It's a ...

GIRL!!

 Scarlett Jean was born at 1:08 PM on Monday, October 17.  

On Sunday at church I started getting contractions about 6 minutes apart.  They quickly went to 2-3 minutes apart after lunch at the Mexican restaurant and a non-successful attempt at a nap.  I wasn't in pain, but they were definitely different than my normal Braxton Hicks contractions.

We headed to the hospital, not knowing if I would be sent home or what.  I had hoped to labor at home until I was a good 6 or 7 centimeters, but we were nervous to stay any longer because they were so close together!

I walked around and the contractions got more and more intense.  However, I was not any further dilated than my last appointment (1cm).  We were discouraged but as the pain became more and more difficult to manage, we knew I WAS in labor, just progressing slowly.

I used my Hypnobabies techniques to get through the pain - and swaying was my favorite position.  I didn't have to be monitored the entire time and no IV, so  I was free to move around.  I had a WONDERFUL nurse that is training to be a midwife and was familiar with HB and she knew I wanted a VBAC and was trying to help us get that.  Unfortunately, in spite of the super strong contractions, my cervix was stuck at 1! 

After an aggressive cervical check I finally made it to a 3 and asked for some pain relief.  We tried Demerol and it did nothing to help the pain.  I was BEGGING for help - throwing all our natural childbirth plans out the window!  I really think if I was having more progress with each check and knowing that the contractions were getting me nearer to birth I might have remained more positive.  However, every time they told me I was the same I felt like the last hour was in vain and I was losing ability to focus and stay relaxed. 

I ended up getting the epidural around 1:30 AM and it was HEAVEN.  The man that did it was so gentle and understanding and I loved having relief! 

I progressed slowly, but ended up around 9-10 cm around lunch.  This entire time the baby's heart-rate was showing some signs of distress, and they were monitoring me closely since I was a VBAC patient.  I had several interventions to help, but after a big drop and the nurse finding dark blood after a check, we decided baby needed to come out.  Apparently dark blood can signify a problem with the placenta, and this was concerning.  After a period of hysterical crying by me (just being honest!) and prayer by Jason, we prepped for the c-section and the delivery of our baby!

The staff in the OR knew that Jason would be revealing the gender once baby was out - it was something we had been looking forward to hearing for 9 months!  I was so shocked when Jason, after making a gasping sound, said "It's a GIRL!"

 She weighed 8 pounds 9.5 ounces (wow!) and was 19.75 inches long.  For comparison, Lilli was 7lb 11oz and 19.25 inches long. 

She was sunny side up, just like big sis, which is what was causing me to not dilate effectively.  No problems with the placenta, but we did have a complication with my uterus tearing toward my cervix when they pulled her out.  Due to this, I am no longer a VBAC candidate for future babies.  I am not sure if this makes me happy or sad after the labor I just had ;o) 

Jason was able to tell the news to my parents and Lilli who were waiting.  Lilli was a CHAMP waiting all day, I am so proud of her!!

After being able to nurse in recovery (again, the best medicine!) I was taken to my room and able to see Lilli - something I was so ready for!

 

She was excited to see her baby sister, but exhausted from the day.  She actually fell asleep in mom's lap which was incredibly rare for her!

Recovery in the hospital went well - better than last time.  Scarlett did great - nursed like a champ from the beginning and rarely cried!  Even the nurse said she loved having her in the nursery (we sent her at night) because she was so sweet!

 

We were released after just 2 days, such a pleasant surprise! 

I joke that Scarlett is already a good listener - all I wanted at the end of pregnancy was for the baby to wait to be born until we were able to go to Lilli's preschool field trip to the pumpkin patch on Friday -

And a Halloween party on Saturday -

The fact that Scarlett came the first moment possible after these two things made her momma very happy!!

I hope to come back soon with another update from the first week...things have been going so well with the baby!  I have had some issues/scares from swelling but I am finally feeling better and on my way to recovery.

30+ weeks!

Hey friends!

It has been a while since I updated - we have started back to school and things have been BUSY with a capital B.  I am almost three weeks into working and happy to say I am doing well. The first week was hard - it was SO hot here and I went home every day feeling pretty miserable and swollen.  But the last week or so has been easier - the weather has cooled down (temporarily, probably) and I guess my body is getting used to working.  My goal is to make it to Fall Break (first week of October, I'll be 37 weeks) which is only about 33 more school days!  Not that I am counting, or anything! ;o)

We have had several OB appointments since I last updated.  Baby is doing great! Heartrate has been around 150ish.  I have gained around 30 lbs, more than this time with Lilli, which scares me.  I would love to keep it under 40 lbs, but so much of the weight I gained last time was fluid and I can't control that, so I am trying not to worry about it.  I am trying to eat lots of protein, iron, and fiber.  It is tough!  I still have some nausea/heartburn but my midwife told me to try Prilosec and it has helped tremendously!  I am not able to eat certain foods (ranch, boo) but most things are fine. 

We were able to see the baby on a 4/d ultrasound on Friday and it was a lot of fun!  Baby actually showed his/her face, unlike big sis a few years ago.  So far baby is measuring a little big, estimated at 4 lbs already.  This doesn't worry me too much, as the u/s measurements are far from perfect and I still have a while to go.  Baby WAS head down, so that was good!  Hope it stays that way.

Here are some pics from the appointment-

Pretty neat how you can see those full cheeks and features!  I can't wait to see their face in person!

I haven't been doing my pregnancy workout this week, I have just been SO busy and not waking up in time to do it. I really need to get back on track.  I am hoping to go for a short walk tonight if the weather stays cool.  However, I have been having lots of Braxton Hicks (I think) contractions and especially while walking...so I might not make it very far.

Lilli really seems to "get" that Mommy has a baby in her belly.  She is super sweet about it.  She is calling it a Baby Boy - the first real guess she has made (usually she says something different every time) however, she told me she wanted a baby sister - haha.

Well that is about all about Baby Pumpkin - We are going to the doctor every two weeks now, and things are going by so quickly.  With 3 new babies born in the past 2 weeks I am feeling anxious to hold my own!!

4th of July + more

This post is going to be all over the place, sorry!

Last time I blogged was before the 4th of July holiday, so I'll backtrack a bit.  That weekend we went to eat with Nana and Pawpaw at a place called Chow 45.  It is in Mayfield and was a nice change!  Mom had the best steak I have had in a LONG time - yum!  Dad had crabcakes (also yummy) and Jason had swordfish.  Seriously, you can get swordfish in Mayfield!?  I had a yummy chicken dish and Lilli ate a little off everyone's plate!

She loves drinking tea from anyone who will share!

On July 3rd we noticed they were shooting some small fireworks at the park next door.  So we sat outside and watched.  Lilli LOVED them - enough that we changed our minds and decided TO attend the fireworks the next night.

So on the 4th we headed to Calvert City after dinner. We didn't catch the parade but we did get their early enough for Lilli to play and scare her Momma to death on this crazy tall slide -

"Where are the fireworks going to be, Lilli?"

She loved the show.  I loved her commentary - "that's a big one, Mommy!" and "Look, Daddy, FIREWORKS!" and then she would list all the colors or tell how much she liked each one.  It was a perfect night and she is already asking to see more.  She doesn't understand we have to wait another year! 


I hosted our monthly devotional "Sisterhood" group from church this week.  In preparation, I told Jason I wanted to finally tackle the Cubby Bookshelves from Ana White that I found months ago.  These are modeled after the Pottery Barn bookshelves that are over 300 a piece - and I wanted two!  Thankfully we came well under budget - each bookshelf was about 70 dollars.   It took us a week - Jason constructed and I primed and painted.  I was NOT happy painting in the heat we have had this week, but the finished product was worth it! 

 

I think the molding on the sides really makes it look like something we bought, not made!

Mom also came over last weekend to finish the mural on the wall.  She drew Curious George but we wanted something more - so we decided to add the dog and cat from the show, Hundley and Gnocchi.  Especially since they look just like our pets, Cooper and Brady!

I actually helped her do the details on the kitty - so I am really proud of him!

 
 The playroom is really coming together.  Remember her kitchen that we built before Christmas?

She also has a table and chair set that was mine when I was a child.  I love that she can use it now!

 This bunk bed set was also mine - it matches the desk.

 The playroom is the first room you see when you come in the house, so I am glad it is almost finished.  I just need to find some fabric so mom can make a valance for the window.  I am thinking I might want Jason to make a window seat/toy chest, but I had better give him a break or he might slap me. ;o)


Since I had my camera out I went ahead and took some pictures of Lillian's Big Girl Room.  It was impossible to get all of the bed in one picture!  It is a full size.  We wanted something she could have for a long time and I already had a mattress that I bought in college.

I painted this monogram for her after I saw something similar on Etsy for 250+ dollars.  Um, no.  I LOVED doing it and how it looks in the room.

I picked this bedding out from Pottery Barn but didn't want to pay full price.  So I found a set (they have several!) on Ebay that was brand new and HALF the price.  I even found this little pillow for like 8 dollars (its about 20 on the website) and had mom monogram it for me.  

 I still need new curtains and a new lampshade, they match her old set.  See the owls above - mom made all those, including the weighted bookends.  She is so crafty!

I am thinking of painting the white beadboard green to match the bedding and make the white furniture really stand out.  The chair rail and baseboards match the bed, but the beadboard is more white and I can't stand that it all doesn't match.   So I need to paint it - either creamy white or green.  I just can't bite the bullet just yet.  I need to be 100% sure before I make the decision (like everything in my house - I hem and haw for a long time before I make changes!)


We bought her furniture at Feagan's in Fredonia - it is Legacy Classic Kids "Summer Breeze" and we love it.  It was a perfect combination of girly without being over the top princess.  I wanted to have it in a future guest bedroom some day and some of the sets didn't fit that requirement.  The price was great, too.

We moved all her old baby furniture into what is now the nursery.  It will stay navy and white - either with red accents (boy) or hot pink (girl).  I am still searching for the perfect bedding and need to find it soon!

Speaking of Baby Pumpkin, I had an appointment a couple weeks ago and everything is going well.  Baby's heartrate was 154.  Hard to guess gender based on that!  I am a little concerned with swelling/weight gain since it is SO HOT.  So this morning I woke up a little early and did this -
Perfect Pregnancy Workout

 Hehehehe - It was funny since I have not done ANY workouts in over 6 months!  However, I enjoyed the DVD and plan to do it from here out maybe 3 times a week.  I have gained about 20 lbs and would LOVE to not gain the 50 I did last time...and since I refuse to watch my food I guess I need to do something active!

Can't believe I am sharing this, but here is my BARE belly at 25+weeks -

The growing belly I am ok with...it is the growing arms, thighs, chins, etc that bother me!

The baby still doesn't have a definite name!  Any suggestions are welcome! ;o)



Finishing up - last night Lilli wanted to help me clean up.  So Jason took these pictures.  We thought she looked so big!!

Here is a yummy recipe for you - I made if for Sisterhood and plan to make it again on Friday night when we go to a couple's get-together.  It is SO simple and yummy!  I use my pressure cooker to cook 2 boneless chicken breasts (simple and QUICK) because I hate canned chicken.  And I use "Franks Red Hots" Buffalo Wing Sauce.  I baked mine in the oven but I an to try the crockpot on Friday
Buffalo Chicken Dip


Have a great week!

Lilli becomes a Big Girl!

Last week at this time I was full of anxiety.  We had just received word that Lilli's "Big Girl" furniture had arrived and was ready to be picked up.  We ordered it a month ago and ever since then I have been dreading the switch.  If any kid LOVES her crib, it is mine.  She sleeps like an angel and I hated to fix something that wasn't broken.  But, since Baby Pumpkin is coming to town, we needed that crib!

We were pleasantly surprised to find this after the first night -

Her room is not "done" but I will share pictures soon when it is complete!

We actually had to wake her to go to church that morning!  She had taken an almost 3 hour nap in it the afternoon before, but I attributed that to her being worn out from staying the night at Nana & PawPaw's house.  However - since that day she has slept BETTER than ever.  I didn't even think that was possible.  She adores her bed.  She climbs up in it and asks for a prayer for bedtime.  It is a precious thing!  The big transition of a big girl bed went flawlessly - I should have never worried about it!

Potty Training Bootcamp
A few friends of mine have done this "3 Day Potty Training" with great success.  I had planned on trying it all summer, and wrote it on my calendar for June 26.  Well, we didn't know the bed would come RIGHT before that, so I worried about doing too much at one time.  However, after the smooth transition we decided to go ahead and attempt it. 

Day One - I got out the panties after Lilli woke up- because all the diapers were gone! (Really I kept them but she doesn't know where.) She didn't make a big fuss at first, but pretty soon had some accidents while playing.  The goal of the program is to catch her in the act and rush her to the potty.  I did (many times) and by noon on that first day she had figured out that if even a DROP of pee landed in the toilet she got a "hemahem" (M&M). For the rest of the afternoon she was peeing in the potty.  Unfortunately, she wasn't quick enough and was still wetting her panties - but I kept it up with the treats and positive reinforcement.  She had a VERY wet nap (because I was practically pouring liquids down her!) but ended up with only one wet incident at night.  Jason worked late this night and I think I started to go delusional by the time he got home and got her to bed at 10:30.  I smelled like pee and was exhausted!

Day Two - Lilli has figured out the M&Ms but I needed something to motivate her even more.  Thankfully I found some animal stickers in a cabinet and told her she had to pee in the potty AND keep her panties dry to get one.  We didn't have much luck with it until that evening after Jason got home.  Something just clicked - and she figured it out!  She loved getting those stickers and we made over her so much she loved the attention!  She went perfectly 3 times in a row that night - and when we went to bed I felt pretty confident she was catching on!  Having Jason home earlier was a key to her success, I think - she wanted to impress him!

Day Three - Lilli woke up DRY in her bed!  I have no idea how she held it, because she also didn't pee at the house all morning.  We went to the pool (Nana, L and I) and she held it at Subway, in the car, etc.  She did wear a swim diaper but she didn't pee again until she took her nap when we returned home around 3:30.  After that we headed to church and she stayed dry until we got home!  She had an accident (I think because I was outside watering flowers and I didn't get to her quickly enough) but she also had several successes! 

Day Four - We finally had some success with #2!  She went twice in a row and earned THREE stickers for that.  I was so proud of her.  We have had an accident or two today, but also several successes.  I think she is really getting it.  She took a shorter nap - woke up crying, but dry.  I took her to the potty and she went!  I tried to get her back to sleep but she was too fussy, which made me think she might have had a "night terror" that she has sometimes.  Nana was here and she had a couple accidents which is to be expected with someone new.


As for me, I am WORN OUT.  I have to stay by her side at all times so I can be ready to run and take her to the potty.  This also includes crouching down on the ground to listen for something to come out - and my thighs are getting a work out!  It has been lots of cleaning, lots of laundry and bed making, lots of panty changing (over 20 the first day!)...but I think this is the best way to do it, if at all possible.  I am thankful to be off in the summer with her and able to devote the time to this.  Otherwise we would have 2 in diapers and I am not ready for that!!


I posted a couple days ago about the Chicken Fajita Pizza that I was making - and Jason LOVED it. He said I could make it any day of the week...hehe.  I also very much enjoyed it!

Tonight I am making something new, I'll come back and share the recipe if we like it.

, a photo by ambula603 on Flickr.

Dress up!

Recipes

Last week I made a really yummy Garlic Chicken Pasta with Red Peppers.  I can't find the recipe online anymore, but I have a hard copy.  If you want it - let me know and I will type it out and share.

I also made this cake not once, but THREE times.  It is that good!  Jason's coworkers love when I get in the baking mood - and Lilli is loving to be in the kitchen helping Mommy.
Fresh Strawberry Upside Down Cake

2 cups crushed fresh strawberries (I just used a one pound carton)

1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin mix (this is the bigger box)
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 (18 ounce) package yellow cake mix, batter prepared as directed on package

1.Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Spread crushed strawberries on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Evenly sprinkle strawberries with the dry gelatin powder, and top with mini marshmallows.
3.Prepare the cake mix as directed on the package, and pour on top of the marshmallows. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. (My oven cooks hot/quick so I only baked for 35 minutes) Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the pan to loosen the sides, and turn the cake out onto a serving tray. Store cake in the refrigerator.


Today I just made Chili's Salsa from Kelly's Korner Blog -
CHILI'S SALSA

1 (14 1/2 oz.) can tomatoes and green chilies
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can whole canned tomatoes (plus the juice)
4 teaspoons jalapenos (canned, diced, not pickled)
1/4 cup yellow onion (diced)
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cilantro
juice from 1/2 lime

1. In food processor place jalapenos (optional) and onion and process for just a few seconds.
2. Add both cans of tomatoes, salt, sugar, cumin,cilantro and lime juice.
3. Process all ingredients until well blended but do not puree.
4. Place in covered container and chill.
5. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips!


I plan on using it on this tonight -
Chicken Fajita Pizza from here

1 Tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust
1/2 Pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Sliced Onion
1/2 Cup Julienned Green Pepper
3 Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Cup Salsa
2 Cups Shredded Mexican Cheese


Directions:
Unroll crust into a greased 15 in. X 10 in. X 1 in. baking pan; flatten dough and build up edges slightly. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute chicken in oil until lightly browned. Add the onion, green pepper, garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until vegetables are tender and chicken is no longer pink.


Spread salsa over the crust. Top with one cup cheese, chicken mixture, and remaining cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.


Serving: 12 slices
Prep Time: Half an hour


My mom makes the yummiest homemade bread in the world.  She gave me a loaf on Wednesday and I am still eating it daily. :o)  So I am getting ready to whip up some of this -
Cinnamon Honey Butter

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
1.In a medium bowl, combine butter, confectioners' sugar honey and cinnamon. Beat until light and fluffy.

I figure you can't go wrong with ANY of those ingredients, plus we have tons of honey to use, remember!?



I'll share next week how these tasted - but since I had a free moment to share I wanted to get this typed out!