3 weeks

Afton is getting bigger by the second and more beautiful every day. We are getting settled into a pretty good routine now. Most of the time I will feed her between 10-11 and then she won't wake up again until 2-3 am. Then she will sleep again until about 6-8. So I am really getting a good amount of sleep. Somehow I still manage to be tired but I think that is normal. Afton is still a very good eater. At her two week appointment last Thursday she was back to her birth weight. She has dropped down to 5 lbs 10 oz. So she really gained a lot of weight in the second week.
She can now hold her head up pretty good as displayed in the picture below.

I just love her silly faces after she gets done eating.

She loves falling asleep with her dad. I couldn't resist snapping this photo one morning.

Overall, Chad and I are adjusting great to being parents and we love every minute of it. Afton is a wonderfully good baby!

Afton Elizabeth has arrived

So I went in for my 37 week appointment on Wednesday the 8th of December. When the nurse/midwife checked me I was dilated to a 4-5 and about 80% effaced and Afton was sitting very low, so she said it was time to go to the hospital. I was a little surprised considering I really wasn't having any contractions and didn't feel like I was in "labor". But she said I should go to hospital because it really wasn't normal for a first time mom to be that far along and not be in labor...or something along those lines. So I called Chad and an hour or so later we were at the hospital.
They started me on pitocin to get some regular contractions going. They weren't really sure what else to do since I wasn't having them on my own. They had me on pitocin from about 5 pm Wednesday until 9 am Thursday morning. I was having some contractions but they weren't very strong or at regular intervals. I was falling asleep through them. It was a long night to say the least. I dilated maybe another cm through all this but Afton still wouldn't drop low enough for them to feel comfortable breaking my water.
But finally at about 9 am my doctor came in and checked me and she was finally low enough to break my water. After this I finally felt like I was in "labor." That's when it got fun :-) From about 9 am to 11 am I had very strong contractions. I was going on almost 30 hours of no sleep and 24 hours of not eating anything and I was getting tired fast from the contractions. I was trying to go through labor without an epidural but I was having a hard time at this point. They tried giving me some pain meds through the IV and that would help for about 30 minutes but then they would come back strong. So finally about 1 o'clock I opted for the epidural and it was a good decision. I rested for about 2 hours and then decided it was time to push. I was ready. Although I didn't want to get an epidural it ended up being a really good thing because I was more rested and ready to push. I definitely would not have had as much strength to push if I had had to endure the contractions for another 2 hours. I started pushing about 3 pm and Afton was born at 3:58 pm on Thursday December 9th, 2010.

She weighed 6 lbs 6 oz. and was 19 inches long. Although she was 3 weeks early she had no health complications. Holding my baby girl right after she was born was one of the best moments of my life. After all your body goes through it's such a sigh of relief to have it be over and see the reason you went through all of that.

Happy family

Proud Dad

We had a really amazing delivery nurse. The pushing went so well and so quickly that the Dr actually missed the birth so our nurse delivered her. But we couldn't have asked for a better experience. She helped me through it step by step and made me feel as comfortable as possible.

Although the delivery didn't quite go as planned it still was a really good experience. Looking back on it now I wished I hadn't been "induced." I didn't realize at the time that was what was happening but it was. I don't think Afton was quite ready to come but she was healthy and that's what matters. Next time I will be more prepared to deal with the hard decisions and I will know better what my body is telling me. but for my first labor it was good and Afton is healthy.

1 Day old

2 days old

Our hospital stay was ok but we were ready to get home and be more comfortable. Here is Afton in her going home outfit riding in her carseat for the first time.

Her first few minutes at Home.

3 days old: She LOVES this blanket my grandma made. She loves to curl her fingers and toes in it and sleep.

Oliver has adjusted very well to having a new little sister... yes our dog was our first child in a sense and we still love him! He sits outside her door when it's closed and wines to get in. He doesn't like it when he can't see her. :-)

4 days old- She wasn't a fan of her first sponge bath.

5 days old- Unfortunately we had to go back to the hospital on Tuesday the 14th because Afton became very jaundice. They wanted to put her under lights for about 24 hours in order to get rid of the jaundice. It may seem like she was uncomfortable and unhappy but just the opposite was true. She actually like the lights a lot and was quite warm and toasty. She has to wear the little mask to protect her eyes from the lights and that's the only part that she started to not like after a while.
Luckily we only had to stay 24 hours and our stay was a very positive experience. We went to the Kaiser hospital this time instead of Doctors. Afton was looking much less like a carrot after we left and was eating much better too. The two days before we went to the hospital were very hard as far as breastfeeding went so it was nice to have some help in the hospital and to be feeling more comfortable after we left.

8 days old- Happy to be home and sleeping in her own bed. She really is our little angel!

9 days old- Oliver likes to sneak in the pictures as often as he can...

10 days old- She liked her first real bath much better. She still loves to have her hands by her face.

Mommy and Afton (She if often still a little cross eyed but it is very endearing.)

She loves laying in her bouncer. She sleeps there a lot during the day...

11 days old- Chad loves to rock her at night before bed sometimes. He is such a good dad already and helps me in whatever way he can!

We feel so blessed to have Afton in our lives. She is so beautiful and sweet and precious...and I could go on and on. She is a great sleeper and eater already. She hardly ever fusses except during diaper and clothing changes. She is not a fan of those. It's hard to believe that she will be two weeks old tomorrow. The time is just flying by. I am enjoying my time home with her and am loving every minute of being a mom! We love you Afton!

45 Days of....

Sometimes I freak out...

When I think about the fact that I only have 45 days (give or take) until Afton graces us with her presense my stomach takes a turn (That's probably Afton kicking me in reality). Don't get me wrong. I am soooo excited I can hardly wait.

But also my whole life will change in 45 days.

I will be a mom.

I will be in charge of a tiny person.

Who can't do anything for herself.

Anything at all...

That is enough to freak out about.

And when I say freak out, I mean it in a good way.

Such as, although I am about to have this life changing experience I am happy too.

I spent my night last night relaxing.

I took a bath, lit some candles, stuck my iphone in my ear and listened to Damien Rice.

I was able to think about my baby and what's ahead. It was wonderful.

Granted my belly wasn't fully submerged in the water due to the fact that I am now huge and our bathtab is on the small side. But that's ok. I actually like being huge...sometimes.

So.....where was I....oh yeah....45 days.

I have 45 days to prepare myself for labor, hopefully without an epidural if my body stays strong and my mind calm. That's the plan right now.

I have 45 days to prepare for the rest of my life.

Now that's something to think about.

Also, I am happy right now.

I have a lot going on, a full plate if you will.

And life always brings drama of some sort, but I am magically calm.

What is there to not be happy about?

I have a wonderful husband.

Example: Tuesday my day was long. I was gone from 8 am to 7 pm. By 7 I was exhausted. Chad got off at 5 then went to two grocery stores and cooked me dinner. How awesome is he?

I have a really good job right now. It's flexible and the people I work with are nice! How's that for a change. They really care about my well being and what's best for me and the baby.

Chad and I are prepared for the baby. We have had to buy one thing...the crib. Everything else our wonderful family and friends have gotten for us.

We are so blessed.

Lastly, we are starting our family.

Our kids will be born under the covenant of the temple.

They will be sealed to us for time and all eternity.

We get to raise our children the way we think will turn them into the good, honest people.

Life is good. So while I am sure there will be a few more "freak outs" over the next 45 days there will be more excitement and happiness about the future.

25 Years Young

Chad turned 25 yesterday. I meant to post a happy birthday blog for him yesterday but I didn't...shame.

We didn't do a whole lot for his birthday unfortunately.

We did get to go to Buffalo Wild Wings...Chad's been wanting to go there since it opened here in Modesto a little while ago. It was really fun to go out for a change. We haven't done it in a while.

Then we went home and cuddled while watching Survivor...boring much? Sorry chad that your pregnant wife has a hard time having energy late at night these days...

But Chad didn't care.

He is a wonderful caring husband who would put me first even on his birthday.

Words cannot describe how much I love him after 3 years of marriage. And having a baby on the way has only strengthened those feelings.

Chad is many things... a hard worker, a loving person, always smiling and joking. He makes our house fun. He loves me no matter what and he is going to make an amazing father in a few short weeks.

Ok, I don't want to get too sappy (too late) but I did want to wish Chad a happy 25th birthday and brag a little about what an amazing husband I have!

33 Weeks

I'm having a pretty hard time wrapping my head around that fact that I will have a baby in two months. My pregnancy so far has flown by and I am positive the next two months will go even faster. I definitely feel huge now. I have grown a lot in the last two months. I am pretty sure there is no mistaking the fact that I am pregnant now :-)
This was at 24 weeks...

This is at 32 weeks...

I am actually feeling pretty good about being "prepared" as far as stuff goes. My wonderful sister graciously gave me ALL her girl clothes from Brielle. So I could probably not get another piece of clothing and be fine until Afton is two :-) (That's not to say I wouldn't gladly accept more clothing though...)
Our nursery is coming along nicely...

Before:

After:

It was a huge relief to get our spare room cleaned out and turned into our nursery. Now there are just a few minor things to adjust and it will be done.

Oliver still thinks the nursery is his room because it's where he sleeps...poor dog. So much is going to change and he has no idea... Here are a few nursery details to share:

The crib, which I've already posted, is the holding place for now of a lot of the clothing that we won't use until Afton's a little older.

Chad's boss gave us this dresser...for free! I love free things. It's still in really great shape, just needs a few adjustments. But it really looks new.

This picture I've had for a while. It's Greg Olsen. I just love it and think it's very appropriate for a brand new baby just sent from Heaven ;-) I'm going with a sort of bird theme if you will. I found these figurines and the clock at a cute decor store in utah when I was there for my shower. All three were under $25 combined. I was so excited to find them.

Chad's cousin Brittany made this cute bow holder for me as a shower present. She also made the black polka dot and the white bows. It also has birds on it...coincidence? (is that how you spell that?

My wonderful friend Lindsey pained me these beatiful pictures to hang in the nursery. I specifically asked her to do them and she gave them to me at my shower. They turned out wonderfully. They also give you an idea of my color scheme.

Finally, I couldn't find any bedding I liked so i decided to make my own. And by that I mean, my mom is helping me sew the bedding. Here are the colors. The quilt is almost done and then we will move on to the bumpers.

This is literally the only thing I have bought for the baby (except the crib of course). I'm saying it's from Oliver because of the cute doggies on it. :-)

We are really getting so excited for Afton to be here! It's flying by and my latest due date is Jan 1st. So that will be here before we know it...

On Money

I often tell Chad that I wish we could have lived in the 1800's.

How nice would it be to not have to worry about cars breaking down? Yes, your horse might die, I'm sure it happened a lot. But let's get real. I think buying a new horse to pull your wagon would be a little less complicated than buying a new car or buying expensive parts to fix your car.

No expensive mortgages or second mortgages. Most of the time they bought their land outright and built their houses.

Also, no electric bills or gas bills. Candles are cheap. And fire, well fire is free.

No cell phones or TV's to distract us and take more of our money. They read books and spent time with their families...isn't that what we are counseled to do anyways?

No credit card bills to worry about. No debt...hmmm...what would that be like?

No expensive gas stations or overpriced grocery stores to worry about. We could grow our own food for the most part and horses just drink water, not gas, thankfully.

Wouldn't that be nice?

Chad usually smiles at me when I talk about this and tells me it wouldn't be quite that nice. And yes, I get that. I get that no A/C in the summer would be miserable. And horses and wagon's take a lot longer than cars to get places. I also understand that you might get pretty bored without TV and cell phones. But they did it, so I am confident I could too. If you didn't know modern technology existed you wouldn't miss it right?

I sincerly want to live in another time period, one more simple. One where money didn't control our world quite as much. But I can't. I live now. I was chosen to come to the earth for this time period for a certain reason and I must deal with the evils of "money" and the hardships that it brings.

There really isn't a certain thing that brought this post on. It's no secret these last few months for us have been hard financially. But we have persevered. We have gotten through it and I believe we are much stronger because of it.

But doesn't it just seem like sometimes you can't get a break??

Do you ever feel like selling everything you have, changing your name and going and living on a farm somewhere and just getting by with what food you can grow on your own? I do!! It won't happen, but sometimes I feel like it. (Again, I am sure it sounds more simple and appealing in my head.)

Satan tries very hard to control us with money and sometimes he succeeds. There are many people out there that are controlled by money. Chad and I try really hard to not be those people, and we aren't. That I can be happy about. This is what I keep telling myself:

Money is only an object.

It won't matter forever.

As long as I have a roof over my head and food to eat, I'm good.

I also keep telling myself that Chad and I work so hard and the fact that we just barely get by doesn't matter. What matters is that we do it on our own. We don't bum off our parents (I'm definitely not putting anyone that lives with their parents down, just for clarification). We also don't live off the government when it would be so easy. We pay our tithing, which I know has a lot to do with why we do always have enough to meet our needs. And we try to be positive.

Who knows, maybe someday we will be "well off." But until then, we will just have to continue to work hard and be happy with what we have.

And I will keep daydreaming about horses and wagons and candles....

Pregnancy on my Mind

Prior to being pregnant I never understood a lot of what pregnant women go through...who really can until they are pregnant? And yes, that means men will NEVER fully understand what it's like to be pregnant and what labor is like. As much as Chad tries to say his Kidney stone was as painful as birth, I personally still don't think you can compare (even though I haven't actually had the baby yet, I've heard it's painful to say the least....) Maybe if I ever have a kidney stone, let's hope not, then I can say for sure.

Anyways....what I am getting at is, being pregnant is hard.

Everything changes.

Everything.

And I'm just talking about the run of the mill pregnancy, that's not including complications. I can only imagine what it's like to be on bed rest, or worry constantly about your baby because of complications. My heart goes out to those women especially.

I promised myself I would blog more about my pregnancy so I can remember later and of course I have failed. So this is me trying to make up for that and hopefully entertaining and enlightening a few people along the way. This is what I have noticed along the way:

1. Pregnancy Brain- is real. It's not made up. I must admit I didn't but into it before being pregnant, but I definitely do now.

Example 1: Chad and I are sitting in sacrament meeting next to our neighbors Michelle and Bryan. I turn to Michelle and ask, "do you have ____? Wait I can't remember what it's called... uh you know..." She stares back at me blankly. She does not know. "You know, that thing that tells you who's speaking and stuff..." More blank stares. Meanwhile Chad overhears and very kindly intervnes. "A Program, that's what she's trying to say." Of course Michelle doesn't have one, so the conversation was futile to begin with.

Example 2: I'm at work talking to my boss about when I will be taking maternity leave. " I'm probably going to work right up until if I'm feeling ok. So I will probably be off after Christmas. (My due date is Jan. 1st) Christmas is usually on a Thursay so...." Both of my bosses laugh and I realize that Christmas is not usually on a Thursday and I have no clue where I came up with that idea.

So these are just a few of the silly things I do now a days. But I really do feel like I am only using about 1/2 of my brain most of the time. The other half which holds informations such as words to say and memory seems to have completely disappeared. I have had many a mom's tell me that it never fully comes back either, so I am preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. Let me know if any of you have gotten it back...it would make me feel much better.

2. Energy- The first trimester was obviosuly physically hard with the nausea and sickness all the time. And of course I was always tired, especially working 40 hours a week. But then that faded. And the second trimester was much better. I got some of my energy back but never fully. I kept waiting for it to creep back into my body when I wasn't paying attention, but it didn't and it still hasn't. Most nights I get at least 8 hours of sleep, sometimes more. On the weekends lately. I feel like all I do is sleep and sleep some more. And rest. And take naps. And it does help me get through my busy weeks but then by Friday I'm exhausted again. Heaven forbid we actually did something on the weekend like go out of town. I don't know if my body could take it. So i am resigned to the fact that I probably won't ever get all my energy back until January.

3. Body- Let's face it, does any women really have their ideal body? Probably not. I certainly don't. Not pre-pregnany and not now. However, I have found that during pregnancy I really don't care as much. I know weight gain is normal so it doesn't depress me. I know stretch marks are normal, ok, those still depress me :-). I know it will take me a while after birth to get back to what I want to be.

With that said, it's all for a really really good reason. When I look at my growing stomach I think more of what's growing inside than the strech marks. When I waddle down the street, yes I have gone into my waddling phase, I don't really notice anymore. When I am so exhausted at the end of the day, I don't care what I look like. Instead I love to climb in bed and feel Afton kick and remember why my body is so exhausted. And it helps to have a wonderful husband who loves me just the way I am. He is so patient and understanding.

So yes my body will be changed forever, but really should I care when I will be getting a beautiful baby girl out of it?

4. Diet- I am always hungry. Always. I could have just ate and I will probably be hungry in another 30 minutes. But I don't have cravings really. Nothing weird or unusual. Sometimes sometihng sounds really really good and I have to have it, but I don't think that is really anything new. The weird thing is I have been eating much healthier without really trying. I actually do crave fruits more, so our fridge tends to me stocked with more of those. And we haven't really been eating fast food at all lately. Taco Bell makes me sick now. Even In-N-Out has been really unsatisfying the last few times I've eaten it.

That's all I can really think of now, I'm sure there is much more. Stay tuned for nursery updates and growing belly pictures soon.

Halloween Happenings

Even though Halloween is still a week away, most of our Halloween activities are over I'm afraid.

Last weekend we went to a pumpkin patch with our Neighbors Michelle, Bryan and Carter to pick out some pumpkins to carve. It was a little early but we were in the mood to be festive, so we did!
We also got to go on a hayride and check out some farm animals...

Then we headed back to Michelle and Bryan's place (which happens to be in our same apartment building...how convenient :-) to carve our picks.
Can I first of all say, that my pumpkin turned our horribly and I am a little embarrassed to say it is mine, but to my defense it has been a few years since I carved a pumpkin. This was actually the first Halloween that Chad and I have carved pumpkins together, so it was fun even though my "owl on a branch" was pitiful.

Chad's scary face pumpkin was much more successful than mine!

Can owl's look cross-eyed? Because mine does...

And last night was our ward Halloween party. Dressing up was another Halloween first for Chad and I. We have never really had anywhere to go on Halloween so we have never really bothered with costumes...until this year. I decided to google pregnant costumes and this is what we came up with...all homemade too!
(My oven reads: Bun in the Oven. Cook time remaining: 10 weeks)

Our costumes were a big hit with the adults and got quite a few laughs. Meanwhile, the kids in the ward just looked dazed and confused when trying to figure out what we were...as it should be. And the teens got it but usually got a little red in the face as they gave us a nervous chuckle.
We had a nice Chili potluck and Bryan and Chad decorated our tables pumpkin.

The Lee's were pirates. Michelle did such a good job on their costumes!

All in all it was a really fun night! It was nice to celebrate this fun holiday for a change. Even though we won't be going trick or treating or doing anything on the actual holiday it was still one of the best Halloween's I've had!