Baby Bean's Arrival

He is here! 

Our little bean has made his debut. Actually it took me a long time to get blogging again so he's nearly 4 weeks now. But I'm backtracking and posting his birth story first.....
He was born on a cold Thursday and came without too much of a fuss. My parents and K were there during labor and the rest of the family arrived as I was pushing, just in time to meet our little guy.
He was as perfect as could be! Red, squealing, with a giant cone head that had a little bit of dark hair. Although now it's a normal head with more of a light brown with red tint like momma. :) He was cuddled and kissed and loved all around. I'm so glad that part of our experience was fairly easy and so amazing!

The next few days proved to be a little harder for me.

 Right before I delivered, my blood pressure was up. Actually the last few weeks before we had him, my blood pressure had been sporadically high. My protein tests were normal so I wasn't technically deemed preeclampsia. I chose to be induced 2 days before my due date. I was really wishy washy on that decision and looking back I'm so glad I did. I think it saved Bean and I from further complications and we were at the hospital when I got sick instead of at home. The Dr. said that normally delivery is the treatment for preeclampsia and after I delivered it would most likely go back to normal.
Unfortunately that did not happen. After I delivered, though I felt okay, my blood pressure got worse so they ran tests and monitored my blood pressure every hour. My Dr. put me on a blood pressure pill which helped the numbers, but my bloodwork came back with my liver enzymes a little high and everything else normal. So I was being watched some more and if things didn't improve I had to be put on IV magnesium. If things were better, I could go home.  The next day we were supposed to go home, I felt fine, we packed our bags up, had my parents come take some "going home pictures" for us.

My Dr. came in and said "You are really not going to like me." My liver enzymes had increased, though everything else was normal and I wasn't having enough fluid output. I had postpartum preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome.  In a matter of minutes, I was hooked up to magnesium IV, had more blood drawn and was told to be prepared for the medicine to make me feel like I had been hit by a semi.
They were not joking.

Bean was released, which meant we could not utilize the nursery to give us a break. The nurses were nice enough to give us extra diapers and wipes. I could not get out of bed except to pee and had to have someone drag my IV stand with me when I went because I nearly hit the floor from being so dizzy if I stood up. K was on his own in taking care of Bean.The first night on the IV, my mom (who had just left the hospital) came back over and stayed with us. I was still trying to breastfeed, my milk was coming in, and I could barely hold him because of the medicine making me blurry and weak. So after a long, horrible night, my mom got me the equipment and I pumped so that K could take over feedings. The next day, my numbers were still not improving so they kept me on the IV another 24 hours. This time my mom and K's mom switched and my mother in law came to help drag me to the bathroom and help K with little Bean. It was a long two days. Finally on Tuesday morning, I was able to come off the IV and rest. If things looked okay, I was going home that evening. I was determined to go home by this point!
A few hours off the medicine and I felt much better. We took our second set of "going home pictures" and ran out of there as fast as possible.

Later I googled all about HELLP Syndrome and the postpartum preeclampsia which turns out is pretty rare, especially the HELLP. Most people get that after they've gone home and have blurred vision, or even seizures. The IV medicine was keeping me from seizing and helping my liver enzymes to return to normal. I'm so grateful that my Dr. caught everything early and I was so well taken care of. It was so nice to be back at home and begin our life as a family of three. 

Waiting....

This is our last week waiting for our little boy's arrival!

Kyle was off this weekend so we have been purposefully lazy, playing with the soon to be neglected pups, using up restaurant gift cards from Christmas, and stocking up on some groceries. 

The nursery has been "kind of" done for a while, but mainly it's been storing things to sort. I got it cleared out enough today to take some pictures to share. I started out with a blue and red vintage theme. Then it turned into a travel theme, then more things were added and it's just a little boy nursery. I have a tendency to decorate with items I love, even if it's mix matched and random, so it only makes sense that our nursery is the same. 

Anyway, here is our nursery and some of the before/after projects I did: 

BEFORE: Mom gave me an old rocker that she had at her house. I bought new cushions and fabric to recover it. 

AFTER:  Comfy little rocker. Night stand from my mother in law. We were fortunate to only have to buy a crib for furniture. 

Found these cute little handmade bookends at a flea market. A bulldozer and backhoe. Couldn't resist. 

BEFORE: Another flea market find. This ratty little horse just needed some love. 

AFTER: I cleaned the horse up and gave it some new shaggy yarn hair.  It sits next to the little vintage gas pump we found in STL. It opens up with little cubbies for  Baby C to hide his treasures when he is older. The shelves above are full of  vintage toys and items I mostly had around the house.  I got some red clearance under bed storage after Christmas sales and it works perfectly for extra diapers. 

The closet is full of all kinds of cute baby things. I'm sure we will change it around once we start using this room, but for now, it works great for storage. The other closet still has Kyle's things in it so we will re work the closets once that is empty.  

Here is our changing table we made from the dresser we got from my mother in law. I've already changed the peg board storage a few times and I'm sure I will change it more. But for now, this is what we are using with all our bibs, burp cloths, blankets, diapers and wipes in the drawers ready to go. 

I made Kyle take my picture while I was in normal people clothes (for church). Now back to sweatpants and propping up my feet!

 And just for fun, here is Lola, helping me blog. Throughout my entire pregnancy every time Lola snuggles up to my stomach the baby starts kicking. I"m not sure if they will be buddies or enemies. Guess we will find out soon! Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts throughout my pregnancy. Can't wait to share our bundle of joy with you! 

On the Countdown

I started writing a blog post, but this past week has been so terribly awful that it was a really depressing post so I deleted it and instead I'm just going to shout out to those who made this terrible week a little easier to bear! Thank goodness this cold is on it's way out and we'll be snuggling this little boy in less than 2 weeks! 

My coworkers-I was feeling pretty exhausted and run down at work this week with a cold coming on and being swollen and pregnant. My coworkers are great at support, sympathy, helping out with my patients, and keeping my mind off of things. I had to take off Thursday and they covered my schedule and checked on me throughout the day. I'm grateful to work for a great dental office with great girls!

My friends- After I posted how sick I was on facebook and asking for prayers, I found there are so many sweet friends, old and new, that had kind words and thoughts for me. It kept me from burying my head in the pillow and crying the whole day long. Kind words can go a long way, never hesitate to give them. 

My mom & sister- By Saturday I was feeling a little better so my mom and sister came over for our last "girls shopping day" before we are slowed down by this little guy and his stroller, diaper changes, and hungry demands. Although I think my waddle and many bathroom trips slowed us down anyway. But it was great to get out of the house and pick up some last minute baby things.  

My friend, Kiersten- Thank you for bringing me medicine today! My friends have all offered to stop by and help with anything, even though they are packed full in their own lives right now. It's so great to have their love and helping hands when I need it. 

Most of all, Kyle- Poor guy has had sinus problems on and off himself. He has had to do nearly everything for me, especially this week and he's doing it without an argue. I know we are both exhausted, anxious, and our patience for each other is wearing thin. He has been running errands, taking care of the dogs, picking up things I drop, living off frozen pizzas, and watching my once cute face puff up. Plus being busy at work, working a new area of town and I"m sure having his own daddy worries for the big day.  I don't know how I  would have survived the end of this pregnancy without him. I'm a lucky girl. 

A New Year

I love that every time a new year rolls around, we are given a chance to reevaluate our lives and see where we want to change or wipe our slate clean and try again. I don't usually get caught up in making "resolutions" because it seems no matter how many times I want to "exercise more" it fizzles out as soon as I get a stuffy nose or the wind blows to the north.

 But still, I like to use this time to think about how the previous year went and where I want to be in the new year. Obviously this year will be totally different because we are going to be assuming a new role of "mommy" and "daddy." Ahh! I can't wait!  But what a responsibility! I am not buying the "martyr mother" idea that no matter what, everything is now all about my child. 

Before you jump at me, of course my child's safety, health, and cute little toes will be top of my priorities. But  I believe that my relationship with God and how I use that to be a good mother and wife should be the dominating priority. God has gifted me this child, and one day, I will be held responsible to how I bring him up in the teachings, and the example I show him and others as a woman in Christ. 

6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. (Deuteronomy-Moses instructing the Israel on what God expects of them and how they are to use the 10 Commandments and God's teachings.) 

  

 In my daily life, this will be a big shift. Because honestly, last year I did not study the bible daily, I did not spend my time in prayer as I should, and I let several things take priority over that relationship (including this pregnancy) Oh how I have selfishly taken this gift of a child, given myself credit, and many days not given God first thought. 

So in light of a new year, I am striving to do better at keeping myself fueled spiritually so that I can show love and patience and knowledge to my family. As I embark on these new mommy challenges and the obstacles  it will bring to our marriage, I pray that I can accept the grace given to me and give God rule over my entire day, not just when I remember to throw Him in. 

As an added note: I have the YouVersion Bible App on my phone. It has a section with "plans" There are all kinds of bible reading, devotions, and topics that help you with your daily time in the Word. There are short term devotions for a few days or longer ones, that go through a whole year. You can even set a reminder for a certain time of the day to remind you to read your devotion. I set mine for a time I am usually checking facebook. If you are thinking about digging in to a new study, or just dipping your toes in, I think it would be a great place to start. 

And yes I know I'm behind on baby updates, shower blogs, and nursery reveals. I"ve been going through extreme spurts of energy and "yay! this baby is coming soon!" excitement, followed by hours of complete exhaustion and stress over "oh crap this baby is coming soon!"  lethargic type panic. So blogging has been forgotten, as well as why keeping candles away from flammable decor is a good idea, and where to put the BBQ sauce (not in the doggie storage corner). I'm sure Kyle is glad we work opposite hours so he only has to deal with crazy wife part of the time. He's been a real trooper though and I know he's getting excited to meet this little guy! 

Backyard Photos: Winter 2013 Edition

Can you believe it's December already? I love December. I'm finding time to do some of my Christmas preparations in between the heartburn, back pain, and lack of energy. I scaled down my decorations this year, knowing I won't feel like putting them away later. Kyle will raise his eyebrows and say "scaled down?" when he reads this. Yes dear, this is scaled down. 

3rd trimester has been interesting. I have been eating sweets like they are going out of style. This child moves constantly. I mean all the time. I'm not sure how I'll keep up with him when he arrives. Sleep is a thing of the past and finding a comfortable position even sitting on the couch is nearly impossible. My mood changes in the matter of seconds and it's no wonder my husband has officially traded me in for his beloved iPad. Between all that, baby and I are still healthy and we are just weeks away from meeting!

I've been wanting to be sure and get our backyard winter photos in while I can still walk to the backyard. 

When the snow was flurrying down yesterday, I knew this weekend would be the perfect time to get out our tripod and work on our photos. So today, with a clear sky and inches of snow still blanketing our 3 acres, we braved the cold and went out for a photo shoot. Since we aren't doing professional maternity photos, we just added that into our winter photos like we did for the fall photos. I think they still turned out pretty cute.  If you can't tell, we are just super excited to meet this little guy! 

Showing Kindness

Kyle and I have the best family and friends. They have all been so encouraging and helpful as we navigate the ending of our "married with dogs" life and move into "cutest couple ever with a kid" life. However I have found that I have really been grateful for the kindness of strangers these past few weeks. 

It seems that sometimes we expect those close to us to be the ones who ask how we are doing, to give us compliments, and build us up. I don't want to say we take it for granted, but sometimes it feels like "what they are supposed to do." So when it comes, we take it in, with little impact on our day. 

It's when a stranger or an acquaintance do these things that it really gets our attention. For example:

Last week I was feeling exceptionally yucky. My back was hurting, I wasn't sleeping a lot, heartburn, not fitting into my maternity jeans that fit last week...it was all weighing in. I had a patient that chatted with me about babies and pregnancy things. When I finished cleaning her teeth, as she was leaving, she took a look at me and said in a very heartfelt manner, "Oh you just look great, you look so healthy!  I expect to see pictures when I come in next time!" I nearly teared up. This lady's demeanor was so sincere and in this one statement, my day was made.

I thought about how wonderful this lady made me feel at a time when I'm starting to lose all feeling of beauty. (I'm sorry, I may be "cute and pregnant" to you all, but no one feels pretty when they are panting like a dog, and seriously contemplating calling in backup to get themselves out of their jeans.") The point is, sometimes all we need is the right person to give us that boost.
As I shared before, my girl's group is doing a season of serving.  I've been trying to focus myself out of the greed of the holidays and turn my thoughts towards striving to live out the Fruits of the Spirit.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control." Galations 5:22a

When you think about Christmas shopping, driving in busy traffic, shuffling around to extended family holiday events, and squeezing something  in every minute of our calendar, you don't think of these character descriptions do you? I think, frustrated, spiteful, annoyed, short tempered, red haired crazy is more like it.
But God says for the Spirit to be evident in our lives, or in other words, for others to see that we are Christ followers, we must strive to live out these characteristics.

If you are looking for a way to serve others this season, it doesn't have to be a big event or cost money. Let's choose kindness. Instead of getting caught up in the bustle of our daily schedules, try to really "see" the people we come in contact with. Look for opportunities to give sincere compliments. You never know when you've caught someone feeling low and your caring thought might just turn their day around.

9 weeks to go! Ultrasound day.

Oh no he didn't....

I change back into my sweatpants and walk into the kitchen after getting home from my appointment. There is a gallon of milk left sitting out on the counter. I immediately grab my phone to text Kyle about his big mistake. Luckily I stop myself. 

Kyle had his bowl of cereal at 7:30am and I drank milk with my waffles at 9:30am. Hmm. Must have been my fault. Again. Shoot. 

I might have been a little distracted this morning because it was ultrasound day! 

First of all I had to find something to wear. This is not an easy task. It must be comfortable obviously. It can't be too tight so that my Dr. doesn't see that I squish myself into my clothes just to look cute. But it must be as cute and fashionable as the other pregnant mom's in the waiting room. Do these girls dress like this all the time or, like me, do they just get out of their sweatpants for Dr. appointment days? After my waffles and milk and choosing outfit #12 with a scarf to distract, we were ready to go. 

 The ultrasound was amazing. We got to see Baby C yawn! We could see him putting his little fingers in his mouth. His foot looked huge on the screen, but my ribs could have told you that. The best part was that my mom and dad were able to come with us! Everything was on track and he is on the small side of average for size and weight. It was a smooth appointment except for when I accidentally (and loudly) kicked over a stool getting onto the Dr. table, causing the nurse to come running over making sure I was okay. Yes, ma'am, just being my clumsy self. Thank goodness I didn't break anything in the exam room. Although I"m on a good streak considering the computer mouse and instrument I dropped this week at work. Not to mention the big bowl of dog food that flew out of my hands and all over the kitchen floor. I choose to blame the pregnancy, but my family would say the evidence of my pre pregnancy life suggest it's just me. *Insert memory of waving a flaming spatula in the air. 

It's hard to believe we are less than 10 weeks away from meeting our little guy. Our schedule is completely packed until January with holiday events, baby showers, and our "to do" lists. Hopefully we can take a cue from these two fluff balls and squeeze in as much resting as we can before our lives are turned upside down in the most exciting way!