Baby V Has Arrived

Wednesday morning, September 19th dawned just as most mornings do when you are 9 months pregnant:  with an early trip to the restroom.  Only this time, my water was leaking and I knew it was today that our baby would be born.

The funny thing was that I was hoping that she would wait until the 19th or later so that I could deliver her at the new hospital (10 minutes away versus 30-50).  They opened the 19th at 8 am.

I packed my suitcase and we got the kids off to school, then headed over to the hospital

 I knew that a new hospital would still have glitches and hiccups, but it was definitely more than I expected.  There were people everywhere, trying to get everything going that first day.  It made doing everything slower than usual.  There were also nurses from many different hospitals.  They were all GREAT nurses when it came to patient care, but they all had a learning curve on the new systems and paperwork.

I have had my water break twice before (with K and J) and both experiences were somewhat similar.  This was different.  By 3 pm, I was contracting on my own and they had intensified, but they were still far apart (10 minutes or so).  And, by this point I was STARVING and tired.  They started Pitocin and the contractions did pick up.  :)

At the very end, I decided I was ready for an epidural.  I didn't know it was so close, but those last couple of contractions were so much better.  :)

She was born at 5:31 pm--the first baby ever born in the new hospital.  :)

 That night, my sister brought K, C, and J over to see their new sister.  They were so excited.  You can see C's face is just radiating.  They were all so excited!

 This is the first time I have had a baby while S and family live close.  I love my sister and I am sooooooo glad!

 K could hold her all day long.  I am grateful for the bond they already share.

Unfortunately and frustratingly for me, they kept me a second night at the hospital.  CK went home this time and brought the three kids up to see her and I and to eat dinner together.

 Here they are eating pizza together.  CK then went home and stayed with them overnight.

This is the next morning:  They told us we could go home right away in the morning.  Nope.  Darn new hospital again.  There are a lot of systems and bugs to work out and it took hours to discharge us.  I was so ready to get home!

 After we got home, she had her first home visitors, the W family.  These lovely girls/woman have been our friends for years.  It was appropriate that they were the first to visit at home.

 Yesterday, K also came over to see her.  She is another amazing woman that I have been friends with for years and years.  Again so appropriate that she was among the first to see V.

 This gorgeous quilt is what K gave her at my baby shower.  Wow!  She has such talent and this blanket is beautiful!!!

 Also yesterday, Grandma K flew in from Idaho.  This is the first time that V met her Grandma K.  We are all grateful that V got here before Grandma.  :)

This is my only gift for having Baby #1, a cute diaper cake.  A year's supply would have been better, but this was a great memento, too.

 This was V this morning, ready for church.  She looked so cute with a dress on.  :)

 Also, this is her first Cowboys game.  It was played this afternoon, but we won't watch it until later (the Sabbath day).  But, in honor of the occasion, I put a Cowboys onsie underneath her dress.  :)

And, another time with Grandma. :)

That will bring her up to day 4 of her life!  :)  She has almost been alive for 4 whole days---almost to the minute.  :)

Weekend away

We stay in hotels enough that we had earned a couple of free nights.  We didn't realize that they expired.  We had been kind of hoarding those nights for a weekend away with just CK and I, but the summer was crazy and we always had 1-4 kids and/or a vacation and....etc..  

We were then going to use them when we visit A, but an email came stating they expire at the end of this month.  YIKES!  We didn't want them to go to waste and we'd already paid for a non-refundable room for CK and A a few weeks ago.

So, we decided to take K, C, and J during our weekend with them and surprise them with a night away.  We had two nights, so we just used them on two rooms.  They were so excited.  :)  We didn't do much...we didn't even go far (I am supposed to be close to the hospital just in case)...but we enjoyed some relaxing time together.

Friday night, we checked in, K unpacked, and we loved the rooms.

 
 Then, we went out to dinner.  It was difficult to get a consensus, but finally everyone decided that they could find something yummy if we did breakfast.  Denny's was a couple miles away, so off we went.

 After dinner, we went back to the hotel, relaxed a little, then got ready to go swimming.  The hot tub was hot and the pool was cool.  I mostly just sat and watched and took pictures.  I tried sticking my legs in the hot tub, but even that was too much for my prego body.

 The kids all loved it, though.  For the most part, we were the only ones in the pool area and that was fun, too.

 

 

 C wanted me to get him jumping into the water.  It took a few tries to get the timing right, but we did it!

 The jump (above) and the splash (below).

 And...my belly.  My maternity swimsuit has definitely gotten great use this summer.  It is worth the money I spent (those swimsuits are expensive!).

 We got back and relaxed for a bit before bed.  The TV was on some, but the electronic devices (sigh) were really what they wanted to do.  CK and I watched football in the other room (Go Aggies!).

 Finally, and perhaps the highlight....breakfast.  The kids love hotel buffet breakfasts, so that was one of the two things on our criteria to find this hotel:  swimming pool and breakfast.  They ate and ate and loved it.  J's eyes were bigger than his stomach, but I think we all were happy and satisfied.  :)

After breakfast, we had to check out early, as two wonderful women that we have gotten to know were getting baptized that morning.  We wanted to be there to support them, so we left a little early.

All in all, though, it was a great and relaxing night and it is always nice to get away once in a while.  We get to stay frequently in hotels with A, since we stay there every time we visit, but our other three kids rarely get to so it was a huge treat.  We are blessed.

Baby Quilt and Baby Shower

I have some of the best friends ever.  With all the busyness of life and with me moving 10 miles away, there are many dear friends that I don't get to see or talk to very often.  With the changes in life as our kids grow up, none of us have the same time to devote to friendships and I miss that terribly.  I am not nearly as social as I have always been and I feel that I have fewer friends than I have ever enjoyed.

BUT....I am wrong!

First, Monday.  I go to quilting at a dear friend's home usually every week.  She is so gracious to open her home and to share her expertise.  I have quilts I started for three of the kids when the divorce was happening (3 years ago) that I am very close to finishing...but not quite yet.  I went Monday to quilting.  I not only love working on my project, I also love the association with the women that also go.

Monday, I was sitting there sewing and chatting with my good friends, including J who had driven over....and all of a sudden I hear, "Happy Baby to you.  Happy Baby to you...."  It took me a minute to recognize that they were singing for me!  G had made yummy cookies and served them with milk.  And, 5 of my closest friends, my sewing buddies, had worked together to sew a gorgeous quilt for me.  :)  I love that each square has their love and personalities within them.  :)  Thank you, G, T, J, A, and K!

Then, Tuesday was my baby shower.  I did not expect a baby shower.  As I mentioned above, I had been feeling like I didn't have any close friends any longer.  When S (my sister) and 3 of my dear friends mentioned that they were planning one, I was shocked.  I was even more shocked when Tuesday came and so many friends arrived.  I felt so loved and my little girl is loved, too!  :)  Because it was held during the day, I had numerous other friends unable to make it because of work.  I am blessed beyond measure.  I cherish the friendships and these women so much.  I was also worried that I wouldn't have enough blankets for her.  I really didn't have any.  Surprise again!  Blankets came...many handmade (Thanks K, M, M, and A) and many store bought- each one full of love.  I had super cute outfits, a handmade Halloween tutu outfit, and a bunch of handmade and crocheted burp clothes.  I also have some diapers and some bath supplies.  And, 3 of my friends contributed money to go towards the car seat/stroller combo.  S (my sister) and her family gave me a swing and a bassinet, both perfect for what we need.  WOW!  So loved!!

I did not take pictures, but many were taken.  Once I get them, I will add to this post....at least that is my plan!

Scout Crossover and Arrow of Light

Last night, C had his official crossover into boy scouts.  He has been an 11-year-old scout for two months, but the ceremony to go from cubs to boy scouts was held last night.

As I prepared to load pictures for that ceremony, I found some other pictures that I had not yet uploaded and talked about--including C's Arrow of Light ceremony from June.  Arrow of Light is one of the highest achievements that you can earn as a cub scout and is one of or the only one that you can take with you on your scout uniform.  I am proud of him for the extra work that it took for him to earn this arrow.  :)

So, here's the Arrow of Light Ceremony from June:

 I miss this woman so much...The cubmaster moved since this ceremony.  She is missed by all.

 

 

Now for the crossover ceremony last night.  He officially moved from being a cub (Webelo) to being a boy scout.  They did a great job with their welcome.  Brother N is great.  I hope he stays in charge for the entire time that C is a boy scout.  I am very impressed with him.

 Here he is crossing over, with the boy scouts waiting to receive him:

 Now they are putting on the new neckerchief, a symbol of his crossover.

 After they changed his neckerchief and bands, they had him take his parents across.  I can't believe that it is difficult to see my big belly....38 weeks pregnant!

I am soooooo proud of him and his desire and love of scouting.  I know that it will help him to mature into a responsible man.  I am grateful for him and his example to me.  I am so blessed.

Maternal Observation

So...Wednesday and Thursday I noticed a significant decrease in the amount of movements my baby girl was having, but she was still moving, so I decided not to worry too much.

But, last night, overnight, and this morning, I didn't feel her really at all.  When I woke up at 4 am, I spent most of the next two hours trying to get her to move-poking, prodding, shaking...whatever it would take.  She moved a couple of times, after some very aggressive work.

This morning, she wasn't moving very much at all again.  I was hoping she was just resting and cramped and that all was okay, but after eating, drinking something cold, eating sugary stuff and lying on my left side for quite a while, I still hadn't felt her.  I decided it was better safe than sorry and called my OB.

They recommended for me to go to the hospital for Maternal Observation.  That was where I was leaning, too.  It is better to know she is okay than to wonder and find out she was in distress and something drastic happened to her.

So, we went.  Her heartbeat was fine.  Good first sign.  :)  Of course, AS SOON as they hooked me up to the monitors, she moved more than she had in 48 hours combined.  She has always hated the dopler and monitors, so I shouldn't be surprised.  But, what a relief!

To be sure, however, they did an ultrasound, too.  She was "breathing" fine--another sign of potential distress is if they stop that practice breathing.  She has plenty of fluid and there were no other signs of trouble.  PHEW!!!!

The nurses and doctor all said to NEVER ignore signs.  If it happens again to come back in-- not to just assume she is still okay.  I am very glad we went.  I was hoping that all would be well and it is, but there was a SMALL chance that something was terribly wrong and it was better to check it out.  I would do it all again..in a heartbeat.  Her being okay is worth more than any extra time spent or even feeling a little silly when all is well.

And my healthy girl has chubby cheeks, a foot pushing out on my uterus (I see that and feel that!), and weights approximately 6 lbs, 6 0z.  :)  18 days until due date.  I can't wait to meet her!

An Angel and A Best Friend

Years ago, Heavenly Father sent me an angel.  She has been there for me through ups and downs-including the divorce and all it entailed.  I listened to an old General Conference talk by Elder Holland (of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles) from October 2008 this morning.  This was in the middle of my heartaches and I felt like many of his words were just for me.  One thing he talked about was those mortal angels that God places in our paths to provide us with the love and comfort that He would provide if He were here.

J is one of my angels.  Our friendship is so amazing to me and I just am in awe of her goodness and what a great friend she is to me.  

But, J moved.  About an hour and half away.  :(  This was what was best for her family and I knew that-but it was still difficult to see her go.  

Since I had not seen her new home, the kids and I packed up in the morning and drove to visit their family an hour and a half away.  So worth it!!!!  Our kids played (or hung out) well together and we got to visit one-on-one and not just over the phone.

 Unfortunately, the two pictures we took did not turn out great, but they are here- as a reminder of the visit and of our friendship.

See the belly?  That was a month ago!  I am bigger now!  Thanks, J, for hosting us and letting us come over!  J is truly one of my very dearest friends.  She understands me and uplifts me in a way that few have ever done for me.  I am blessed.

Before A left: end of July 2012

 After coming home from our trip, we had one day with A before she went back to her mom's.  This was the last time K, C, J, and I have seen her.  CK was able to fly out there and spend last weekend with her, but the airlines and doctors don't look to kindly on flying at 37 weeks pregnant!

A has been so great at accepting everyone as her mom, siblings, aunts, cousins, etc.  She has such as huge heart and is so easy to love.  It just comes naturally.  :)  Because of this, she loves to see the S's!!  We are grateful that we were able to spend time together during that one day home.

 A had been wanting to try our favorite local ice cream place.  We agreed that we would take her sometime this trip...even if it was that last day before she went home.  So, that is when it was.  We all headed over and all the kids ate and said good-bye (we had to drop off K, C, and J with their dad).  One of my favorite parts of this picture is J's chin.  Classic!

 Finally, I have a tradition of taking one picture a month of each child to show their age as they grow.  We call it "number days."  We missed A's actual day, but we got a picture before she left!  101 months!  Wow!  She is growing!

I miss A a lot.  I am grateful that I do, for it shows the strong bond that we have developed.  She calls me "mom" and I appreciate her great love for me.  She is a very talented and loving girl.  I wish that we lived closer.  So much of the heartache of my divorce has lessened or gone away through the grace of God, time, and the healing of the atonement of Jesus Christ.  But, some things will never be quite "right."  Some things will always hurt.  For us, that is having one of our children living 700 miles away and three of our other children going back and forth from house to house.  Missing A is one of those huge heartaches in our lives, but it is the life that we are leading.

September

September is here!!!

This means almost 100% that our baby will be born sometime THIS month!  :)  We are excited to meet her.

Her due date is September 25, making me 3 1/2 weeks away, but I have never made it to a due date.  My gut feeling has been, however, that she will be born sometime in the September 20's.  I still feel like it will be a while, but I have been having painful and frequent -sometimes every couple minutes- contractions-although none lasting more than a second or two at a time.

CK is spending this weekend with A.  We don't want him to miss the birth of our baby daughter.  After much prayer, we both feel that it will be okay and that she won't be born this weekend-- AS LONG as I take it easy and rest most of the weekend.  It seems like if I am not obedient to the Lord's counsel, that she, indeed, could come early.  I think it is a test of my faith.  As I spend the day with a million projects zooming around in my head and a completely empty house to work with, it is a challenge for me not to get up and work, especially since the contractions stop when I lie down (which is the point, right?).  With those contractions stopped, it is easy to think that the danger has passed and I can get up, but I KNOW what our counsel was and I WILL take it easy this weekend.

And then---just you watch---she will be born late...the beginning of October!  That would be okay, as long as CK can be there!  :)

Day 15: Going Home, July 26, 2012

After all the adventures and all the fun and all the craziness, it was time (ready or not) to head home.  Again, we followed doctor's orders and stopped every hour and a half for me to walk.  Luckily, we found some parks like this along the way that allowed the kids to play while I walked - even thought it was really, really hot!

As mentioned in a previous post, we got about halfway home when a light came on in our car, regarding the transmission.  After talking to mechanics, we headed home, only to have the light return-so we headed back to the bigger city (heading AWAY from home!)  Here are K, A, and J waiting in the tiny kids' area of the dealership.  They were such troopers.  I was tired and worried that we'd have to stay somewhere overnight.

Luckily, after diagnosis, they found it was the sensor that was bad, not the transmission!  Thank-you!  We wasted 3+ hours, but we were on our way again.

And, we made it home.  Safe and sound.  And exhausted, but we made it!  :)

Day 14: Temple and time with A & C: July 25, 2012

Day 14 was a special day.  CK and I left early and headed the hour south to get to the Denver Temple.  This was the temple of my youth.  I have spent hours there planting flowers on the grounds and performing baptisms within the temple.  This is also where I received my endowments in 1997 and went with my sister when she received hers in 2002, which was the last time that I had been here.  Every temple is special to me, but, with all that history, visiting this one was particularly tender.

 Isn't it beautiful???

 After CK and I did a session, we met K and Grandma L outside.  Grandma had driven K down to be able to go and perform baptisms inside the temple.  That was a special experience, indeed.  CK was able to baptize her and Grandma and I were able to watch.

 Later that evening, Grandma and Grandpa prepared a Barbecue for the kids and CK and I went out with A and C.  When we got home, they were all around the firepit roasting marshmallows.  That moment passed too quickly for a picture.  :(

 As mentioned before, A has been my best friend for 22 years.  Other friends have come and gone throughout the years, but we are still best friends, even with distance separating us for the last 18 years.  We have seen each other through ups and downs, heartaches and joys, kids and jobs.  She is such a blessing to me.  Good thing that I love her hubby, C, as well.  CK and C get along well and that is a blessing, also.

 After dinner, the night was beautiful and the inside of the house was still hot and stuffy, so we opted to play croquet.  It was a blast.  C was really good and quickly became poison.  It became quite a friendly competition.

 I love C here in front of us while we get ready for the picture.  :)

 While we were busy playing, A and J were busy playing as well.  They were creating with rocks and sticks and leaves.  Now I don't remember what exactly they were creating, but they had a lot of fun.  J misses A so much.  He is counting down the days until we see her-which won't be until November!!!!  I love that all four children have accepted each other so completely as siblings.  This is a blessing that will continue throughout their lives and eternity, I am sure.

 K was our photographer and she got a great shot of my prego belly.

I can't believe I didn't take more group pictures throughout our stay.  I hurried to take one right before bed on our last night.  It was obviously fuzzy and not well-lit.  :(  But, it is the only one I have with my mom and dad and our four kids.

Time for bed-then time for home.