christmas morning in pictures

12-21-11

before i move on to the christmas craziness, i want to take a minute to write about the entrance of our sweet new baby into this world. having a baby is a strange thing.  it is hard to describe.  for some it is a very emotional experience.  for me, it is like an out of body experience....like you're watching it happen to someone else.  i have been blessed to have good birth experiences...this was no different.

we checked in to be induced at 6:30am.  we got the last bed...well, cot....in the maternity ward and waited for a bed to open up.  they were very busy and i sat there most of the day half expecting someone to come in and send us home.  i had tested postive for b-strep and so the first part of the process was to get iv's and antibiotics going.  my doctor didn't want to start anything else until i had the antibiotics because i have a history of things happening really fast.  so we had a uneventful morning of chewing on ice-chips and answering about 50 medical personnel about whether we are related to dr. grover (my obgyn).  now that i know you're wondering.....he and eric share the same great great grandfather...

just a warning.....i am not an attractive lady in labor...sorry,  i'm a no make-up, hair pulled back, glasses on kind of girl...

feeling woozy....eric and mom took turns fanning me...it felt like heaven...

when the antibiotics were where they needed to be, they told me a room had opened up and got us set up in a delivery room.  next, they started the pitocin and dr. g came in and broke my water.  this got things moving and it didn't take long for me to start feeling really uncomfortable and so we ordered the epidural (with josh things moved too quickly so i didn't hesitate).  the epidural came and was great except that the way the baby was lying, i had one section of my abdomen down into my hip that was still very painful....after trying a bunch of different positions, it was concluded that this would just be how it was....and it was.....until the baby moved right before i delivered....and then things were great.  the labor progressed steadily over a few hours...nothing too shocking but making steady progress.  it seems like a dream to me now but then, it was time to push.  not to brag, but i am an awesome pusher.  so i was ready:)  after one and...lets say a half pushes...the baby was there.  he was covered in vernix which i wasn't really expecting and he looked exactly like joshie.  this is the strangest part when they pull a living, breathing little person out of your body and you behold for the first time, this little thing that has been living inside of you for the last nine months, kicking, pushing, and causing a whole lot of trouble, and then there they are....right there in front of you....screaming there lungs out....and at the same time, one of the most wondrous and beautiful things ever seen.  the moment is so still and time stops into a moment that is glued in my brain forever. things were moving swiftly around me and there i sat almost in a golden stupor.

i love this picture!

the kids seemed to arrive at the hospital within minutes....i'm sure it was longer but all of a sudden there they were.  there little eyes glowing and searching for their new brother.  i have voiced some anxiety on here about how joshie would handle the transition but in those seconds, i watched my baby become a big brother, fall in love and not look back since.  he's been so easy about the whole thing and seemed to grow up years.

the rest of my hospital experience was okay. they kept me an extra day because the baby was a b-strep baby just to keep an eye on him.  i was exhausted though and got barely ANY  sleep at the hospital.  maryn stayed with me the second night and that was some special bonding. the nurses spoiled her.  i was so thrilled to go home on the 23rd and enjoy being with my family. i did really well 90% of the time....and the other 10%, my pregnancy hormones were raging, i was completely exhausted and just wanted to cry.  it took a few days for things to settle and to catch up on sleep but we are all doing well.

**my friend, angie, came and took all these pics for me....she did a great job and these are just a few....thanks for documenting for me, angie....they are priceless.

adam

we are enjoying getting to know this little man.  we are thrilled to be home! i have tons of pictures to go through and experiences but for now, here is our little man we've waited and waited for.

for purple mountains majesty

i am in the process of all this photo-editing and coming across stuff i still haven't posted about.  so despite the fact that this is not on my to-do list, it's going up while i wait for other images to process:)

we spent out labor day climbing (by vehicle) to the top of pikes peak.  it was an adventure and i was surprised at how much the kids loved it.  (be ready for lots of pictures)

this is not an attractive picture of me....but let me explain....josh is obsessed with my face and my neck and always has to at least have his hand on my neck....usually he is trying to pick at my moles as he is the this picture.  if you are wondering if this drives me crazy, the answer is yes, yes it does. 

by the end of the day, we were pooped but still managed to stop off in the garden of the gods...another beautiful place where i would like to spend more time with children who are fresh for adventure and not too warn out:)

who cares about the "to-do" list anyway?

today i went to the doctor and was checked....2 cm dialated so far with 3 weeks til my due date...although only 2 until my induction date...but it does give one reason to hope that things might happen sooner:)  and then i start to think of the bazillion things that i should get done before the baby comes and there are lots....here is the short list that doesn't include all the cleaning and housework because that's just depressing...

i shouldprobably also recognize that fact that i'm not sure if i'm mentally ready for this child...i mean, i've had long enough to think about it, but it still doesn't seem real to me.  i may be in for a shock starting all the way over with nursing and up in the nights and all the jazz.  but in the meantime, i'm just going to try not to get my hopes up and enjoy this face that only a mother could love....

giving thanks

this year, we have so much to be grateful for!  right now, i am mostly grateful for the fact that it is almost over.....and we have made it through....somehow!  actually, it is no coincidence!  we have had our burdens made lighter by many people along the way....my parents and eric's parents have been an amazing support as well as our amazing ward relief society, visiting teachers, kind souls and excellent health care.  of course, i know that all of this has been at the hand of our father in heaven.  all that we have been blessed with comes from him.

among the greatest blessings i have ever known has been my husband!  i don't claim that he or i are perfect but pregnancy is not just hard on me, it's hard on all those around us.  i am grateful to be married to a man who comes home from a hard day at work and rallies kids, does dishes, cleans up and doesn't complain!

and then there is my mom who feeds us, puts up with potty training woes in her beautiful home, and enthusiastically decorates my nursery and still can't wait to meet this new baby.  she is a blessing every single day to me and never makes me feel like a burden.

so now i am going post a picture of our little family on thanksgiving this year (who takes their pictures AFTER they eat?)  and then also a ghastly picture of me at almost 36 weeks...this was the best we could do:)