A Name & A Blessing

On Sunday November 27th 2011

I witnessed my husband give our daughter

a name & a blessing,

A moment I have waited a very long time for!

Labor & Delivery

Tuesday November 8th, I went out the dinner with some family to Sweet Tomatoes, one of my favorite places to go. I had been up since 4am that morning not able to sleep so I just got up and got ready for the day so I was ready to go home and crash after dinner. When I left home, I was having contractions but they were sporadic and not very consistent. During dinner, my back started hurting and I was noticing they were about 30 minutes apart. So I sat through my dinner while my sister rubbed my lower back for me.... we got home from dinner around 9ish and I changed into my pajamas and planned to just take it easy on the couch and watch the news before bed. As I sat down on the couch I had a contraction and as soon as I laid my head down I was out only to be woken up 15 minutes later by a killer contraction that sent me leaping off the couch and feeling like I was about to pee my pants. So I headed to the bathroom and noticed some bleeding that caused some concern. So I called my doctor and told her about this and that my contractions were about 15 minutes apart. She advised me to come in and told me that she was going to keep me since I was overdue 5 days already and was set to be induced just days later.....

Fast Forward to about 10:15pm, we arrived at Copley through the ER and enjoyed a fast paced wheel chair ride to labor & delivery thanks to the nurse who was walking rather quickly, Dennis and my sister had a hard time keeping up. I got registered, put in a room and was ready to go.

I was already dilated to a 3 and was pretty well effaced with contractions about 3 minutes apart at this point. At 11pm the Dr was called and I was told that if I had not made any progress by 4am they would start me on pitocin. The Dr came in to break my water when I was dilated to a 4, I think somewhere around 2am or so..... 4am came and went and we didn't need the pitocin at this point as my body was doing what it was supposed to do. Guess I will throw in here that it took 3 nurses and the anesthesiologist to get my IV going as I had my veins blown 5 times before the called in the professional who had to put the IV in, in the middle of my arm.

5:30 am....pain from the contractions was starting to get unmanageable so I asked for an epidural. As soon as that was in we turned off the lights for a nap...well everyone else napped but me. I was relaxed but unable to sleep, who would at this point with all the excitement. I was super comfy and warm though!

The rest of the labor and delivery is kind of a blur from here....I remember the Dr coming in around 7am before her shift was over to check me and I was an 8 at this point....I remember sort of dozing off and walking up to feeling the baby move down lower than she had been. I didn't feel pressure like everyone says you will I just remember it feeling weird. So they called the Dr in to check and I was already at a 10. So my nurse did some practice pushes with me and 30 minutes later at 11:03am on November 9th Lydia Kate was born weighing 8lbs 7oz, a complete shock that I had just given birth to such a big baby! I didn't get to hold her right away because the cord was around her neck and I needed to get stitched up which then led to about an hour of shaking from me so profusely that my sister said my lips turned blue and I had 5 heated blankets on me and 3 people rubbing my legs and my grandmother draped over me trying to get me warm and to get the shaking to stop. Turns out I had a fever and my white blood cell count was high, later to find out I had corioamnititis, an infection in my placenta which was caused from labor.

As a result of this, I was put on antibiotics and kept for three days. Lydia was monitored and was found to be ok, just jaundiced.

That's my labor and delivery story and I would totally do it all over again! Even though I was up for 36 hours straight and don't really remember the few visitors we had the evening being there, I spent most of that night holding Lydia and just staring at her like I was dreaming.

Lydia Kate Larson

She's here and I am IN LOVE! I am loving everything about my precious baby girl. Here is a picture for now until I get a little more time to sit down and tell her birth story (which I can't really complain about!). For now I am busy staring into those gorgeous light eyes which I think will be blue. Who do you think she looks like?

Stats:

12 hours of labor, 30 min pushing and our princess of 8 pounds 7 oz. 21 in. long was born at 11:03am on Wednesday November 9th, 2011.

40 weeks and 1 day

Well, made it to my due date and then some.....my last appointment was on my actual due date. Only dilated to a 2, Dr wanted to strip my membranes and I said no thanks! So she did an ultra sound to check the fluid and hooked me up to the monitor for a half hour to listen to the baby's heart beat to make sure everything was good, and of course everything was great! She won't let me go more than a week overdue so our little girl is set to be evicted next Friday, 11/11/11 if she doesn't decide to appear before then. I am hoping she doesn't because that would be one sweet birthday!

I continue to have sporadic contractions that don't last long and haven't amounted to anything yet. We went out to dinner for my birthday last night and I was having a few but they were more like quick sharp pains, nothing I was able to count. I am getting lots of back and hip pains now which leads to a nice warm bath at the end of the day to help me relax.

So for now we are just waiting for her to arrive....hard to believe she will be sitting in my arms for sure this time next week!

The Larsons......60 years from now

Here is our Halloween costume this year. We decided to go as an old couple. I managed to hide the bump with a black sweater and Dens grandmas blazer and hunched over a cane (not a good idea when 9 months pregnant, I felt it the next day). I did such a great job no one knew it was us. This masks are awesome! The mouth moves and everything, making it freakishly real.

39 Weeks

As I write this post, I am 39 weeks and 4 days and currently still pregnant. 2 friends due after me have already had their babies, one is currently in labor as we speak and I am glad its not me! I really didn't want her birthday to be on Halloween.

I am starting to get more uncomfortable and have been having a lot of contractions while walking. Grocery shopping is now impossible by myself and housework is obsolete. She is getting lower and lower and I am reminded of that when I stand up. At my last appointment on Thursday I was still at a 1 and was told they would most likely see me at my next appt, my due date. I am being patient though, knowing she will come when she is ready but its kinda crazy wondering when she will finally come, my birthday is Friday and 11-11-11 would also be a cool day to be born. I often wonder if I will need to be induced because my body won't go into labor on its own and she will just be too late. Its crazy to think if she is 2 weeks late, she will be born the week before Thanksgiving!

It's hard to imagine that I could be holding a newborn in my arms any day now!

Sneak Peak @ nursery

Here is a quick peak at Lydias room. There are still a few minor things that need to be done like

install her ceiling fan, make her bookshelves, put the giant box of diapers away, get the picture frames that will be hanging in the tree and hang some other shelving but its to the point where it is ready for her is she decides to come early.

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

Final Stretch- Week 35

I am almost 2 weeks behind on posting this as Thursday marks week 37. I had a Dr appointment last Monday, was told I was dilated to 1 and my Dr. sent me for an ultrasound because I was measuring small.....saw little Lydia on Wednesday and she weighed in around 6lbs and looked great! She was moving all over the place and had her little hands by her chin the whole time.

Had Braxton Hicks contractions last night, not painful, just a rock hard tummy. Oh and little Lydia entertained my friends this weekend at my Scentsy party and again at our fondue night with her kicking moves. She was making my tummy move side to side like giant waves. My sister thinks she will make one heck of a soccer player with the way she has been kicking me lately. Her new thing is to stretch her butt out on my right side and then her feet on the left, quiet painful if you ask mommy but I think its cute.

We are nearing the end here, she really could come at any time. Her room just has a few minor things to finish and I need to finish getting my hospital bag together. I am getting anxious about labor and delivery. Not knowing what to expect, I just want to get it done and over with and get her settled in at home. I really am going to miss being pregnant and I hope that I get the opportunity to be again someday, it really has been a great experience and I can't complain, I am just now starting to actually feel pregnant. No swollen body parts, can still tie my shoes, have been wearing some non maternity tops and I am still sleeping through the night with 1 bathroom break about halfway through. Don't know if she is just being nice and letting me enjoy the sleep now because she is planning on being up for most of the night or if she is going to be a stellar sleeper like her daddy and I are.

** 6 ** Years

On Saturday, we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary by going to Kuipers Apple Orchard for apple cider doughnuts and honey crisp apples. The funny thing is that we originally intended to spend the gorgeous day picking apples there but when we got out of the car and saw the gigantic line of people waiting to go out, we both agreed that it wouldn't be the end of the world if we didn't pick apples. So we wondered through the shop, munched on some doughnuts, sampled some apples and made a purchase of 2 dozen apple cider doughnuts and a 1/2 peck of my fav apples and headed off to Menards to get some things we needed to finish the baby's room.

We enjoyed spending the day together

and finished it off

with a 3 hour long dinner

@

The Melting Pot.

We left with our bellies full from our last course,

Chocolate fondue with a swirl of peanut butter and probably way to many strawberries & bananas.

And then went home

to enjoy

our food coma!

I am blessed to have spent the last 6 years with such an amazing person

and I look forward

to an eternity more

of

anniversaries!

* The only picture of the day, taken with my crappy phones camera. Our waitress was sweet enough to make us a cute plate of chocolate drizzled strawberries and wrote Happy 6th Anniversary on it.

33 Weeks!!

I just had to post a comparison here to show how much I've grown. The picture on the left is at about 8 weeks and the picture on the right is 33 weeks! I was getting ready for church yesterday and Dennis happened to be standing next to me and made the comment..."WOW, your belly sticks out far!" Yea dude, where have you been?

But

as Lydia continues to grow, I continue to love being pregnant! I am really going to miss it but I hope I will get to experience it again! It has been such an awesome experience and I have cherished every little kick and movement, even if it is at 3am!

Her room is coming along....still not ready to post any pictures, although I should post one of the giant pile of stuff in her room waiting to find a home! I am hoping we make major progress with it this week!

Baby Shower

I had my friends and family baby shower on September 11th hosted by my good friend Nicole with the help of her mom. It was nice to have so many people come to support us and show their love. I am astounded by the amount of clothes and diapers our little one already has! We played games, ate, chatted and spent way too long opening gifts! I did manage to sprain my tow pretty bad on a chair and spent the whole next week limping around as it was swollen and bruised but it seems to be on the mend now. Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures but here is what I managed to get.

*The cupcakes were AMAZING! They were made with cream cheese frosting with chunks of real strawberries in them! I may have had more than one....or two...

30 weeks....

Still no real complaints. No swelling on this body or water retention just a little back pain here and there. Just getting real excited to meet our little girl!

Her room is slowly coming along.....my first shower is next week so hubby and I are hoping to get a good start on her room this weekend since we are actually home and not busy! The tree got painted on today so we will tackle the last of the painting and shelving and I need to figure out closet organization. I might post a picture of how her room is coming along after we have made a dent!

Crunchy and Chocolatey

@ 29 weeks pregnant, I can't get enough of these delicious crunchy chocolatey pebbles! I had 3 bowls yesterday and the box I bought 2 days ago, is about gone!

27 weeks

Wow look at that belly! Here I am at almost 28 weeks. It is starting to get harder to walk, sit up for long periods of time and Lydia doesn't like it when I sleep on my right side. Last night, I got jolted out of bed at 2am from a series of strong kicks from our little girl. I even think I may have had my first experience with Braxton Hicks contractions last night.

Cravings include: peanut butter and fluff sandwiches, pizza ( could eat it for every meal every day), broccoli and cheese and I can't seem to get enough Multigrain Cheerios. I eat at least 2 bowls a day, one which is a pre-bedtime snack now that I am constantly hungry and I seem to get very hungry right before bed.

The bathroom has become the most frequented place for me, there isn't a place we go to that I don't "check out" the bathroom, it gets annoying sometimes! The recliner is my bed friend and I can't seem to make it through the day without some sort of power nap as my tiredness has come back.

Lydias room has been painted but isn't close to be finished yet. I have a friend making her bedding for me which I picked out the fabric for last weekend and I am very excited to see what it is going to look like! We have gotten a car seat, pack n play and jogging stroller for her so far. Both of my showers are next month and I am very excited to start to get things into place for her arrival. I am starting to get a bit nervous about delivery but we have 13 more weeks for that still.

As far as the job front goes, we have decided that it would be best for me to stay home and do the daycare thing again. I have 2 three year olds signed up and am waiting to hear from a family with another 3 yr old and a 10 month old and then we will be complete. For now I am trying to enjoy my last 2 weeks of "summer break" soaking up the rays and relaxing before the hussle and bussle of early mornings and preschool routines start up on the 15th.

23 weeks......

....AND feeling GREAT!!!!

Sisters

After 13 years of not seeing my two younger sisters, Angel and Brianna, I finally got to see them! And of course, all 5 of my sisters are taller than their older sister! Man I am short! (I am standing in a step here).

20 weeks!

Can't believe we are half way there! Our last ultrasound confirmed we are indeed having a girl and I even got Daddy to agree on a name with me! Lydia Kate Larson is winning over our hearts! She is a constant mover and I feel her kicking all the time. I love it! Although, see doesn't like to cooperate very much, my 18 week appointment she wouldn't sit still for the dopplar to pick up her heartbeat so I got to have an ultrasound. I think she just knew mommy wanted to see her. Then at my 20 week appointment, the tech busted out the 3d so we could see her face and she wouldn't move her hands out from in front of her face (last picture)! The whole time they were doing the anatomy survey she kept moving around a lot too. She is very active just like her momma.

This pregnancy has gotten more real for me now that I can feel her kicking. I no longer feel like I am dreaming I am pregnant and I am getting so excited to meet her. All in all, I am feeling pretty great, no complaints here, I actually love being pregnant!

18 Weeks

I feel like this pregnancy is going by fast yet it feels like its dragging on but I am sitting here stunned that I have entered my 19th week already! I have a new love for maternity pants, no zipper makes for easier trips the 900 times I visit the restroom a day. I feel like I am always going to the bathroom......or eating! No major cravings right now just wanting to eat the same kinds of food for now which include golden delicious apples, grape tomatoes with dip, anything peanut butter, grilled cheese sandwiches on oat bread and I have been on a major popcicle kick lately.

So far I have gained 8 pounds, my waist has gone from a 32" to 37"....I am all baby, having actually lost from other areas of my body but there are no complaints here! I feel like she has taken the fat from those parts, leaving muscle to shine through or at least thats what it seems like to me! Is it weird to say I feel "toner" since becoming pregnant?

My 18 week checkup is on Monday and then the following Monday we have our gender determination ultrasound with my ob office, we will see if the place we did our early ultrasound was right and if little girl is still a little girl!

And in the name department, I think we may have settled on a name but I am not going to mention it just yet, maybe that will be the element of surprise for everyone if we wait until she is born!

It's a girl

The first picture is the tell tale pic. The tech said its a girl but daddy thinks that its really a boy, we just didn't get a good view.....so the next ultrasound is in 4 weeks @ my ob office so we will see if its still a girl or if our little boy was hiding the goods on us.

I've Mastered the Art of Going to School

On Saturday, I graduated with my Master of Arts in Education from Olivet Nazarene University. Seems being a teacher gives you a life long adventure of going to school......I have a few things in mind for my next adventure. I want to take my last 3 classes to get middle school endorsed in science and social studies and I think I will get my ELL certificate. I have to defer those student loans some how! lol