Hattie's Birth Story

Today my baby girl is two weeks old.  Two weeks already!  Time seems like it's on a fast track and I'm not sure that I'm ready for all these "final" things.  Like, yesterday, I finished my last pack of newborn diapers ever!  It's so sad, but I'm trying not to dwell on the finals so that I can enjoy the right nows.  But, going back two weeks ago...

I was completely miserable.  I can honestly say as I wrote my last blog post about being "done" with pregnancy that I was crying my eyes out.  I was not sleeping and i wasn't happy and myself even when I was awake.  My doctor's appointment two days before that, I was pretty much blown off my doctor and told to come back on Monday.  They would "try" to get me in to be induced on the following Friday, but it just depended on how busy they were.  First come, first serve apparently!  Anyway, I had been having contractions off and on for a few weeks, but on Friday, I wasn't having any pains at all.  To get my mind off of things, we went in search of an Easter dress for me.  I had waited until the last minute in case I went into labor.

Saturday morning rolls around and I'm still feeling no pains, so we woke early and hid our eggs in the yard for our Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt.  We walked all around our neighborhood with the kids collecting Easter Eggs.

We were back home by lunch and Chris grilled us some cheeseburgers and cooked fries for lunch.  After everyone laid down to take a nap, I decided to go get a refresher on my pedicure.  When I came home, I sat outside to enjoy the beautiful weather.  That's when I started really hurting.  I thought it was just the way I had been sitting outside.  My stomach was always so tight and sometimes when I sat for too long, it would become uncomfortable.  The kids started waking up from naps, so we headed out front to clean out the flower beds.  We needed to get rid of the old mulch and weeds so Chris could get some new mulch over Spring Break.  I was also trying to keep my mind off of being pregnant because I was just THAT miserable.  Chris had mentioned going to the movies, but I just wasn't sure I was up to that.  Even weekends were not that fun anymore.

After finishing that up, Chris came in to take a shower.  I started on our potatoes for supper because they take the longest to make.  After putting them in the oven, I decided to take a long, hot bath because I was still really hurting in my back.  I knew I had a good hour before the potatoes were done so there was no rush.  Chris finished up the steaks and we sat down to eat.  My pain intensified like nothing else.  I could barely eat supper.  After supper, Chris told me to lay down after I took some Tylenol while he gave the kids a bath.  During that 10 minute bath, I finally worked up enough nerve to time the pains I was having.  I completely freaked out when i realized they were 5 minutes apart.  I had never gone into labor on my own, so I wasn't really sure what to expect.  Not to mention, I was having absolutely NO pain in my stomach.  All my pain was in my back.  I decided to call the doctor.  Imagine my disappointment to find out the doctor on call was the one who blew me off on Thursday.  He proceeded to do the same thing with my complaints on Saturday night.  He said I was having some disc pain, common with the more pregnancies you've had, etc, etc.

I tried to take another hot bath, which is what the doctor suggested, but during that time, my pain was getting worse and starting to be felt in my stomach.  They were also coming every 3 minutes by this time. I told Chris that I felt like I really needed to go.  I was just so nervous that we'd get to the hospital, dragging 3 kids out at night, and it would be nothing.  I called the doctor again and by the time he called me back, I was having a pain so bad that I couldn't talk to him.  Chris talked to him and told the doctor that I needed to go.  So, off we went.  I got to the hospital around 10:15.  Much to my surprise, I was already dilated 5-6 cm!  The nurse admitted me and did all the necessary paperwork.  I was checked again after that and I was already 8-9 cm.  I was so excited because the pain was nothing like I remembered it.  I was having nothing but back labor though and the nurse moved me around in some crazy positions because Hattie was not lowering by this point because of her position.  Finally after staying at 8-9 for an hour (yes, hour!), she dropped and I had her at 12:23, weighing in at 9 lb, 3 oz and 20.5" long.  The first things said about her was how big she was and how much hair she had.

The only difference from my other babies' births, after this point, was her sugar was only 20, so she had to be removed from the delivery room and taken to the NICU.  It was a very hard thing to be in the hospital and not able to hold your baby whenever you wanted to.  I feel like I missed out on a lot of good bonding time right after birth, but I tried to keep everything in perspective.  When you go in the NiCU and see babies who are only topping 3 lbs after being in there for a while already and you have this 9 lb baby who just needs help regulating her sugar, it makes you grateful for the hand that you've been given, even if it's not the one you wanted.  So far, she's been an excellent baby and I couldn't ask for a better baby!

Stick a Fork in Me..I'm Done...

You know that point you reach sometimes, whether it be that you're sick or any other circumstance..the point where you are even getting on your own nerves.  That's the point I've reached in this pregnancy.  I can say out of all four pregnancies, I've never reached this point before.  I have reached the point where I'm tired of being pregnant, ready to see my baby, etc.  This is different.  While I've only gained 20 pounds, most of it, actually I'd say probably 98% of it, is in my belly.  This means I can't sit, stand or lay without being uncomfortable.  On top of that, I have gestational diabetes which even though I may eat/drink like I'm supposed to, plus take my medicine twice a day, will spike and drop in the matter of an hour.  I can't sleep in any location in my house without waking up because my belly is so big that it hurts my back.  I know, I know, with all these complaints, i should just be happy that I'll have a healthy baby girl in the matter of a week to two weeks.  But, right now, at this point in time, I'm having a pity party.  I'm ready to feel like myself again and just be happy.  I honestly feel like I'm falling apart and there's no way I'm going to make it to the finish line.  So, just pray for me..pray that I have the strength and endurance to make it these last few days..for I know it will all be worth it in the end!

Catching Up...

Seems like every time I write a blog post, it's just to catch up from the last time I wrote one. I haven't been very dedicated to this whole blog thing lately.  Chris & I both have so much going on, so unfortunately, this is the one of the things that always gets put on the back burner.  So here is a mini-update on everyone in our family....

Chris & Me...Chris is still working as hard as ever.  I could never have dreamed I would have such a dedicated husband and father.  He constantly puts himself last and I love him for it.  Although I do feel guilty that he works so hard!  My pregnancy has been moving right along.  It's hard to believe that I have just over 7 weeks left!  Time is moving quickly and I still feel like I have so much to do.  Although, lets face it, this is the fourth child and I know that those "things" aren't necessary, just "wants".  I ended up taking the glucose test 3 times and failed each time.  Now, I have to check my sugar four times a day, which is kind of a pain and watch my diet.  I'm trying to stay positive and think that it will just help me to lose weight once I have Hattie if I can keep up the diet, but let's face it, that's a perk to being pregnant..eating what you want!  I know tons of people have much harder pregnancies than this, so I try not to complain, but it's hard.  I'm tired and ready to feel like myself again.  I'm still trying to study for the CPA exam, but with the stress of everyday life, family and pregnancy, it has kind of fallen on the back burner also.

Landon...I can't believe my big boy will be 8 in just a few months!  He has lost 8 teeth and he looks more grown with every passing day.  It won't be long and he'll be taller than me.  That's definitely a milestone that I don't look forward to!  He's so sweet and I think he'll be a much better big brother this time around.  When we're around babies, he just wants to look at them and feel their little hands/feet.  He's amazed that he was ever that small!  Although, I have to admit, it's hard for me to believe it also!

Nixon...He's finally starting to lose some of his baby face and looking more and more like his big brother everyday.  I can't believe he's in his last few months of daycare.  I can't imagine what it will be like to pick two kids up from school next year.  Doesn't seem real or that I'm that old!  He's still my little cuddle bunny though and loves special attention whenever he can get it.

Lily...She's still the little diva in our family and definitely rules the roost on most days!  I'm hoping that the arrival of Hattie won't rock her world too much, but I'm not very hopeful! :)  She's definitely a Daddy's girl and I'm not sure how she's going to take sharing that spot with Hattie.  She talks non-stop and it amazes us the things that she comes up with.  Her conversations with us seem so grown compared to her brothers.  Lily loves to sing, put puzzles together and read her books.  She's also recently been known to take over her brother's iPods!

Well, I think that about sums it up.  Hopefully I can keep up with the blog a little better from now on!

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Wow..it's been forever since I've posted on here!  It's kind of sad that I'm coming back with one of my "easy posts" too, but I just can't seem to find the time to do anything!  Life gets overwhelming sometimes and there are weeks that I just want to take a week or two off to cross things off my list that I feel get pushed to the side..such as this blog, organizing my attic, etc.  Oh well, life moves on I suppose!

2.  Speaking of busy, life is about to get even crazier in about 13 more weeks!  It's so hard to believe that our little bundle of joy will be here in 3 short months!  We have so much to do in that time.  Lily and Hattie will be sharing a room so we have to paint and get Lily's big girl bed set up.  I have so many ideas and hopefully they'll all come together and the room won't be too crowded with two little girls sharing a space. :)

3.  I'm trying to savor this last pregnancy, but my body sure is making it hard.  This is by far, my hardest pregnancy ever.  I guess God wants to show me that I'm really done having kids..as if Chris hasn't told me enough!  I have had migraines like crazy, fatigue like you wouldn't believe, heartburn that hurts so bad it scares me and now all of a sudden round ligament pain which feels like a pulled muscle.  I know I am still very blessed.  There are a ton of people who would gladly take all those aches and pains to be able to have a baby.  I'm very grateful, but also ready to feel like myself again.

4.  In 2012, Chris & I really tried to focus on paying our debt down.  We did a "modified version" of Dave Ramsey.  We weren't as crazy intense as he would have you to be, but we did stick to our debt snowball, even when Chris wasn't able to work after his surgery.  I'm very happy to say that after one year of finally sticking to it, we've been able to pay off $44,355.18 and cut off about six months of our debt free date.  We still have a long way to go (our house is included in our debt total), but I'm very proud of where we stand right now.  Part of that payoff was selling Chris' truck.  He didn't drive it enough to justify paying a payment every month, so we're going to try one vehicle for a little while until we can pay cash for a vehicle.  He still has his motorcycle, so as long as the weather is okay, he has that to get around in.  According to my app, our completly debt-free date will be August 2021!  Sounds like a long time, but considering how time flies, it will be here before we know it!

5.  I've been studying for the CPA Exam for a few months now.  I'm taking the exam in parts and taking only one section a quarter because I do have kids and a job to worry about before this exam.  I have never had anything in my life to make me feel as defeated as prepping for this exam.  I have so many regrets already about not taking care of this right out of college, before kids! 

6.  I absolutely adore my husband.  I don't think God could have chosen a better husband for me.  Sure, we fight and get in disagreements, but at the end of the day, I love him and he loves me almost just has much!  He constantly puts his family first and is not afraid to work his butt off to provide and make a great life for me and the kids.

7.  Do you ever wonder if you would've chosen a different career if you could do it all over again?  I think about that sometimes.  I love my job, so I'm not sure what I would do different, but I would love to have a job in the medical field or a job with more flexibility to stay home with my babies. 

8.  I go for my 3D ultrasound and glucose test on Friday.  I'm excited about the ultrasound but more than a little nervous about the glucose test.  I've failed two out of three in my pregnancies.  I passed those two on the second time, but it's miserable to have to sit in a doctor's office for 3 hours getting blood drawn every hour!

9.  I'm taking 12 weeks off after I have Hattie.  With the other kids, I've only taken the standard 6 weeks.  I decided to take the full 12 because I have the time saved and this is my last baby.  I'm so excited to have that extra bonding time with Hattie!  I hated going back to work when Lily was born!

10. I have officially started nesting.  It's crazy because I still have so far to go.  It's also a little scary because if it's something that I can't help, it drives me insane!  It gets under my skin so bad that I can't seem to concentrate on anything else!  I'm telling you, this pregnancy is driving me crazy!

Thankfulness

I've seen everyone posting all month about things they're thankful for.  I'll be honest, I think to myself, you should be thankful all the time, not just the month of November.  But, then I started thinking again, just because someone tells things they're thankful for during one month doesn't mean they're not thankful year round.  So, I decided to jump on the bandwagon, condensing mine down to the top 10..here goes..

1 - I'm thankful for my relationship with my Lord and Savior. Thankfully, he was perfect and laid down His life, just because He loves each one of us.  With Him, I know where my eternal resting place will be.  I could never make it on my own accord, that's for sure!

2 - I'm thankful for my husband.  I don't know what I'd do without him by my side.  He's always there, always pushing me to be my best, even when I push back.  I couldn't ask for a better Daddy to our three (soon four) kids or a better husband to me.  We do everything 50/50.  He puts up with all my OCD, crazy ways.  He listens to me, helps me, and I know I can go to him with anything without him judging me or thinking I'm stupid for feeling however it is I'm feeling.  We've been together for 13 years, and I can't wait to see what the next 50 years have in store for us.

3 -  I'm thankful for Landon.  He's my first born, my perfect baby who could never be replaced.  He's got so much of my OCD personality, but all the competitiveness of Chris.   I love how he replays everything about his day, from school to playing the playstation in slow motion, even while it's driving me crazy.  I love how he can do his homework with little help from me.  I love how he's such a perfectionist already that it's not even funny.  He's our oldest pride and joy and I love everything about him.

4 - I'm thankful for Nixon.  He is definitely our precocious middle child.  I love how he gets excited about everything he's involved in..even something as simple as going to the grocery store alone.  I love how he always thinks about his older brother and little sister.  He's so loving and he'd give up anything to make sure one of his friends or siblings is happy.  He's got so much life and energy that it wears you out on any given day, but I can't imagine our family without him in it.

5 - I'm thankful for Lily.  She is our precious little diva that we couldn't wait to have be a part of our family.  I love how she already knows how to work everyone in the family, from Daddy all the way to Nixon.  I love how she uses her manners, always saying "thank you" and "sorry" when she's done something wrong.  I love how she loves for me to sing to her, especially all the old songs that my Mammy sang to me.  I didn't think we would ever have a little girl and now that we do, she is giving us a run for our money, but I couldn't imagine it any other way.

6 - I'm thankful for our little moonpie who we can't wait in April.  I'm thankful that it's a little girl that will surely complete our little family.  I'm happy that she already has a nickname given to her by her big sister.  I'm thankful that Lily will get to know what it's like to have a sister the same way my boys know what it's like to have a brother.  We can wait to meet Hattie and she will surely be a welcome addition to our little family.

7 - I'm thankful for my mom, brother and extended family.  They've let me be free, never making me feel guilty for wanting my space, but always there when I need them.  I know my mom always believes in me and would do anything in the world for me.

8 - I'm thankful for great friends.  Some I've had forever, some I've had only a short time.  I'm not the best when it comes to being a friend.  I'm the first to get lost in my everyday life and not call to check on my friends.  Thankfully i've found a group of friends that understand what it's like to have a husband and kids and whenever we get together, it's like we've never been apart.

9 - I'm thankful to have a job I love.  I have a great group of people that I work with and I can honestly say that I never mind going to work.  Of course, I love my time off as much as the next guy, but I honestly love what I do and who I work with.

10 - I'm thankful for four healthy pregnancies.  Other than migraines, I've never had a problem with any of my pregnancies.  I know that not everyone is that blessed and for this I'm very thankful.

Nixon - 5 Years!

On September 1, my little Butterbean turned 5 years old!  He missed the kindergarten deadline by one day!  But, I can't say that I regret not letting him start early.  This way, he'll be the oldest one in his class, and let's face it, he's already on the short side, so maybe that'll help him catch up to everyone else!  :)  At his well check, he weighed 36 lbs (50%) and was 42" tall (25%).  Believe it or not, he's always been in the 10% in height, so we're finally making a little ground in that department!  He's a ball of energy, but he's actually a completely different child in pre-k this year.  He's learning so much in just the few short weeks that he's been there.  He already knows 12 sight words and he's only gotten in trouble once this year; in comparison last year, it was every.single.day.  Below are a few facts about Nixon at 5 years old:

*He wears a 5 in his clothes now..no more toddler for him!
*He wears a size 12 shoe
*His favorite color is blue
*He still eats absolutely anything you put on his plate..his favorite food at supper is broccoli
*He's finally taking after Landon and drinks water with every meal
*He loves to aggravate his older brother and little sister
*He'll break out in song/dance at any moment
*He's getting into baseball a little more..says he still doesn't want to play on a team, but he loves playing with Landon and Chris at home
*He sleeps 10 hours at night and still takes a 2 hour nap at school
*He's a big helper..he always wants to help you to do something..whether it's to cook, put away the groceries, etc.
*He still thinks his middle name is butterbean...we have to work on that one!

Nixon was definitely the child that rocked our world, but I wouldn't give him up for anything!  He's so full of life and energy..you can't help but smile when he's around.  I love that little butterbean to the moon and back

Landon - 7 Years Old!!

Landon has been 7 for a few months now and I just realized I never did a post to celebrate his 7 years.  Mother of the year..I know.  At 7 years old, Landon weighed in at 54 lbs and 48" tall (50% for both).  He is still such a sweet boy, but we have reached the age where he thinks he should always be receiving something new.  I'm hoping this is a phase and we're trying to teach him to always be thankful for what you have.  We're also trying to instill the value that you shouldn't worry about what other people have..just because they have it doesn't mean that you should.  It's a hard lesson for a 7 year old but one that will help him for many years if he'll listen!  He still loves any sport that he can play and he has turned into a very helpful big brother.  I love to hear Nixon and him talk in the back seat.  Most of the time they're just being silly, but sometimes they have really serious conversations.  I asked Landon some of the same questions I ask every year and here are his answers:

*What he wants to be when he grows up - Baseball Player
*Favorite Color - Red and Orange
*Favorite thing to wear - Under Armour anything!
*Favorite sport - baseball, basketball, football, and soccer :)
*Shoe size - 2
*Wears - size 8...big boy clothes now!
*Nickname - We finally have one after 7 years...Ticker (because of his obsession with time)
*Still loves to sleep..he'll sleep about 10 hours at night and if you make him lay down, he'll take about a 2 hour nap...we usually just let him have "quiet time" while Lily sleeps though
*For the first time, he didn't cry when he got his flu shot