.... In case not, I'm planning on typing two reports up for work after I finish this post. Maybe someone would call all these projects nesting. I prefer to think of it as wrapping up a bunch of projects that needed to get done with a major deadline looming. 38 week appointment tomorrow, stay tuned...

31, 33, 35, and 36.5 weeks pregnant

Oops, we missed 29 weeks somehow. I did attach a bonus thirty-six and a half week photo though. I stuck that one in there as I was told 3 times today at work that I had "dropped." ??? Maybe, maybe not, I do know I've been running to the bathroom even more frequently. And no comments on the attire of the pajama pants photos - I'll admit, I am turning into the least stylish pregnant lady ever!

Getting ready

So the nursery, or baby room as Andy calls it, is pretty much ready. It is so strange to be getting a room in your house ready for someone you don't even know....