Wednesday, September 30, 2009

How it all went down (aka: longest post ever)

So in true Becky fashion, I must include a description of birth day and I'll really try to hold back on all the juicy details because I know not everyone wants to know. If you do, just give me a call:) Ok so the day started on the 28th at about 3 am when I started feeling some small contractions. They weren't anything too huge but they were coming every so often. By about 5:30 a few had been pretty painful but they were still totally sporadic. Ryan left about that time for work and I said to him, "It might be baby day today, just a warning". I got up with Ollie at 6:15 and just went out to the couch to lay down and watch Spongebob with him. My mom and Leah got up and so we started timing the contractions. Some were 5-6 minutes apart, some were 15-20. It was weird for me because I expected them to just take off like they did with Ollie. So I wasn't sure if I was really in labor yet. Leah, Ollie, and I decided to go to Starbucks to get some cocoa before my 10:15 doctor's appointment. At this point, some of the contractions were pretty painful but still very random.

So we all headed to the Doctor to find out if there was anything going on. By this time I was about 4 days overdue so we were going to discuss what to do at the appt. So Mom and Leah walked around the hospital while I waited 2 hours to see the Doctor. Don't ask me why, but I have to wait forever to see my Doctor and usually it's annoying, but that day I was like, ok really, my water might break right here in the office. I was actually sitting in the office breathing through contractions. At this point I was sure I was in labor, but was also confused at why my contractions were still coming so random. The last thing I wanted to do was be checked and be sent to labor and delivery and not be progressed enough and therefore be hooked up to pitocin. My plan for this labor was to go natural so anyone who's been hooked up to pitocin knows that it's much harder to pull off a natural labor when you're being given meds to bring contractions on right on top of each other. Luckily when I finally saw the Dr. he said that I was 5-6 cm dialated and definitely was in active labor. He told me to go up to labor and delivery (his office is in the hospital, right beneath labor and delivery) and get checked in. I was relieved to know that this was it but also nervous that this was it, you know. I was also starving.

If you've been in labor at the hospital you also know that they don't let you eat. I don't know who's genius idea this was, but how am I supposed to work that hard with nothing to eat, seriously. So I made my very nervous mother take me to Quiznos to get a sandwich before checking in. Ryan was already on his way to the hospital from work so when we drove up to the hospital he was walking up the path and you couldn't have wiped the smile off that kids face, it was so cute. So we got checked in and I got hooked up to the monitors and given an IV. I think it was about 1:30 at that point. The contractions definitely were picking up and about an hour after arriving at the hospital the nurse checked me and I was at a 9. I was so surprised to be at a 9 because I felt like I could still manage the pain pretty well. Then I turned over to my side and that's when all hell broke lose. I had a little breakdown at this point because pushing without meds made me really nervous. I asked Ryan to give me a blessing and he did and I felt so comforted by him and my Heavenly Father. I can't remember how many prayers I said through the whole experience but there were a lot.

So then came true transition and my contractions were on top of each other and very intense. Since I was going so fast, I thought getting through that last centimeter would be quicker but it took about an hour to get from a 9 to 10. The main reason for this is that my water bag would not break. After about an hour the nurse was surprised it wasn't breaking on it's own and told me to start pushing with each contraction. I still hadn't felt the need to push so this was really uncomfortable. I had heard from anyone going natural that pushing was such a relief and so I kept waiting for this urge to push and get some relief. Well that water bag was not budging and looking back I just wish someone would have broken it when I was at a 9. That would have helped things move along much better. Finally the doctor got there and immediately broke my water and unfortunately there was meconium (when the baby has a bowel movement in the womb). This can be dangerous for the baby if they swallow it and get it in their lungs. I was scared of this happening because I was overdue so it put a little stress on the whole situation.

Once he broke my water the whole room erupted into action. I got put in the stirrups and it was time to push. Only problem was that the baby's head hadn't come down enough to give me that natural urge so it felt very weird and wrong to push at that point but I knew the Doctor was concerned about the meconium and the baby so I just pushed. I remember saying that I couldn't do it and the Doctor was like, well you don't really have a choice. It only took about 10 minutes to push her out but man, that was the hardest work I have ever done. I did feel a few of those unbelievable urges to push and thank heavens for those because that's when my body just took over and did it's thing. The minute she came out was the best kind of relief I have ever felt. It is an amazing feeling to know that first off, it's over, and secondly, I actually did it. I remember the first thing I said was "what a relief!" and then I said "I'm never doing that again".

I couldn't hold her for almost 45 minutes because they were very concerned about the meconium and she was coughing and choking it up for a while. Honestly I was so tired after pushing her out that I had to kind of bring myself back to earth and realize that I had this new little baby. I started getting really anxious and annoyed that they wouldn't give her to me but finally they did and I just instantly loved that little thing. I thought right away that she looked like Oliver. She was so rolly and chubby, just like Ollie was. It's always amazing to see this little person all the sudden arrive when they were just seconds before in your tummy. I don't think much of anything can beat what a miracle birth is. So overall it was quite the amazing experience. I wanted to do at least one of my births natural so now that that's over with, I'm not sure if I'll do it again or not. It is nice to know that in case I don't have the option for meds in the future, I can do it on my own. Whether I want to if given the choice, we'll see:) I'm recovering really well which is one of the best parts about doing it natural. Amelie is also doing really well and sleeping a lot. Nursing is good but totally kills. Ollie was pretty natural as far as latching on well but she takes a little more work and practice. She is really starting to get it though. And the uterine contractions while nursing that come with the second are pretty intense, I was surprised. Ollie had been sick, perfect timing huh? So it's been a little challenging being there for him and her but we're managing pretty well. He is very sweet with her but not so gentle. I think he's just testing his boundaries a little which is fine. It's a lot for a kid to get used to. Ryan is amazing as always. I KNOW that I would not have been able to do that labor without him. He is such a peaceful strength to me and I'm even more in love and grateful for him than ever. He is IN LOVE with his little girl. If you didn't know, Ryan has been waiting his whole life to have a little girl, seriously. So basically we couldn't be happier with our new family of four. Life is pretty amazing. As far as more pictures go, I will work on it. It's taken me a few days to get this post out so things might move a little slower than usual. Thanks everyone for everything. There is a lot of LOVE.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Meet Amelie Jane




Born September 28, 2009 @ 3:11 pm
Weight 8 pounds 2 ounces
Height 22 inches
Stay tuned for more details...

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Family time

Oliver is quite the swimmer these days. It's so funny to watch because he has this huge smile on his face the whole time he's making his way over to you under the water. He is still totally reckless and has absolutely no fear but he is basically there. I still wouldn't trust him by himself. If we had a pool he would be a pro by now.

Katherine is such a little firecracker. She is still so little it's hard to believe she's walking around and that she's 18 months old. My littlest sister Chelsea had her 19th birthday party and we had everyone there to celebrate. It is bizarre to think that Chelsea isn't still 4 years old with an english accent. Carson, Leah, and Steve had fun in the pool. Steve went home and Leah and Carson have been here hanging around waiting for the baby to come. We're totally reliving when I went to see Leah have Carson and I missed it by a day. Hopefully that won't happen!

Oliver LOVES his cousin Noelle. They got to hang out on Monday and share popscicles together. We used to live so close to the Winstead's when we were in Utah and it's sad to be so far apart now. We know they'll make it over to California eventually.
Here are a few pictures from over the weekend for Laura's farewell that I wanted to post before the baby comes. My whole family flew in for the event which was so fun. Regan and Pete came a day later to say their farewells and then Laura was off the next day. It was so fun to be apart of sending Laura off and seeing how prepared she was to go. I'm going to miss having my friend around a lot but it's so nice to hear from a missionary and fun to write letters. I am totally envious of her.
As far as this little girl goes, we've decided she's never coming out. Ryan and I were saying it's like the anticipation of Christmas and when the day passes it's just over. So now that the due date has come and gone, it's almost like it's over now. I guess besides the fact that I still have this huge baby belly in the way:) I went to the Dr. to get my fluid checked and make sure my placenta is in good enough shape to go past due. Basically she told me that I have more than enough fluid and that she rarely see's a placenta is such good shape. So I said, "what you're telling me is she could live in there another month" and she was like "yeah, probably, but she won't". Ryan thinks we should go for some sort of record. Being only 3 days over I would think we have a lot further to go to get a record and I'm not too crazy about that idea. It is crazy how different this has been than with Oliver. Ollie was five days early, I had lots of pre-labor, and things went super fast. This baby is not in any hurry to get out. Maybe she'll just be a very laid back, easy going girl. I would be OK with that. I have another appt. tomorrow and if I get the ok from the Doctor, I'm planning on an induction on Thursday if she's still not here. I think a week past is all I'm willing to give so hopefully that will be enough cause I really don't want to be induced. Wish us luck and I will update as soon as there is some action on this end.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

40 weeks


Is this belly for real? Yes, yes it is. So in case you were ever wondering what full-term looks like, here it is. As far as my doctor's appt yesterday not much has changed, 2cm. I am scheduled for fetal monitoring tomorrow just to make sure it is safe for the baby to be in there past due date. I'm actually doing pretty well other than the sleep thing and the fact that my body is totally morphed and doesn't feel at all like mine anymore. I am wondering how fat and happy she is getting in there though. I'm not looking forward to pushing a 9 pound baby out. Maybe I'll get an idea of her size tomorrow at the ultrasound, although those are never very accurate. Anyways, hopefully we'll be meeting a healthy baby girl soon. Stay tuned.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

No baby yet

My due date is tomorrow and still no baby to report. And thank heavens for that considering my mom is in Utah today taking Laura to the MTC. But she gets in tonight so after that it's game time as far as I'm concerned. I have a doctor's appt this afternoon so we'll see if there's anything further to report. My braxton hicks have progressively gotten worse over the last few days, but really sharp and painful, a lot different than the first time around. I don't think it's possible for my belly to get any bigger, honestly. My family says it looks fake. So I know that little girl is running out of room. My back is still doing amazingly well, I am SO grateful. So anyways hopefully she will make an appearance soon cause I'd like to avoid induction if I can. As long as I get the ok from the doc, I'll just let her hang out in there till she decides it's time. If anything much changes I will let the blog know. I am totally the girl who will update in the midst of labor. I just think it's all so exciting, it must be documented.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

In case you haven't noticed...

Halloween is coming! If you know me, you know that I LOVE Halloween. Maybe it was my uncanny love of candy as a kid, or the fact that my birthday is around then, or that Fall is my most favorite season, or that the holiday has no real significance other than total fun and pretending which I just happen to love. Either way, it may be a little early for some to bust out decorations and such, but not in this family. I am all about embracing holidays, even if that means they come early. Doesn't that also mean they last longer? I am all for that. So anyways, Ollie and I decided to have an ultimate craft day which consisted of building and painting a wooden boat ($1 at Michael's for the kit), making "I'm the big brother"shirts, and most importantly painting and hanging Halloween decorations. By the way, my son is a total artist. He is so careful when he paints and wants it to look just right. When he was painting his boat earlier my mom got out the video camera to document just how hysterical it was to watch him concentrate. He's got some major art skills from both sides of the family, although Ryan and I individually cannot take any credit for that:)

Thank Goodness for Moms

I would be so ungrateful to not mention how wonderful my mom is. First off, let's talk about the fact that my mom whipped up these baby blankets in a matter of hours. I had pulled out some baby blankets of Oliver's and my mom was like put those boy blankets away, my grandaughter just cannot use boy blankets! My mom has also watched Oliver in the morning while I sleep in which is seriously the best gift anyone could give right now considering I basically fall asleep around 4. My parents are also supposed to be official empty nesters but instead have opened their house to us so we can save money. That is a huge sacrifice and Ryan and I are so grateful. It's also really special for me to have Oliver here close to his grandparents because growing up we never really got that chance to live close to ours. A highlight of the week was when grandpa got Ollie his own helmet to use on his motorscooter. I couldn't tell who was more excited.

In baby news, there really isn't any yet. I haven't changed from 1 cm 75 % effaced in a week which is so different than Oliver. By this time with him I was already 3 cm but it was not free, it came with some really painful early labor. But I haven't had much labor yet, just the normal stuff. We have a busy weekend with all our family here and Laura's farewell so hopefully my daughter has listened to my requests that she come after the weekend, like say Sunday night, just in time to meet her auntie Laura before she leaves on Tuesday. My official due date is Thurs. (a week from today) and I realized yesterday that if I let it go a week over exactly, cause I wouldn't be able to go further, she would be born in Oct, the 1st. That just sounds daunting...October. She will officially be unwelcome in my womb at that point. And seriously, if she knew the fun awaiting her when she gets out, she should be in way more of a hurry. I promise baby girl, there is plenty of love for you on the outs, come hang with us.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Labor Day at Malibu Beach



Ryan above, Jeff below featured in some skim boarding moves
Some of the best snuggles are at the beach after a good dip in the water.
Jeff and Dad teaching Ollie the ropes. He could have stayed out there ALL DAY.
This was Ollie's face when I asked him "Did you go surfing with Dad"!
At one point Ryan took Ollie out pretty far to meet the rest of the surfers. I was pretty confident the whole time minus the part when they went up and over a big wave and Ollie almost flew off. But Ryan had it under control and Oliver didn't seem to mind the crash. No fear this kid.
The Boys
Oliver's biggest wave of the day
Being wrapped by Uncle Austin
Just look at that face



Mmmmm, salty.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Snuggling sister

This is about as close as Ollie can get to snuggling his baby sister right now. I love how his
little body just molds in right next to her. It was fun to feel her moving right against him, like she was saying, hey brother, love you already.

Family Day with the Facers

Just the two of us...or wait, maybe more like 2 3/4.
I LOVE the curiosity of a 2 year old.
Baby Dane's darling little face. This kid is so mellow, I just can't believe it. Oliver was always kind of a spaz. Ryan was like, can we have one like this next time? So baby girl, if you're listening, we'd like for you to be nice and relaxed, oh and sleep really well. We can dream.
Oliver's favorite words all day were "rocket ship" although we actually didn't see any. But he knew that the two were closely related. I'm trying to figure out how to make him a rocket ship for Halloween. That would just be too hilarious.
The gang, minus me behind the camera. Ryan, Burnett, Nita, Kate, Pehrson, Jill, Dane, Jon, Ollie, Jeff, and Austin.
Pardon the "pregnant face" in this picture.
Nana, Ollie, and Papa checking out the paintings on the ceiling.
These things are just so cool, and slightly hypnotizing.

Yesterday we got to spend the day with some of the Facer Family (we were missing Aaron and Meg, we missed you guys!) and we decided to go to the Observatory. We also got to have Jill's sister Kate there with her husband Pehrson. It's always so fun to have family together.

The Echo Chamber

We had a little jam session the other night in the echo chamber at the high school. It is one of the best places for great acoustics. Throw a few guitars together and some voices and you have magic. I just had to bring my camera and try it out on a few willing subjects.


There used to be the coolest paintings all over the walls and then one year they painted over it. I have no idea who approved that, what a shame.
We love being close to Austin and Jeff. It's so much fun to hang out with them and see them love Ollie. He LOVES his uncles.
Jeff feelin it.
What a rock star. I love this face.
No hang out would be complete without a skateboard.
Ryan is all set to get a new guitar, actually his first very own guitar. For someone who loves to play as much as he does, he's been patient borrowing guitars in the past. Now that he's a working man, he deserves his own axe.
Jeff's cute face.

This is Oliver losing it by the end of the night. After rolling over his fingers a few times on the skateboard and getting really really dirty, we were all ready for bed.