Cole is finally here!

(NOTE: this post contains pictures from the actual delivery--they are all rated G, but I figured fair warning was needed.)

So my due date came and went without a baby appearing.

Tuesday, February 7th I had an appointment that morning with my OB. I was sitting at 4 cm, so they stripped my membranes again and scheduled me for an induction on Thursday (if I hadn't gone into labor before then).

George and I played with the kids outside that afternoon while I waited for any contractions at all. Nothing really happened until we were eating dinner. Thinking maybe, just maybe I was going into labor, we threw the kids into the tub and got them ready for bed, tidied up, finished packing my bag and then waited. The contractions slowed down, so after the kids went to bed, George and I put on TRON to finish. We had started it a couple times but never really got to watch the whole thing.

We didn't get to finish it that night, either. 

Around 10:00 p.m. my contractions started up again so, worried if we waited too long I wouldn't be in time for an epidural, we called our wonderful neighbor Melissa to let her know we were heading out and hopped into the car.

Standing outside the L&D unit about to be triaged. 

We arrived at the hospital around 11:00 p.m. and were shown into triage. My contractions were about 2-3 minutes apart and moderately strong--nothing too painful, just lots of tightening.

I was 6 cm, so they admitted me! We called our families and my mom started her 2.5 hour drive down to Charlottesville so she could be there. Melissa offered slept on our couch all night long so my mom could be there for the delivery. True friend!

 Waiting for the epidural. Yay! I delivered Jude without one and realized, well, epidurals are lifesavers. It may work for some people to delivery naturally, and I could have done it again should I needed to, but honestly, I would rather smile my way through the experience than cry.

See? Isn't that nice?

I got my epidural around midnight and laid back to wait. The epidural was perfect. I could still feel the pressure of the contractions, but almost no pain. I could even move my legs! Perfect.

Waiting for baby Cole to arrive.

Around 1:00 a.m. I was 8 cm with my water still intact. The doctor offered to break it to get the show on the road, but my mom hadn't made it yet, so we decided to hold off until she got here.

Mom arrived about 30 minutes later and we all tried to nap while we waited.

They checked me again at 2:30 a.m. Still at 8 cm, so they broke my water. I guess I had a lot because the nurse said she had never seen so much fluid come out before. The baby still looked good, though, so we settled in to wait out the last little bit.

My contractions had slowed down considerably after the epidural was placed, and when they checked me again at 4 a.m. and found I was still at an 8, they discussed starting pitocin to encourage stronger contractions. While the order was being processed, my body decided it wanted to get this baby out on it's own and the contractions picked up once again.

I was feeling tons more pressure, so at 4:45 a.m. they checked and I was fully dilated! Yay!

Waiting while they set up the delivery table and got the appropriate people in the room.

10 centimeters! And still smiling!

I love the sequence of these next few pictures. If you watch the clock, you can tell how fast this delivery was.

About to begin my first push--at 4:59 a.m.

5:01 a.m.--wait! Little pushes now! 

5:03 a.m. Daddy cutting the cord.

That's right. I pushed through ONE contraction and he was out! I think my epidural was wearing off at this point because I could feel him crowning (and no, I wasn't smiling at that point), but I'll take it over feeling the whole process.

Cole's first cry, held by our wonderful doctor!

Up on my chest for a quick clean-up. He wasn't too pleased...

...but calmed down quickly.

On the warmer, waiting for his measurements.

Proud Daddy!

It was a great delivery! Minimal pain, some waiting, a small amount of pushing. Doesn't get much better than that!

Grandma was a great photographer.

Official weight is 9 lbs, 1.2 oz--exactly the same as Jude, down to the tenth of an ounce.

Cole is 21.5 inches long, too! 90th percentile for length in babies. A little surprising, since Lance was only 19.5 inches and Jude was a chubby 20 inches.

My mom got to be there for the delivery (thanks, Melissa) and then drove back to our house to put Lance on the bus and to take care of Jude all day. She is amazing! She stayed up all night and still took care of the kiddos. Thanks, Mom!

We were transferred to our new room on the post-partum floor around 7 a.m. and got about an hour nap while Cole was getting his bath in the Nursery.

Welcome to the world, little Cole! We are so happy you're finally here!

What I DID do today:

I did get up this morning at 6 a.m. after a patchy night to try to cuddle Jude back to sleep. It worked for about 15 minutes before he climbed in bed with me and George and proceeded to talk to us until it was time to get Lance up for the bus 20 minutes later.

I did get both kids ready and fed before the bus came, then coats and shoes on and up to say good-bye to Lance on his way to school.

I did sit on the couch with Jude for a bit this morning and watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, his favorite obsession.

I did sweep and spot-mop my floor after doing the breakfast dishes.

I did go walk Rockne (the black lab we walk) for 30 minutes while pushing Jude in the stroller. I must have been on a mission because I had to extend the distance of the walk since we finished our normal route 5 minutes too early.

I did feed Jude lunch in the car on the way to Walmart after walking the dog so I could pick up Lance's school Valentines and a few other household essentials before Jude's nap.

I did do two loads of laundry, folded them and put them away.

I did scrub down the bathroom before putting back the clean bath mats.

I did get out the play dough for Lance, Jude, Killian and Kendall to play with, and then did another sweeping after they were done to get up all the dry bits that fell.

I did vacuum all the rooms in the house, minus the computer room.

I did take Lance to soccer practice after school. Jude came along (George was working all day on a research paper with his mentor on campus) and I ran around with him and a little soccer ball while trying to keep him from joining the big kids during practice. I was sweaty by the end.

I did come home and make dinner for the kids and myself (George was still gone) and then washed the dishes while the kids played.

I did do Family Home Evening after George got home. We learned about where we come from and why we are here on earth and why it is important to help each other learn and grow while we are here. We had warmed-up left-over brownies and vanilla ice cream as a special treat afterwards.

I did get the kids in the jammies, read them some stories, and then George brushed their teeth and put them to bed.

What I did NOT do today:

I did not have a baby today. 

Today is my official due date and we are yet empty-handed. I am having more contractions, but they are irregular and not near strong enough to be doing much. It's hard to be patient when these last few days seem to have dragged on fooorevvvver and every day I make preparations (like cleaning the house, making sure my bag is packed, etc) just in case we go to the hospital. I have to keep reminding myself to enjoy this last little bit. My favorite part of pregnancy? I think it would be feeling the baby move. Honestly, with Lance and Jude I almost felt lonely once they were out and I no longer had constant movement reminding me I was never alone. It is what I will miss most. 

Carry on, soldier! Chin up! He can't stay in forever and one way or another, we'll have our precious baby boy in our arms before we know it. I can't wait!

Milestones

39 weeks, 4 days. But who's counting?

Today was one of those days when I understood why people say "enjoy this time because before you know it, it's over".

We've been getting things together for this new little baby and one of the last things we did was wash the bassinet and set it up next to our bed. Jude thought it was tons of fun to climb in and yell "Too big! Ju Ju too big!"

Yes, Jude. You are too big. When did that happen? I feel like it was not very long ago he was the little baby we brought home from the hospital and placed so carefully in the bassinet.

It's hard to believe two years have come and gone since he was this size. 

And speaking of growing up, Lance lost his first tooth today!!

It's been loose for a while and the past two nights I've tried to convince him to let me pull it (a little selfish because I wanted to get a picture and maybe a video--it's a big deal!), but he decided to pull it out all by himself at school today. He got off the bus and immediately showed me the little blue treasure chest that held that lost tooth.

I still feel like he's too young to be getting "adult" teeth, but apparently his mouth has other ideas. It's strange when you think about it... a tiny reminder that he is growing up and putting off childish things as he learns and explores, like a small piece of his childhood is behind him, forcefully removed to make room for new experiences on his inevitable march toward maturity.

It scares me to think that my time with my children is slowly ticking away--usually unnoticed until something like this makes me stop and realize they are growing up. Have I taken advantage of the time I have with them to build memories and a good relationship? I can honestly say I go to bed most nights feeling guilty I didn't do more, appreciate them more, that I wasn't more patient or kind. It reminds me of an article I read a little while ago. It's a fabulous read, written by an honest mother, about seizing the little moments along the way. If you get a minute, read it. It is uplifting, funny, and wonderful.

And now I'm off to wash some dishes with Jude, one of his favorite activities because he gets to play in the water. We're still waiting around for our newest addition to arrive. We'll keep you updated!

Still pregnant...

Yep, I'm sitting here at 39 weeks and 3 days still pregnant. Dang it! Lance and Jude both came a few days early, so I was convinced this would happen with this one, too.

I was super hopeful yesterday would be the day (doesn't February 1st sound like a nice date?), but it didn't happen. Not for lack of trying, though!

 Tuesday I spent the day running around and spending time with these two boys (Lance was at school). It was beautiful outside, so we made the best of it.

Jude has recently taken to swinging on the "big boy" swing and thought it was fabulous that Daddy got to swing with him. Usually, it's just boring Mommy.

Swinging together. :)

Love this.

Afterwards, we waited for the school bus to bring Lance home. While we waited, Jude and George climbed the tree in front of our building.

Can you see him way up there? No?

There he is! You can't really tell, but he was up about 2 1/2 stories in that tree.

Jude perched for a while, too. Don't worry, George was right there next to him.

The kids came home from school and we had about 9 kids in our house playing and doing play dough. I wish I had a picture, but I was too busy chatting with my good friends Jamie, Allison, and Melissa while the kids had fun. Have I told you how much I LOVE living in family housing?

Tuesday night, I had some friends over to learn how to make and decorate my sugar cookies and we turned it into a clothing exchange, too.

I think there were 10 of us all together that came by.  It was a lot of fun! These girls are very creative--their cookies looked amazing!

We've all been trying to organize and get rid of stuff, so it was fun to have everyone bring their clothes over and swap before we dropped the rest of it off at Goodwill. I wish I had a picture of everyone together, but what can you do? It was a fun night!

I was hoping such a busy Tuesday would push me over the edge, but Wednesday (Feb 1st) rolled around and found me waking up still in my own bed. I was convinced Wednesday would be the day, though, so I spent the morning sweeping and mopping and cleaning and doing laundry to get the house ready should visitors be arriving later (and to give me something to do). 

Jude and I went to playgroup while George walked Rockne (that dog we walk twice a week), and then at 2:30 the moment of truth arrived! I went to my 39 week dr's appt, only to be told I was still about 3 cm dilated. 

What? I had been daydreaming that I would get there, be at a 4 or 5, they'd strip my membranes and I'd go into labor within an hour or two--just enough time to grab my bag at home and call the family--and then would deliver sometime that night. 

Nope. They did strip my membranes and I drove home a little crampy but nothing too exciting. I played outside with the kids when Lance came home from school, ran the extra clothes from the night before to Goodwill with George, and (to try to get things moving a bit) we took a family field trip and walked to Chipotle for dinner.

 George was good to take the picture so I could be in it. It was a lot of fun and the boys enjoyed running around in the 60 degree weather. Yes, that's right--yesterday it was in the 60's and 70's! On February 1st! Crazy! The walk didn't really do much, though, and we spent the next hour or so at the Elmer's visiting and teaching Lance how to play Othello.

I went to bed last night with a few contractions here and there but nothing that strong. I woke up this morning exhausted, though, because Jude decided it would be a good idea to NOT sleep between about 12:45 and 3:00 a.m. He's been struggling lately to stay asleep at night (maybe it's the transitioning to a big bed) and it's really taking a toll on the rest of us that can't sleep because he's either talking loud or crying. Ugh. Hopefully this is a short phase and he will once again be sleeping like a babe through the night. 

Stay tuned for baby updates! I'm hoping he'll be showing up any day now, but honestly, I have a sneaky suspicion it's still a few days away at least. I hope I'm wrong. I'm ready!

The Old Mill Room

This past weekend, George's parents came down to partake in "Restaurant Week" with us and treated us to the Boar's Head Inn here in Charlottesville. Restaurant week is neat because a lot of the more expensive restaurants will offer a select menu for a flat rate of $26 a person (a huge discount off the original prices) for an appetizer, entree and dessert.

It was fun to see Mom and Dad and spend some time with them and Allen. The kiddos stayed at home with a fabulous babysitter (thanks, Jayden!) while we enjoyed amazing food that would normally be out of our price-range.

Allen, George, and George's parents.

Dad took this picture so I could be in it, too. You can kind of see my baby-bump. I guess I don't look too bad for being 39 weeks along. 

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for a great night and for driving all that way to spend time with us and treat us to a wonderful dinner!

Pillow pets, ice cream, and bubbles

Life is staying steady for us down in Charlottesville while we anxiously wait for our newest addition to arrive. Nothing really to write home about, but sometimes it's the everyday things that turn into the best memories.

One night Lance, Killian, Kendall and Jude decided to bring out all their pillow pets and take a picture. They have quite the collection!

My kids are so lucky the Elmers live next door. Really, not a day goes by that we don't see/play/hang out with them and Jude never misses a chance to go over "for just a minute" to say hi to his favorite person ever--Jayden. I guess if someone let me play with their big boy skateboards and fed me all kinds of amazing treats like popsicles, they would be my favorite person, too.


I recently signed Lance up for an indoor soccer league that he could actually attend because the practices are on Mondays, not Saturdays when he's often out of town. He wasn't too excited about it, though, so to try and make it special and fun he and I went on a little date after the first practice and got ice cream at Ben and Jerry's.

He's still a little wary about soccer and is always telling me he doesn't want to go, but once he gets there, his attitude is better and he actually enjoys himself (not that he will admit it). Stinker. I'm tempted to just pull him out, but then I remember what my brother told me about wishing he was forced to play sports when he was a kid. So Lance, you can thank Uncle Chad you're still going. You'll be glad in the long run, I promise.


The other night, just to mix things up, I turned the water blue in our tub and gave the kids a bubble bath using A LOT of bubble mix. They thought it was fantastic!

I just like Lance's eyes peeking out of the bubbles here.

Jude's listening to the bubbles pop... not really sure what Lance is doing. Is he eating the bubbles?

Silly boy. I wish you could see the blue water, but in the pictures it gets faded out. Food coloring does the trick and washes out perfectly!

Crazy boys!

As for the pregnancy, I'm plugging along. People keep telling me I look small for being 9 months pregnant, but I feel like a whale. I am ready to be done, but I'm not feeling like anything is eminent, so we'll just take it one day at a time. I'm anxious for this little guy to get here, but I guess he's decided to wait a little longer.