Jamie and I came across this little music video on someone else's blog. Oh my, you need to stop whatever you are doing, gather all those around you and watch this! It is hilarious!!! Have a good laugh ~ :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-NOZU2iPA8
Friday, September 12, 2008
Monday, September 08, 2008
Pictures!
Riley James, picuted here with the two men for whom he's named; my Grandpa (Riley) and his Daddy, Jamie (really James)He is here!
Hello everyone. I am so sorry for the long delay in writing our good news! I'll just cut to the chase... our SON (!!!) was born on August 28 @ 2:16am, weighing in at just over 9 lbs and measuring 20 1/2 in. long! - and this was at 8 days before his due date, whew, thank you Lord for bringing him early! :)
I'd love to share our birth story with you. God, and God alone, provided me the strength and ability to birth our sweet boy, and I am so thankful for HIS provision. It is truly a testiment to His grace and we are so blessed to be so loved by our Heavenly Father.
Between 37 weeks and when I really went into labor, I had about 3 false alarms, times where I really thought I was going into labor, but then all action would come to a halt and I would be dissapointed! We had really been praying that the Lord would bring our baby, at the latest, by his/her due date because of some crazy cirmcumstancial things going on in our lives. It was really the cry and desire of my heart for this to happen, and I have to admit, there were moments that I doubted God would bless us in this way - me of little faith, God answered the cries of my heart!
On Tuesday, August 26, my midwife found me to be dilated 4 cm, so I left the office feeling pretty excited and hopeful that labor might start soon. For the next 24 hrs. I had random, but increasingly intense, contractions. On Wednesday, August 27, sometime in the afternoon, I think they started to get more regular, probably 10-20 min. apart. At 6 pm I started timing them. They were totally manageable, though I couldn't talk through them very easily anymore. Jamie was still at work, not due home till around 10pm. Sophia and I watched a video to help pass the time. I got her to bed around 8pm and my contractions were still coming, but the timing was sort of random, anywhere from 3 minutes to 12 minutes apart, but they were averaging at 7-9 minutes apart.
Around 9:30pm I took a hot bath to see what would happen. This proved to make the contractions come much harder and quicker. Jamie got home as I was getting out of the bath and we started to make final preperations to leave for the hospital. After our bags were all packed, etc., I called Julie, one of my awesome midwifes, and sought her advice. We had a 45min. drive to the hospital and with this being baby #2 we didn't want to risk waiting around at home too long. Yet, my contractions still weren't super close together, but I definitely couldn't talk through them anymore. Julie adivised me to listen to my body and I decided to wait a bit longer to see what happened. (due to all the false alarms I was sort of denying I was really in labor - Jamie thought I was crazy, but didn't let on! :) )
I told Jamie I was going to lay down for a bit to see if the contractions stopped. He looked at me like I was crazy (he knew I was really in labor!) and was about to say so when I think another contraction hit me and I quickly changed me mind! :) We got Sophia up and we were on our way.
My parents were meeting us at the hospital to take Soph home with them. She was so excited and giddy in the car which helped get me through the 45 min. car ride! Jamie was speeding just a bit at first and I assured him I was fine and he didn't need to speed. So, he slowed it down, till about 15 minutes later when I looked at him and said, "You can speed a little bit now." :)
We arrived at the hospital at around 12:30am and headed up to the OB unit. Funny enough, the nurse who was to be my caregiver for labor and recovery came right in behind us a walked with us up to the unit.
Julie got there shortly after we did, as did my parents. I was 8 cm. dilated at this point and already feeling a bit like pushing. Due to me having an unmedicated delivery I only had to be confined to the bed for about 20 min. so they could do an initial check on me and the baby. After being monitered for this time I was able to get out of the bed and get into the warm pool of water that was waiting for me. Hydrotherapy is amazing when in labor - at least I have found it to be!- and it really helped me through the rest of my labor. I labored in the pool for maybe an hour. I was struggling mentally to accept that I was already at the end of this whole laboring process and that pushing and delivery was just around the corner. I just wasnt' prepared to get to the hospital and have it be "go time" so quickly. So, I was feeling a bit frantic inside as the pain intensified and I could feel the changes occuring in my body that said delivery was coming soon! Between Jamie's constant presence and support and the amazing support of Julie (she was so great and relaxing me, guiding me through the pain and calming me down) I was able to make it through the rest of labor. God of course was also my constant source of strength and knowing He created me to do this very thing helped me through it.
There came a moment where I said, "I must get out of this tub now!" I'd been pushing in the pool for awhile when my body said to do so, but it wasn't yet the real deal. But all of a sudden something changed and I knew I needed to get out because I didn't want to have the baby in the pool.
I got out, got dried off and got in to the bed. With Sophia I delivered her on my back, pushing for 2 full hours and having about 3 or so people "coaching" me through each push. Telling me when to start, when to stop, how long to hold it, etc... This time was so different, and much preferred! I knelt on the bed leaning against a big pile of pillows and no one coached me on what to do. Julie simply said to listen to my body and do what felt right. Well, this method proved to be effective because Riley was born in about 3-5 minutes!!! Holy cow, quite different than 2 hours of pushing!
I don't think anyone thought it would go so quick because nothing was ready. Julie was out in the hallway getting scrubbed and gloved up and the table of "stuff" wasn't even in place. All of a sudden I said, "Julie, I feel the head!" It was quite a flurry of activity for everyone to get in place and out our beautiful boy came. After Julie helped guide his head out Jamie got to "catch" the rest of Riley. Very cool! He also got to see and announce to everyone that it was a BOY!
So, we weren't even at the hospital for 2 hrs. before he was born and we couldn't believe how big he was. When he came out we instantly knew he looked just like his daddy. He also looked exactly like a boy version of Soph as a newborn.
He is healthy and so am I. I am feeling great (maybe a bit sleepy...) and he is nursing really well. Jamie is so in love with his boy and I love seeing them together. Sophia adores her baby brother. When she first met him later that morning she just stroked his face and gently kissed him. This morning she came up to him while I was holding him and leaned down close to his face and said, "Riley, do you know that you are the cutest baby brother in the whole world?? Because you are!" :) She is definitely still adjusting, she just takes it out on Jamie and me. :) I know we'll get there though.
Thank you for all of your prayers. We love having two kiddos and are so thankful for both of them. I'll try to keep this blog more updated now, now that we're home, feeling more settled and getting into some sort of routine.
I'd love to share our birth story with you. God, and God alone, provided me the strength and ability to birth our sweet boy, and I am so thankful for HIS provision. It is truly a testiment to His grace and we are so blessed to be so loved by our Heavenly Father.
Between 37 weeks and when I really went into labor, I had about 3 false alarms, times where I really thought I was going into labor, but then all action would come to a halt and I would be dissapointed! We had really been praying that the Lord would bring our baby, at the latest, by his/her due date because of some crazy cirmcumstancial things going on in our lives. It was really the cry and desire of my heart for this to happen, and I have to admit, there were moments that I doubted God would bless us in this way - me of little faith, God answered the cries of my heart!
On Tuesday, August 26, my midwife found me to be dilated 4 cm, so I left the office feeling pretty excited and hopeful that labor might start soon. For the next 24 hrs. I had random, but increasingly intense, contractions. On Wednesday, August 27, sometime in the afternoon, I think they started to get more regular, probably 10-20 min. apart. At 6 pm I started timing them. They were totally manageable, though I couldn't talk through them very easily anymore. Jamie was still at work, not due home till around 10pm. Sophia and I watched a video to help pass the time. I got her to bed around 8pm and my contractions were still coming, but the timing was sort of random, anywhere from 3 minutes to 12 minutes apart, but they were averaging at 7-9 minutes apart.
Around 9:30pm I took a hot bath to see what would happen. This proved to make the contractions come much harder and quicker. Jamie got home as I was getting out of the bath and we started to make final preperations to leave for the hospital. After our bags were all packed, etc., I called Julie, one of my awesome midwifes, and sought her advice. We had a 45min. drive to the hospital and with this being baby #2 we didn't want to risk waiting around at home too long. Yet, my contractions still weren't super close together, but I definitely couldn't talk through them anymore. Julie adivised me to listen to my body and I decided to wait a bit longer to see what happened. (due to all the false alarms I was sort of denying I was really in labor - Jamie thought I was crazy, but didn't let on! :) )
I told Jamie I was going to lay down for a bit to see if the contractions stopped. He looked at me like I was crazy (he knew I was really in labor!) and was about to say so when I think another contraction hit me and I quickly changed me mind! :) We got Sophia up and we were on our way.
My parents were meeting us at the hospital to take Soph home with them. She was so excited and giddy in the car which helped get me through the 45 min. car ride! Jamie was speeding just a bit at first and I assured him I was fine and he didn't need to speed. So, he slowed it down, till about 15 minutes later when I looked at him and said, "You can speed a little bit now." :)
We arrived at the hospital at around 12:30am and headed up to the OB unit. Funny enough, the nurse who was to be my caregiver for labor and recovery came right in behind us a walked with us up to the unit.
Julie got there shortly after we did, as did my parents. I was 8 cm. dilated at this point and already feeling a bit like pushing. Due to me having an unmedicated delivery I only had to be confined to the bed for about 20 min. so they could do an initial check on me and the baby. After being monitered for this time I was able to get out of the bed and get into the warm pool of water that was waiting for me. Hydrotherapy is amazing when in labor - at least I have found it to be!- and it really helped me through the rest of my labor. I labored in the pool for maybe an hour. I was struggling mentally to accept that I was already at the end of this whole laboring process and that pushing and delivery was just around the corner. I just wasnt' prepared to get to the hospital and have it be "go time" so quickly. So, I was feeling a bit frantic inside as the pain intensified and I could feel the changes occuring in my body that said delivery was coming soon! Between Jamie's constant presence and support and the amazing support of Julie (she was so great and relaxing me, guiding me through the pain and calming me down) I was able to make it through the rest of labor. God of course was also my constant source of strength and knowing He created me to do this very thing helped me through it.
There came a moment where I said, "I must get out of this tub now!" I'd been pushing in the pool for awhile when my body said to do so, but it wasn't yet the real deal. But all of a sudden something changed and I knew I needed to get out because I didn't want to have the baby in the pool.
I got out, got dried off and got in to the bed. With Sophia I delivered her on my back, pushing for 2 full hours and having about 3 or so people "coaching" me through each push. Telling me when to start, when to stop, how long to hold it, etc... This time was so different, and much preferred! I knelt on the bed leaning against a big pile of pillows and no one coached me on what to do. Julie simply said to listen to my body and do what felt right. Well, this method proved to be effective because Riley was born in about 3-5 minutes!!! Holy cow, quite different than 2 hours of pushing!
I don't think anyone thought it would go so quick because nothing was ready. Julie was out in the hallway getting scrubbed and gloved up and the table of "stuff" wasn't even in place. All of a sudden I said, "Julie, I feel the head!" It was quite a flurry of activity for everyone to get in place and out our beautiful boy came. After Julie helped guide his head out Jamie got to "catch" the rest of Riley. Very cool! He also got to see and announce to everyone that it was a BOY!
So, we weren't even at the hospital for 2 hrs. before he was born and we couldn't believe how big he was. When he came out we instantly knew he looked just like his daddy. He also looked exactly like a boy version of Soph as a newborn.
He is healthy and so am I. I am feeling great (maybe a bit sleepy...) and he is nursing really well. Jamie is so in love with his boy and I love seeing them together. Sophia adores her baby brother. When she first met him later that morning she just stroked his face and gently kissed him. This morning she came up to him while I was holding him and leaned down close to his face and said, "Riley, do you know that you are the cutest baby brother in the whole world?? Because you are!" :) She is definitely still adjusting, she just takes it out on Jamie and me. :) I know we'll get there though.
Thank you for all of your prayers. We love having two kiddos and are so thankful for both of them. I'll try to keep this blog more updated now, now that we're home, feeling more settled and getting into some sort of routine.
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