The Birth of Our Baby Girl

As May rolled around, I began to think about my birth plan. I had such a great labor and delivery with Clayton that I wanted it to be the same or even better this time around. I didn't get to have my same OB since we moved. I didn't really think it would be that big of a deal since it was my second baby, but it was. Some people just can't be replaced in life and my doctor in Chico is one of them. I owe my great birth experience to him and my husband the first time around. It might sound crazy but I shed tears over the fact that I wasn't going to find another "Dr. Mellum". So I decided I needed to just settle for the OB I had and focus on my birth plan. I looked into Bradley Method Childbirth Classes but found out we didn't have enough time to complete the 12 week course with only 9 weeks until my due date. Then, I was in the grocery store one day and found a business card on the wall of a natural childbirth educator; so I gave her a call. I found out she taught the Bradley Method classes and was also a doula. She offered to come visit with us the following evening. Gods timing is amazing! After talking with her I felt instantly relieved about my plans for the upcoming birth. What did I want from this birth experience? A natural childbirth and a doctor who supported that. At 36 weeks I switched from my OB to a team of Nurse Midwives and from a hospital 20 minutes away to less than five minutes! We also took up reading "Husband Coached Childbirth" by Robert Bradley. Not quite Brody's choice of reading but he read it for me and we did find some interesting info and humor in it that we laughed about in labor.

At 2:30 am on July 20th I woke to the sound of thunder and the rain starting to pour. I realized I was feeling some labor pains too. So I got up to go to the bathroom and got back into bed to wait it out and see if things would progress. I was a bit anxious to get to the hospital being Group Strep B +. I needed to be on IV meds at least 2 hours prior to delivery to protect baby from not getting infected. With Clayton, the meds didn't have enough time to kick before I delivered him and he was fine but I didn't want the added risk this time.

My sister arrived the Thursday prior to take care of Clayton for us, so I let her know we were heading to the hospital finally! She asked, "How do you know you are in labor?" I asked myself the same question that morning because we all were wondering if this time would ever come. My official due date was the 18th and we thought for sure she would be here by then.

At 4:20 we headed to the hospital, I sent a text out to 9 people and 5 crazy people texted me back! I didn't really expect anyone else to be up with us. We got settled into the "maybe baby" room and around 5:00 am the nurse checked me and I was 4 cm. So they admitted me and shortly after started my IV meds. My midwife, Bridget, showed up around 7 and checked me and said I was 4-5 cm. She said we should go walk around for awhile to try to get things moving. Brody and I enjoyed some time walking around talking, enjoying the fresh air since the storm had stopped and then came back to the room and ordered some breakfast. I had to stop some for the contractions but they hadn't progressed as fast as I thought. My labor started at 2:30 with Clayton and he was born at 8:03 a.m. It was after 9 now and not a lot was happening. My midwife checked back in and checked me again. Slow progression, I was 5 cm. She asked me if I wanted to try breast pumping to try and progress labor. I really did not want to be on Pitocin so I tried it for 20 minutes. The contractions were a bit stronger during the pumping time. Once I was done we decided to walk again. It was close to 10:30 now. My contractions were a bit stronger and I really used Brody now to help get me breath through the contractions so I decided to stay in the room and pace back and forth across the room while Brody timed them. They were consistent, about 2 minutes apart now. Once I sat down they seemed to spread out even more and lost intensity. Next time I looked at the clock it was 11 and began to think my labor was going to last all day. Brody encouraged me to try the pump again so I did. My next contraction peeked off the chart and I pretty much threw the pump at him. "No more!" I was laying in bed on my side now with him rubbing my lower back and my contractions were getting a lot stronger. The nurses asked me if I wanted to try sitting in the jacuzzi tub then, so they got it ready. My contractions grew stronger and closer together and there was no way I was going to be able to move to the tub now. At 11:45 my water broke. It sounded like flood gates had opened! It was quite crazy and a big relief for me with a change of intensity with my contractions. Shortly after 12 I started pushing and at 12:07 Brody caught our daughter as she arrived into this world: Addyson Jolee 7lbs7oz, 20.5 inches long.

(Here I am, settled in our room, ready for the birth of our daughter)

(Just brand new-Happy Birthday Addyson!)

(Now a family of 4!)
(Proud big brother, the nurse helped him make her a shirt with her name on it and he helped with her first bath.)

(Ready to go home! My great-grandmother crocheted this outfit for me and I wore it home from the hospital)

Addyson was the 11th baby born at Bellevue Medical Center. We were the only ones there! We definitely felt VIP! The nurses were so wonderful in meeting my needs, Brody's (coffee 24/7)and they just loved Clayton when he arrived. The nurses let him help them with whatever they were doing.

I am so thankful for my wonderful husband who supported and coached me through my labor, my midwife, and the nurses! It was everything I had hoped it to be and more! And my baby girl, I didn't know I could have enough love for a 2nd child. She has captured my heart just like her brother and daddy. What a beautiful gift from God she is!

Ready for our baby girl!

It has been so much fun getting ready for a girl after having a boy! I decided to make the sheet and crib skirt from tutorial I found, out of fabric I fell in love with from Hobby Lobby. They were both so easy to do for a beginner sewer and so much fun to see the end result! The room was already painted a light green with one bright green wall with we repainted light pink. Brody thought we should bring in brown and polka-dots to the room. I love how the bumper I found from target.com ties in with brown and polka-dots.

A rocker/recliner was my one request this time around. Brody and I both spent a lot of time in a glider we borrowed from a friend with Clayton and was not the most comfortable thing to sleep in. This is the luxury of luxury recliners. Brody picked it out and I often find him reading in it at night. The little rocker was mine that my grandpa gave me as a little girl.

I found this dresser on craigslist and painted it an off-white. I couldn't find knobs that I loved so I used some we had and painted pink and brown polka-dots on them. The shelf I ordered from JC Penney to have some extra storage.

And a must needed essential, a fashionable mommy/diaper bag! My friend Jenna made this bag for me last year for my birthday and I really haven't used it all that much with not having to pack much for Clayton anymore. Now I know why I have savered it! I just love it and can't wait to use it every day!!!

Maternity Photo Shoot

We had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with Tamra Heald Photography.
Kind of ironic that she moved here from California with her husband around the same time we did. I just love what she captured of us! Photo shoots seem to be the only way I am in the pictures these days. Here I am at 37 weeks. We did most of our pictures at the park just down the street from us. Here is just a glimpse of some of my favorites!

Our Clayton is just so excited for his baby sister and it definitely shows in the pictures! I was so nervous of how he would do, but he turned out to be a better poser than Brody and I.

At the end of the photo shoot we told Clayton he would get a sucker. He made sure we got one too! So glad we got pictures of the highlight of the shoot.

What a wonderful pregnancy this has been! I thank God for the miracle of our baby girl; for every kick and movement she makes. We are so excited to welcome our baby girl any day now!

May

I can't believe May is almost gone! I had so many things on my to-do list and didn't get them all completed. On Sunday, I will have 7 weeks left to finish projects before our baby girl arrives. I still am not finished with Clayton's quilt, it has got put to the wayside since it takes time to work on. I am so exhausted these days and feel like I am barely above water in keeping up on daily duties let alone my list of projects. I am thankful for Clayton's naps because I often nap with him! And so thankful for my wonderful husband who provides for our family and also helps me out more than ever around the house right now.

May has been busy. Clayton and I traveled back to McCook the second week for my niece's choir concert. My SIL Kerri sang in our wedding 9 years ago and it was so awesome to get to hear the girls sing for the first time. They have amazing voices like their mom. I love music and am so inspired by it but have no talent in it.
For Mother's Day, we packed a picnic and headed to the zoo after church. Here I am at 30 weeks. My sweet boy was giving me a kiss. I love these benches they have there; I want one for my backyard!

Here are some projects I did complete this month! I took my old couch pillows and recovered them by using this envelope pattern I found online.

Brody put our fence up and also built this garden area for me for Mother's day. My aunt and uncle gave us the fencing that worked perfect around the garden to keep the dog out. I planted this weekend: tomatoes, peppers, green beans, cucumbers, squash and watermelon. Hopeful for good produce soon!

I made these little clutch purses for my sisters. The cute flower tutorial I found at MamaLovesPapa. These were a fast project and turned out so cute! I can't wait to make more.

My Aunt and I also had a garage sale this month. It was the most successful garage sale I have ever had! It feels so good to have cleaned out and feel organized right down to the closet and storage totes. I can now say we are officially unpacked.

We painted the nursery this weekend and I will post pictures soon! I am full of ideas and so excited to decorate it! I am also going to try and make some cute skirts like this these for birthday gifts and finally finish Clayton's quilt. So much to do and so little time. This weekend we are heading to our family cabin in Cambridge. Looking forward to relaxing and finishing some books I have been reading.

Clayton's Big Boy Room

We moved Clayton into his new room and out of his crib about a month ago. At first I didn't think he was ever going to adjust to his new bed. He asked to sleep in his baby crib several nights in a row. I took down the rail on the crib and finally got everything out of his old room and he settled in fine after a week. Now he doesn't even go in his old room; which we will soon be getting ready for the baby. He does great staying in his bed when it is time to go to sleep. Next we have to figure out how to break him from the binkie. Any suggestions?

His quilt is almost finished! I am hand stitching each square, which is time consuming, but it is the look that I want and I couldn't figure out how to machine stitch it. Once I get the hand stitching done, I just have to do the binding and I will be finished!
We painted his room a light blue. Brody built this shelf and we got a set of cubes from target for books and toys.

I made valances for the windows.
And painted some canvases and glued this cute car fabric on them that I found.

It is time to start on our baby girl's room next. I will post pictures soon! My wheels are spinning with ideas.

30 is here.........

I turned 30 on Sunday. The number has been a hard one to grasp, but wow was it a memorable celebration! One I will never forget. With just moving to Nebraska and also being 7 months pregnant, I didn't expect much of a birthday celebration. Well, I got a wonderful suprise party that Brody and my mom planned! I walked into a house full of people and started crying. I couldn't believe that my mom had flew in from Idaho, two of my aunts and uncles and Dad traveled 4 1/2 hours, and family here had all come to celebrate my life. The crazy thing is they were all there 30 years ago when I was born. The party was Saturday and we celebrated on into Sunday with half of them staying the night. The first and probably only time that my mom and dad both stayed at my house. Kind of weird, but so awesome to have them both here. Brody made me strawberry shortcake for my birthday and bought me an icecream maker. We had homemade vanilla ice cream, my favorite!

My mom gave me this diamond necklace. The really awesome thing about this necklace is that the diamond in it is out of the wedding ring that my dad gave my mom on their wedding day.

Here I am, 28 weeks on my birthday with 12 weeks to go! I feel so big already.

(My mom and Aunt Teresa)

My dad (Pappa) hanging out in Clayton's room. Clayton yelled, "Mommy come see us!" This is what I walked in and found. Sucking on binkies, too funny!

Now I have a couple of days to recover from all of our company and then Clayton and I are heading to California on Thursday to visit our Chico family. (The other part of my birthday present from Brody.) I got so spoiled this year!

A Baby Sister?

At dinnertime last week, Clayton wanted to say the pray. "Thank you Jesus for Daddy, Mommy, Doggy, and BABY SISTER." I was a little shocked by his words. We had talked about a baby brother/sister but didn't know yet what we were having. My ultrasound was a couple days later and we decided we were going to find out. Here is a picture of me the day of the ultrasound at 21 weeks. I feel huge, but then I talk to some people and they are shocked to know I am pregnant, so maybe it is just me.

Yes, we are indeed having a baby girl! The ultrasound tech was pretty sure of it and she even got a pretty good picture. Our little Clayton really did know. I am in awe at how our Father uses our children to help us as parents to love, honor and serve him more. I am so thankful for our boy and the love he already has for his heavenly father. He is going to be a great big brother. These days he is surrounded by lots of little girls and I see a great gentleness in him towards them. I now know the Lord is preparing him for a baby sister. He loves to play dress up with his cousin Jolena and wear mommy's lipstick and make-up. I know he will out grow the dress up thing, but I can see him playing with his little sister one day just because she wants him to.

Clayton picked out this little outfit for his sister this week. (sorry for the sideways pic) The butterfly is on the butt, perfectly suiting since I love butterflies. He was so excited to show daddy the outfit when we got home. He said, "Look at the butt dad", as he was laughing.

So 17 weeks and counting for our baby girl to arrive. I just started to read a book a friend recommended to help us with this transition, From One Child To Two by Judy Dunn.