Daddy Date!

1/20/2012

For several days Clint has been talking to Olivia about having a Daddy Date to see get a special drink from the coffee shop and see Star Wars in 3D.  He told her that they would have this special date when we got home from the hospital and that it is something that only Olivia and he could do because Alle is just a baby.

So today is the day.  Olivia has been so excited.  Every day she says she is ready for her date with daddy!  Olivia said she wanted a cheese taco so Clint went to get gas in the car, cash for the movie, and cheese roll-up from Taco Bell.  He met us at Beans and Strings to let Olivia pick out whatever 'pecial' drink she wanted.  She took Clint into the bathroom to show him the poster of smoothies.

Olivia gave be a hug bye bye and left with her daddy!  I'm so excited for her.  I know they will both have a great time.  Since they are gone, Alle and I have the night to ourselves.  We are chillin, watching Hulu, catching up on this blog, and just enjoying each others company.

I think it is so great that I have such a wonderful husband and he is such a great father.  He has been so sweet to our girls this past week.  He has been spending extra time with Olivia and holding Alle when she cries.  She always calms down when she is in her daddy's arms and he sings to her.  I'm looking forward to seeing our new little family evolve and grow together.

First Day as a Family

2/18/2012

Olivia came home today.  She had been staying with her Granny and Granddaddy and then with Nana and Granddad.  We saw her everyday but just for a visit.  I was a little nervous about her coming home.

When she came to visit yesterday and the day before it was odd.  Olivia seemed distant and wanting to leave.  It was like she was feeling I was someone else's mommy now - which I guess I am.  I just wasn't feeling like I was being a good mother to her and felt guilty enjoying alone time with Alle.  I knelt down to talk to her and sat on a pillow for only a few minutes but I was in pain for a couple of hours afterwards from doing that.  If I can't even sit on the floor for a few minutes then how will I be able to read to her and play with her?

Well it was time for my mom to drop her off at our house.  She didn't stay long because we were running late for Alle's pictures at Auntie Carrie's studio.  Olivia went with us and was a pretty good girl.  She didn't want to be in any of the pics but Auntie Carrie snuck a few anyways.  Olivia brought her little bunny rabbit with her and fed it to the dinosaur.  it was pretty funny when Clint went in and say some bunny feet hanging from the dinos mouth.

Alle's first outing!

We want to make sure Olivia feels special and not left out so we let her pick out where she wanted to eat for lunch.  She said she wanted 2 BIG cheeseburgers.  So we took our four day old baby and our almost three year old to Wendys.  I'm glad that we aren't super paranoid over stuff like taking our baby out before 2 months old.

I was able to take a nap with both of my little girls watching Tangled.  It was awesome to just enjoy watching the two of them sleeping.  We bought Olivia a special gift.  We got her a baby doll with a diaper bag filled with a paci, a bottle, extra clothes, etc.  She played with it during the afternoon.  She put the baby in the bouncer, and fed her, and rocked her.  It is her baby.  I didn't want to spend the evening telling Olivia to 'go play' or sitting her in front of a movie, so we decided to bake cookies.

Olivia stood in a chair and helped stir all the ingredients.  She was actually helping and stayed the entire time to help.  I had to go feed Alle so Olivia and her daddy rolled the dough into balls.  They also made a gingerbread man and when Clint asked her what else she wanted to make, she said a cow.  So they made a funky looking cow that when it was in the oven, turned into a big blob along with with gingerbread man.  It was so sweet listening to the two of them talking about how to make the man and the cow and what shapes they needed to add next.  We all sat down and had milk and cookies.

When Olivia went to bed she asked to sleep in teh bed with me.  I told her she couldn't so she said 'I will go to your bed in the mornin time ok'.  A few minutes after I left her room Alle started to cry and we heard Olivia yell out 'baby crying!'  She is already a good big sister and it will be awesome to see them grow up together.

Night night baby sissy!

Past Due

So today I am two days past my due date.  It is a strange thing.. for months now, the date 'February 9th' has been on my mind.  That has come and gone and where am I now?  In a waiting game... not knowing what to expect.  I've been having contractions that feel like cramps the last two nights.  My doctor gave me some tips if I want to speed up going into labor and said to just time them and if they are 5 minutes apart then to head to the hospital.  When she asked if I wanted to go into labor this weekend or try to rest and wait till Monday (when I go in to be induced), I just said that I don't know.

Even though I have a wonderful, beautiful little two year old, I feel like a first time mom when it comes to labor.  I didn't go into labor anywhere but at the hospital hooked up to monitors when I was induced with Olivia.  Even though people say that being induced makes it harder, there is also security and comfort in knowing that even if I don't know what I'm doing, there is a nurse right there who can help me.

So even though I am 2 days past due and have been having some minor contractions off and on and am tired of being huge and not sleeping well and want to meet baby Alle..... I'm also a little scared and don't feel ready yet.  I kind of want to wait until I go into the hospital Monday night so I can have my house clean, Olivia's bag ready with everything she needs, and our bag with all our electronics and such.  It will give me several hours to know what to expect next instead of not knowing and just waiting.

Strange I know... But that is where I am... two days past due...

40 Weeks and Counting...

Wednesday was my 40 week appointment.  They hooked me up to some stuff to monitor Alle's movements and any contractions.  It was nice to just relax in a recliner and listen to her heartbeat for about 15 minutes.  Everything was responding as it should.  During that time I had a contraction that I couldn't feel but baby Alle could.  At the spike of my un-felt contraction I also pushed the little button a few times to show when Alle was moving.  I guess she didn't like being squeezed!  I was only a 'barely 2cm' dilated.  We set up a time to be induced at the hospital for next week is she doesn't come before then.  I'll go in Monday night and then be induced Tuesday morning.  If Alle waits until then, we will have a Valentine baby!


Yesterday was my due date.  It was kinda strange for it to come and go.  I didn't get to that point last time.  I decided if I was going to not have a baby on my due date then I was going to do something cool.  I first met up with my mom at Kim nails to get a pedicure together.  I picked up some coffee on the way and relaxed with my momma.  They give awesome leg and foot massages at that place and of course the massage chairs are pretty awesome.


After Clint and I picked Olivia up from pre-school we all went to Chik-fil-a to visit with Anna Noethe-Musgrove Shirm(?) and her husband Todd and her two beautiful little boys Kyler and Micah.  Kyler is Olivia's age and Micah is 3 months old.  It was a lot of fun to sit and talk and watch the kiddos play.  It is nice to have a friend where it isn't awkward to get together with from time to time.  Micah seems like such a good little baby.  We stayed there for 2 hours and had a lot of fun.

Next me and Olivia took nap and Clint came home to start cooking supper for us.  I have a great husband.  I just relaxed the rest of the evening with my family of 3.  It was all a great way to celebrate my 40 week mark!

Week 39 Appointment

I was a little nervous going into this appointment.  I wanted to talk to my mid-wife about inducing but didn't want to come across like a uncooperative client or anything... but at the same time i want to have choices when it comes to the birth of my child instead of feeling forced to induce before my due date.

My mid-wife checked me out and I am 1 1/2 cm dilated... yea!  And then she asked me if I wanted to induce. I told her first that I don't have a problem with inducing per say because I was induced with my first child but I was already on the schedule to be induced on the 7th and didn't feel too comfortable with the decision.  I told her what the nurses had told me last week and me feeling like I didn't have a choice.  She said that she was not aware that I was already of the schedule and that the choice is completely mine.  They give the patient a choice of inducing at 39 weeks pregnant if everything is normal and there aren't any complications but that I can also wait.  She did say that at 40 weeks they push to set up an induction date so that the women don't go too far past the due date which can cause some problems.

She said that I can go home and talk to my husband about it.  We set an appointment for next Wednesday morning for me to be checked again and discuss an induction date.  Clint and I decided to cancel my Jan 7th induction date and play the 'wait and see' game... at least until the next week when I will have another induction date.  So now we can't plan everything out, but it will be fun to go into labor naturally.  I am excited but a little nervous too!

Baby Day!

Baby Shower day!  We had it at Beans and Strings and my mom was in charge of the food.  The theme was "Ready to Pop"   We had popcorn of different kinds, blow pops, m&ms, cupcakes with polka dots on them, and some fruit.  The best was the homemade white chocolate drizzled popcorn with m&ms in it.  It was so yummy!

Several of my friends were able to make it and there were a lot of kids there too.  We drank lattes, watched the kids play, opened gifts, and chatted.  Baby Alie is going to have some cute new clothes.  Her Auntie Carrie bought her some hair bows and some.... auburn hair die!  You know... just in case she doesn't have red hair when she is born in the hospital.  Alie has some awesome family!

After the party my mom took me to walmart to buy last minute baby stuff and then went back to my house to help me fix up the baby room.  She stayed for about five hours turning our junk room into a real baby room.

She swept and cleaned the floors, picked up trash, got the junk out, put the changing table it, washed the basket liners and car seat covers, and organized baby supplies.  It is great to finally have a real baby room and find all our Winnie the Pooh decorations. Almost everything is ready now.  We have to put together the baby bed and go through clothes to get out all the baby clothes.  But other than that... it is done.  It is a good thing too because I am only one week and 3 days away.  It is a little crazy to think about our family is about to grow to four.  Maybe now we can win a free vacation for a family of four... that would be awesome  :)

I was so exhausted after having a party, going to walmart, and cleaning up the baby room and I just had to sit and rest.  It also didn't help that i forgot to take my Iron supplement.  we ordered some pizza and wings so I wouldn't have to cook and mom stayed with us for supper.

Olivia and I had a movie night afterward watching Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  It is so awesome that Olivia loves that movie.  When the part came on about "I got a golden ticket" and they sing and dance in their house, Olivia went to her daddy and wanted to dance.  They held hands and danced in circles.  I have a great family and I am so excited to be adding one more to our crazy little bunch.

38 week Drs Appointment

I had my 38 week Drs Appointment.  Everything went well and I"m right where I should be.  I didn't gain much weight, i'm measuring right on, the heart beat is great, and I didn't have sugar in my urine like I did last time.  The nurse checked me out and I am softening but I am not dilated at all yet.  She talked with me about an induction date.  She mentioned it last week and I assumed that they would set me up a date after my due date so in case I haven't gone into labor I would have a day to go into the hospital.  But she set it up for before my due date.  I was surprised and told her that I didn't want it too early.  She said that the doctor doesn't like for his patients to go past their due dates and the placenta can get old and could be dangerous for the baby.  She said that she could push it a few days and we can try to scheduled it for Feb. 7th which is only two days before my due date on the 9th.  She also said that I might have to go in the night before to get a different medication if I haven't started dilating but they will check me again next week to see.

They called later that day to say that I am scheduled for Potocin on the 7th and I need to go in on the 6th around 7pm.  I had been thinking about it for a few hours and didn't really want to induce early.  While on the phone with the nurse, I asked if I can say no, that I don't want the be induced and talk to my doctor about it at my next appointment.  She put me on hold for a few minutes and came back on to say "the doctor really doesn't like for you to go past your due date so you can go into the hospital on the 6th... ok?  See you then"

I don't mind being induced.  I was induced one day before my due date with Olivia and everything went fine.  I'm just upset that they are basically forcing me.  I know that I can tell them no and I don't have to show up, but they aren't giving me options.  I showed my concern to the nurse while at my appointment and while on the phone with someone else I said that I still wasn't comfortable with it and want to talk to my Doctor about it.  They both basically said that it doesn't mater, this is what they do and I need to do it too.  I don't like feeling like I am being forced into it.  It is very frustrating.

My mother-in-law suggested just keeping the induction date and discussing my concerns with my doctor next week.  At that point it will still be 5 days before they want me to go into the hospital and we can always cancel the induction or move it.  Or I may feel more comfortable with the situation after I am able to talk with her.

So I guess I'm going to make plans with a induction date of the 7th as far as work and things go, and I'll just wait and see what happens when I talk with my doctor.