Moments in Time

There are moments in time you wish you could just freeze.  If you could just stop time and soak it all in.  All the sights, sounds, smells.  Just stop it all and let the moment last forever.  That's what Gabriel's birth was like.  It was so magical I didn't want it to end.  Now- before you watch the video, image Paul- my 9 year boy, Ellie my 8 year old and Kyle, my 6 year old.  They have been waiting for this moments for years.  Literally- They have been praying for years that I would have another baby.  From the day I told them I was pregnant they have been touching my belly and talking to this baby every day.  I can't describe how excited they all were.  The moment they saw baby Gabe was the sweetest moment I have experienced in my life.  Never before have I been absolutely stunned by the moment.  My whole family was swallowed up in love and true joy.  This video is the first time the kids saw their baby brother.

I can't watch that without crying.  That scene is ingrained in my mind forever as one of the best moments in time.  Here are some more video- Ellie was still sobbing after about an hour of holding him.

I'm in love

Well, I had my baby!  What a magnificent day! It was such a magical day that I have not even wanted to blog about it because I feel that no matter what I write it won't do the day justice.  I'll give it a shot.  I'll separate the day into 2 blogs- This blog will be about and the labor and delivery, and then I'll do a blog later about the rest on the day. 

So- I was officially due on Mon. Feb. 6th.  I was really hoping to have the baby by then, but no luck.  I was scheduled to be induced on Tues. Feb. 7th.  I was a little sad that I didn't go into labor on my own- but we really didn't have a choice.  Darren started school on Wed. and had class Wed. and Thurs. and he can't really miss class.  I really didn't want to take a chance on going into labor his first or second day of school.  Plus our doctor said it's really not good to go over your due date, especially with my family's history of big babies and our little bodies.  So it was really the best option.

Here is my last day being pregnant!  YEA!!!

We went to the hospital at 7 am.  I asked my Dr. to break my water and see if my body would go into labor naturally and we wouldn't have to do pitocin.  So she broke my water at 8:30.  As soon as she broke it I felt a contraction- but then it stopped.  We waited 2 hours -till 10:30 and nothing happened so they started the pitocin. Nothing happened till about 11:30- then I started having contractions.  I had gone in dilated at a 3.   By 1:30 in the afternoon I was at a 5.  The contractions were pretty bad so I got my epidural.  The contractions up to that point were bad- but manageable, I wanted to wait till I got to about a 7 for the epidural, but my doctor said I was progressing fast, and to get it now.  She was right because an hour later at 2:30 I was at an 8.  At 3:20 I was ready and started pushing!  I pushed for 20 min and at 3:39 baby Gabe was born!  I couldn't believe it!  I was only in labor 4 hours and only pushed 20 min!  It was by far the best, easiest labor I have had.
 

They put oxygen on me cause Gabe's heart beat was dropping a little. 

Paul- I was in labor 12 hours and spent 2 hours pushing and had to get him vacummed out.
Ellie- I was in labor 10 hours and spent 1 1/2 hours pushing and they had to use foreceps to get her out
Kyle- I was in labor 8 hours and pushed about 45 min.
Gabe- labor 4 hours and pushed 20 min.
I think I'll have another one!
My doctor had told me it would only be about 4-6 hours, but I could hardly believe how fast it went. 

I loved how my doctor put him right up on my chest.  I was just sobbing!  1/2 cause I love my baby so much and 1/2 cause I was so happy to not be pregnant anymore!

This is my doctor- Dr. Humphrey.  I just loved her.  She did a great job. My last 2 doctors were awful so I was so happy to have a nice doctor.   Her office staff was great, I never waited longer than 10-15 min.  She was nice and always listened and took time to answer my questions.  Plus she has awesome credentials and is very respected in her field.  It was the best birthing experience ever!

More pictures to come tomorrow!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow..It's only a day away

Well, it's 1 o-clock in the morning and I am getting induced tomorrow.  So- I am having a hard time sleeping.  I feel so many things- excited, nervous, anxious, scared.  I feel disappointed that I didn't just go into labor and have this baby already.  I mean, I have been having contractions for 3 weeks, thinking he could come any day!  I guess I still have 6 hours.  Oh well, I guess it will be ok, and the outcome will be the same.  More than anything I am just soooo excited to hold my baby.  Man I am never going to fall asleep tonight.

Last of the pregnancy posts

I know I know, practically the only thing I write about any more are things about pregnancy.  But really that's all I think about around here.  It's such a mind game, "oh, was that a contraction? What if my water breaks, Oh, another contraction?  Will baby come today? Will baby come tonight? Will baby come tomorrow?  Will I go into labor in the middle of the night? I think I felt the baby move down, or was that a contraction.  He has hiccups, maybe that will put me into labor. What if I go into labor in three days, I just cleaned the whole house, but it will be messy by then, I'll need to clean again in 2 days, unless I go into labor in 2 days....was that a contraction? "  I'm about to go crazy!  In fact I almost am crazy.  Pregnancy has made my mind mush.  Let me give you an example.  Take a look at this next picture.

I hung this painting in my master bedroom a couple of weeks ago.  Notice anything wrong?  Lets take a closer look. 

Look closely. Can you see it?  It's upside down!  I hung up a painting upside down!  To make it even worse- I'm the one who painted it!  My mind is seriously not working! My bed faces this painting and I laid in bed every night for a week looking at it.  I couldn't figure out why it didn't look right, and I just didn't like it there.  Finally I figured it out!  And it is still upside down because I am to tired to change it and I just don't care right now.

So here I am - about a week before my due date.

Another one of me with my beautifully big belly

On a more serious note I am so excited for this baby to come.  Almost every night I lay awake- exhausted, but unable to sleep.  I start thinking about holding my baby (and not being pregnant anymore) and then I can't sleep.  I get so excited- maybe it will be tonight!  Maybe tomorrow I will be holding my sweet baby!  I can't wait!  I can't sleep!   I want this baby to come!  It's like being a kid on Christmas Eve times a thousand.   For me there is nothing better in the world than the days I have given birth to my children.   My wedding day is the only thing that compares.

Life is different for everyone. Some women can't get pregnant, some women can get pregnant and miscarry, some women love being pregnant.  For me pregnancy is one of the hardest things I go through in my life.  It really is very difficult for me.  Morning sickness is so hard I feel like I am going to give up on life.  I get depression and can hardly function for months.  It is some serious suffering.  This last time was so hard, I had Darren give me a blessing.  I will never forget, he said, "You are making a noble sacrifice.  Your sacrifice will be recorded by the angels in heaven."   It felt soooo good and comforting to know that the angles understand that pregnancy is hard for me!  It is a sacrifice!  When I get pregnant I say goodbye to my body- for years!  Morning sickness, then hugeness, then it will take me a year or more to loose the 40 pounds that I have gained.   But when that baby comes it is like magic.  For me it means the suffering is over and I have done it.  Like I ran a marathon a day for 10 months straight and just finished the race and my prize is a baby that will be with us for eternity!   What in all of earth and heaven is better than that?!! It is like heaven holding a little baby that I created and suffered and sacrificed so much to create.  I look at my beautiful baby and think, "you have no idea what I had to go through to get you here.  I would do it all again in a heartbeat"

Kyle-

Here is my Little Kyle.  He is my little adventure guy.  He was pushing Darren into the pool yesterday when he fell forward straight onto his face! It bruised his cheek and gave him a black eye.  It looks worse in real life.  Poor kid.

Darren hasn't had school for a week- so we have been taking it easy.  Swimming almost every day!

Kyle and Darren.  He is only going to be my baby for a couple more days!

OK- so for a while I was getting a pile of sand by my front door.  I couldn't figure out where it was coming from since I had swept in the morning, and we didn't go to the beach, and the kids were at school all day.  But almost everyday it would get really sandy by the front door.  Soon I found the culprit.  Kyle's shoes were seriously almost filled with sand! 

This picture is NOT an exaggeration.  This is the real thing.  I figured there was a 1/4 of cup of sand in his shoes everyday!  I actually measured and it was 2 Tablespoons. It probably depends on the day.  But seriously- who runs around with 2 tablespoons of sand in their shoes all day and doesn't care?  Paul is so sensitive I have to buy him special socks that don't have seams in the toes cause it drives him crazy.  Then I have Kyle here who runs around with sand in his shoes all day and doesn't even notice.  

 

 

 

Well, I am a little sad that Kyle won't be the baby of the family for much longer.  But that's ok- he is going to be my sweet little helper instead.  He is so excited for Baby Gabe.  He always has to say hello to Gabe and kiss my belly in the mornings, or whenever he sees me.  They when he goes to school it's, "bye mom, GOOOD BYE BABY GABE!!!Be good baby Gabe!  Love you baby Gabe!  Come today baby Gabe!"  I think when I have this baby I am going to take the back seat.  That's ok- I love him too.

The Kids School- Veterans Memorial

So, here is my kids school. Paul is in 4th grade.  Ellie in 3rd, and Kyle is in all day Kindergarten.  They all really like their school.  At first they had a hard time, because it is a little different, but different in a good way.  They work a lot on real life skills- like leadership, business, responsibility, etc. It's a really, really good school and has gotten all sorts of recognition.    

The school is laid out kind of like an outdoor shopping mall.  There is a fence around the school.  The classrooms are all indoors, but the hallways and gym are all outdoors. This is the kids gym.  There are no walls behind me- so it is completely open. 

Here is a "hallway"  Notice the sign on the wall with the "Hallway Procedures".  LOL  Notice the planter boxes, that they just had tomato plants in.

Their school is great.  Everything is based off of Stephen Covey's 7 habits.  Their folders have the 7 habits, their water bottles have the 7 habits, their are posters and signs everywhere with the 7 habits. 

Habit # 4.The other day Paul and Kyle were fighting over something and Paul said, "Listen Kyle, we need to think Win-Win,"  They actually figured it out on their own! Thank you Stephen Covey!

Posters of the 7 Habits

The kids have jobs at school for which they earn money.  They have to pay their teachers to rent their desks (or homes).  They can save up to buy their desks.  They can even save up to buy other kids desks and then rent the desks.  I think it's great.  They teach so many real life skills. 

Darren at lunch with Kyle

Here is Kyle with his teacher, Mrs. Rossinni.  She is great, we just love her!

Kyle with the Principal.  He is such a nice guy.

Darren at lunch with Paul

One of the schools many  "gardens".  There is a banana tree, coconut tree, and other fun things.  The kids take care of the garden and get to harvest the fruit. 

Ellie with the Principal

Ellie's poster- THE MIXST UP SHOP- Cookies with no nuts, nail polish painting, a car that top flips off, balloons, lemonade, red rocks, shells, and more!

I went this week to help Ellie at her school.  She was having a "Business Day"  Where the kids basically ran a carnival/yard sale.  They each wrote their own business plan, made signs for their booth, had to get a business license and had their own space to sell things.  Ellie chose not to have a business partner in her class because she didn't want to split the profits. Where did she come up with an idea like that??  Anyways, she chose me as her business partner.  I thought I would have had the baby by then so I told her I would do it unless I had the baby.  I ended up being her business partner.  Ellie sold cookies, lemonade, stuff from her room and some misc. stuff.  I painted the kids faces and we charged 5$ (or eagles) for each face painted.  The kids from other classes and grades got to come spend their money.  It was a great idea and really fun.  Ellie made about 550.00 Eagles.  She got to spend her money at a school store the next day. 

Ellie and me.  What we won't do for our kids.

Ellie with her teacher Mrs. Smith

Baby Shower

Well,  my friend Emily had a baby shower for me last week.  I haven't blogged about it because at night when I usually blog I am too tired or having moments of insanity.  We played some games and had delicious food.  It was lots of fun to get together!  I let Ellie come- cause she is one of the girls.  She was so cute and fun to have along.

Cute baby boy clothes.

Kayle, Mandy, Val, Katie, Jillian, Megan, Ellie and Emily

Same people but with me in place of Val.

Thanks girls, for a fun night and for all the great gifts!