Emilie Danielle's birth story

Because Aubrey and Hannah came the week after their due dates, I knew Dani wasn't going to be early or on time. I factored that into my planning and expectations. 

I had decided to do another natural birth. Everything went so well with Hannah and the recovery was so much better than after Aubrey. I kept my same midwife and things were going as planned!

My dad's birthday is May 22, so that would have been fun, having Dani that same day. Jared's mom's birthday is the 25th, so that would have been fun too!

My due date came and went. No biggie. I expected it. On the 23rd though, I woke up early in the morning with contractions. They weren't anything crazy, so I knew I still had a long ways to go. But because I was having contractions, I asked Jared to stay home from work. I wanted him home to help with Hannah and Aubrey. 

But the contractions went away! They would come back for a while, then go away. Then come back! It was frustrating. Either let me go into labor, or go away for good! Stop messing with me!

We decided to try walking. It helped a little with Aubrey, and I was at the point I was ready to try most anything. So we went to the zoo! Walked around for about an hour. The contractions I was wanting to intensify went away. Figures. 

This seriously went on all day. Contractions would come back stronger, but then go away. Then come back even stronger and go away. 

It was close to the girls's bedtimes and the contractions started to stay. Again, it was nothing crazy. I wasn't crying from the pain and I was able to get myself through each contraction. We had to make a choice of dropping the girls off somewhere for the night, or staying home and putting them to bed. In the end, we stayed home.  

Jared got the girls to bed. When they were settled and I realized the contractions were staying, it was time to call in a friend. I had a few on stand-by, but one of them wasn't answering her phone. Neither was her husband. Rats! So Jared called another and asked if the teenage daughter could just come sleep at our house and be a warm body there in case Aubrey or Hannah woke up. But it was my friend that showed up with a pillow. Makes sense, it was pretty late at night and they would have had to wake the teenager up. 

It was time to go in! We got in contact with the midwife, headed out to meet her at the birthing center. I knew it was happening and didn't need to be checked before getting "admitted" to the center. 

Jared was trying to drive so smoothly, but my contractions were getting stronger and longer. Every turn and bump hurt. I squeezed his poor hand so tightly that I'm pretty sure I left marks. He didn't complain once. 

We got to the birthing center and the parking lot was packed. As we walked in, we heard some loud noises and realized we walked in right as someone else gave birth! Hooray for them! They wanted family to be there, so that made sense of why the lot was full. 

I got set up in a room, thank goodness there was one left! The lady gave birth in one, there was another laboring woman in the second room. One lady had to go to the hospital because she was having a hard time. I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't have had a room!

But they got the tub going, my midwife, Michelle, checked me and let me know I came in at a 4-5. And she let me in on a little secret. She confided that the 3rd birth usually goes the fastest. She guessed I'd be pushing after only a couple hours. 

I think we got to the birthing center around 11. I was so ready to be done. I hurt, nothing was comfortable. I got in the warm tub and that helped again, like it did with Hannah. I remembered what positions worked with Hannah and I tried them again. Hooray, they helped. 

Poor Michelle was so tired and had so many women having babies at one time! She would spend time at the birthing center with the 2 of us there in labor and spend time at the hospital, checking on the lady there. 

I was reaching the end point. I was hitting the stage where I didn't think I could do it anymore. Michelle kept saying I wasn't there yet. She'd be able to hear it when I was ready to push. Not even a minute later, she could hear I was ready. I guess my voice/groan/yell changed and she knew it was time to push. 

I moved into a better position and got ready to hunker down. I don't know why, but the position that worked for me was almost on all-fours. I was on my knees and gripped the edge of the tub. They rested a towel on the edge for me to put my head on. I went all "crazy warrior lady" again and pushed hard as I can. No joke, 5 pushes later and she was out! Because of my position, she came out and floated up in front of me, so I had to catch her while Michelle and Jared helped me sit comfortably. 

This baby was worth it. So beautiful! And so calm. Had the sweetest little face! Emilie Danielle came on May 24, around 1:20am!

I was feeling good. Dani was doing so great! She got the hang of nursing right away. I was ready to go home and rest in my own bed. But I had to stay for a few hours, to make sure I was ok to leave. 

Finally they gave me the all clear! 

We got home around 6, just in time for Aubrey and Hannah to wake up and come out. They were so surprised to see Dani! They went to bed while she was still in my tummy, then they wake up and she was out!

It was love at first sight for everyone!!

Finding Dory

We had a deal with Aubrey that if she was good and worked on "turning her frown right side up to a smile," she could see Finding Dory.

This week, she was very good and earned a trip to the movie theater! It was a daddy-daughter date. I didn't think Hannah would enjoy the movie, or have the capability of sitting mostly through it. So Hannah and I dropped Aubrey and Jared off at the theater. I took Hannah to the mall.

Aubrey really liked the movie! She was so excited for popcorn, and a drink and the awesome seats!

Overall success! Jared said she had to make a few bathroom and snack breaks. But all in all, she loved the movie and she's getting so much better at getting over bad moods. 

The Glo Run

I joined a group of friends from church and signed up to run/walk the Glo Run 5K.

It was so fun! My legs hate me and are just so tired, but I'm glad I did it!

The couple I went with are competitive and in better shape than I am. They definitely pushed me harder than I would have on my own. MAN, I need to get myself in some sort of running shape!

It was 80s themed, and I embraced that, the best way I could!

I got my ponytail on the top of my head and colorful eye-shadow. I looked "rad to the max!"

It was a night-time run. Jared and I put the girls to bed and I got ready to run! This is our group as we started the race. I couldn't keep up with the couple on the left. The ones to the right are the crazy kids that kept me motivated and moving!

Oh man. It was fun! But I was expecting more glowing stuff...especially considering how dark it got! And I would have appreciated more 80s music! :)

I think we averaged about 15-minute miles. And I was wanting to fall over! However, we ended the night with a smile!

I think I'm done with 5Ks for the year. Next year we'll most likely do the Color Run again with the girls. Maybe I'll do the Glo Run again! Hopefully my times will get better!!

Youth Missions

Our little family helped with the youth missions today!

It was their MTC day, so they had classes and learned about being missionaries. They split into 3 groups and went to classes.

I only know what Jared did. He taught the kids how to start a lesson after getting a foot in the door. Seeing me was supposed to be a follow-up visit.

The Summerhays did an amazing job making the nursery look like a home. They pulled in couches from the foyers, put a rug down, had a TV and DVD player all set up. And because we were in the nursery, we had access to all the toys, which helped entertain the girls!

They made it their home away from home....

Anywho, it was fun pretending to be an investigator! I had fun not knowing much about Mormons. The youth missionaries were good sports. I purposely had a movie playing for my girls each time, making the youth ask me to turn it off. 

And I embraced the awkward silences! If they lost their train of thoughts or didn't know where to start, I just sat there...looking at them...while Aubrey and Hannah played. Each "visit" was only a few minutes. 

I think it all went well though! My girls had fun. I hope the kids had fun. I enjoyed my time there. I was never meant to be a Sister Missionary, but I really enjoy helping those who have interest in it!

The youth is a great program. Maybe I'll start volunteering to help more. A couple hours out of a Saturday is OK. If anything, it was nice getting out of my house, even though I had to pretend the church was my new home!

Because we played in the nursery room, hopefully Hannah will like the room more!

Picking Strawberries

Our first year doing it! We wanted to pick strawberries last year, when I first heard about it, but June was a CRAZY month with lots going on.  We love going to Hilger's Family Farm for pumpkins and thought going for strawberries would be fun too!

But we decided to go last week and have the whole experience. Hannah is too young to care, but Aubrey had a good time. She mostly loved being outside and the wagon ride to the field. They both were good helpers.

We ate some as we went, just to make sure we liked the flavors of the areas we picked. Aubrey got bored after a few minutes. She either kept smooshing strawberries as she pulled them off, or they wouldn't come off at all. Running around was still an option, and that kept her occupied for a while! Picked a few flowers when the strawberries lost her interest.

Hannah had a great time. She'd eat the strawberries whole! Spit out the stem once she got all the good stuff. She was red and sticky by the end of it.

We didn't stay too long, but it was worth the experience. I didn't mind being able to get a few herbs for my windowsill! Now I can have fresh basil and oregano. Not to mention the awesome smell in my kitchen!

I snapped a "few" pictures of the girls being cute. I love them very much and am glad we got to have this experience at least once!

Wagon ride

Aubrey picking the strawberries

Hannah getting hungry

Got bored. Aubrey started to pick flowers while Hannah made her escape down the row

Our haul! Yummy

Tincaps baseball!

It's way too much for me to try and catch up all that I missed the past year (almost). So I'm just going to start from today!

Tonight, we went to our first baseball game as a family! Really, our first baseball game since Jared and I got married! We've lived in Fort Wayne just over 3 years and haven't been to a game. It's pretty sad. Within the past year, Jared and I have also been to our first Mad Ants basketball game and also a Komets hockey game. Big year for sports!

The games start at 7. Which is pushing it a little for the girls, whose bedtimes are 8. However, with it staying so light out, we thought they'd like the game. And it was pretty fun! The girls were relatively good, considering they don'g appreciate sitting in one spot and Aubrey wasn't fully understanding the rules of the game. It was difficult to hear and some things just got lost in the commotion. I came prepared with tons of snacks, and not surprisingly, I had already gone through most of them by the 3rd inning.

We got some fun pictures though! And it was a good experience. Now we know that if we stay up later past bedtimes, that the girls need their naps! Aubrey has been neglecting her quiet times. She'd much rather stay up and play. That's been fine most days. Some days, she needs that nap though. I figure a nap every few days is pretty good. She's a good sleeper at night (we typically put her to bed at 8:15 and she isn't allowed out of her room until 7), but on days we play outside a lot, she's so exhausted she needs a nap.

Hannah has been refusing to sleep in her crib. We've gotten in the bad habit of her sleeping on me. I need to get better about it. Her naps have gotten so short. Half an hour tops. She might start going back to two short naps a day, because she isn't getting a good long one. She sleeps pretty well at night now though. Sleeps usually from 8:30-6:30. I wouldn't mind her sleeping a little later though! :) Jared gets up with the girls in the morning, because I am NOT a morning person!

Here are the pictures! (Hannah doesn't appreciate pictures with me. And her smile is more of a snarl...)

Big family CHEESE!

 Aubrey wanted to take an us-ie!

 Had to get one with the field behind us!

 Having a good time walking the bleachers.

 Another family photo!

Had to get her ticket in the picture. Proof!!

Aubrey's super sad ER trip

I'm sure this was the first of several ER trips for us. Aubrey goes from zero to sixty speeds and doesn't always watch where she is going. On many occasions, she'll bump into a wall or trip over something on the floor.

But last Friday morning was different. Jared was in the bathroom and I was in the living room nursing Hannah. We were both busy at that moment. Aubrey likes to try to get into the bathroom while we are in it and we usually tell her to go to the other room. She'll say "oooh" and then run off at full speed. This happens at least once a day.

Only this time, when she ran off, she didn't think of her surroundings. I hear a thud and then Aubrey starts crying. Because she bumps herself all the time or cries because Jared won't let her in the bathroom, I didn't think much of it. I just called out and asked what had happened. She kept crying hysterically.

Luckily, Jared came out to see what was wrong and he noticed Aubrey was bleeding. So he rushed her to the kitchen to put her on the counter and dab her wound with paper towels.

As they rushed by, I just thought it was a bloody nose. And then I saw where the blood was coming from. I quickly laid Hannah on the floor and went to help. When I saw the gash on her forehead, I knew she'd need stitches and we'd have to go to the ER. My first aid kit is pretty basic...

Jared stays with Aubrey while I run around. I change my pajama pants to jeans, grab clothes and spare panties for Aubrey (she was just in her panties that morning). I put Hannah in her carseat and hopped in back. Jared knew where the ER was, so he drove while I sat in back and tried to hold Aubrey's gash closed.

Found the emergency entrance. Jared got out to carry Aubrey inside while Hannah and I went to park the car. I luckily got inside quick enough to know what room Jared and Aubrey went to.

Aubrey did NOT appreciate all the nurses and people trying to help her. She doesn't like doctors or strangers as it is. Then add in the strange place, pain and confusion. She wouldn't let the nurse take her vitals or anything. All she wanted to do was go home. She'd say "I want to go back to the car!"

She was freaking out, Hannah was calm and didn't make much noises. Jared tried to help Aubrey while I answered insurance questions. Aubrey just cried and cried so hard that she threw up. It was mostly stomach acid, but we were waiting for it to happen. She made a few gagging noises before that and in lots cases, a big bump to the head results in vomiting.

Poor Aubrey kept asking for her clothes because she was naked. So we got her in a shirt and the shorts I brought. Silly me forgot her shoes.

The only thing to calm Aubrey down was for the nurses to leave and putting a show on the TV. When Curious George ended, I pulled it up on Netflix on my phone. The nurse came back and talked mostly about the show and finally got Aubrey to warm up to her a little. Every now and then we would count all the people in the room. 11 people (including Jared, Hannah and me) total. So many!

The doctor came in and told us our 2 options. Either we hold her down and stitch her up with a little pain reliever in her forehead. (Ha, as if that was a real option for Aubrey). Or we have her sedated. He explained the risks to us, but we quickly realized it was the only option. And at least with being sedated, she wouldn't remember being stitched up.

We finally got Aubrey's vitals and they got ready to give her the sedative. It was administered by a shot in her thigh. She didn't appreciate that. So she cried and cried. But slowly her crying died down and she let everyone lay her down on the bed. They warned us that her eyes would be open the whole time. That part didn't bother me.

What got to me was just seeing Aubrey on the bed, sedated, still hiccuping from crying so hard. Jared left the room for a little bit and took Hannah outside. I stayed nearby to hold Aubrey's hand.

They put the 3 stitches in pretty quick. Her vitals were still good and it was time for Aubrey to come back to consciousness. They said it would take a while. It was funny and so sad when Aubrey was coming back.

Every now and then she would let out a weird cry. A few times she tried to get up herself and just ended up falling over in bed. She even fell over a little bit into the bed railing. And her mouth must have felt funny because she kept doing this funny thing with her tongue. She kept sticking it out, licking her upper lip and then slowly slide her mouth back in. Everything else was typical, except that funny tongue thing.

She would notice things and would talk to me about them. Like the thing on her finger that monitored her pulse or whatever. There was a red light and it lit up her whole finger. So Aubrey saw it and said that her finger was red. She needed a band-aid. And she said it clearly enough that we buzzed for the nurse who came and took all the monitor stuff off her chest, tummy and finger. And we got her a band-aid for her finger!

Aubrey still really wanted to go home. Then a nurse had a great idea for us to give Aubrey rides in a wagon as she continued to come out of sedation. They laid blankets down and had a pillow help prop her up. She was pretty happy. Jared pulled her up and down the hallway.

He said that she greeted everyone with a wave and hello. When I was saying goodbye as she rode away, it was so cute that she kept looking back at waving bye-bye to me. Her smile is weird from the drug!

At last it was time to go home. Aubrey was able to drink and keep juice in her tummy. She even asked for a popsicle. She could take a few steps without falling, though she was still a little shaky and unbalanced.

We went home and knew it would be a pampering day for Aubrey. We were warned by nurses that she might be super tired or famished all day. Aubrey didn't seem to be either of those. It was time for her nap anyhow, so we don't think she was any more tired than usual. And her appetite wasn't increased or anything.

She is much happier now. She is good about not touching the stitches and she likes wearing fun band-aids on her head. She still doesn't want us touching it, but we only do it twice a day to put some neosporin on it.

We love her very much. We'll go back in a week and have the stitches taken out. That will be a whole other adventure, because the only real option is to hold her down while they remove the stitches. Oh man...Peter Pan!

Roadtripping with the girls!

We drove out to Utah this summer for a family reunion. This was our first major roadtrip! We've taken Aubrey down to Tennessee once and that was considered a half trip. Only spent part of a day in the car. Other trips we go out to Ohio. That's hardly a roadtrip, especially if we can get her to take a nap during the couple hours drive.

But driving to Utah. What an experience! Good and bad, as expected.

Aubrey was FANTASTIC! She had her DVD player playing Sofia the First videos I checked out from the library. I had books by her. Plenty of snacks and drinks. Hannah was the one having a rough time. She did NOT appreciate being stuck in a carseat all day! It felt like every time she was awake, she was screaming!

We left Saturday afternoon. Jared drove during the day and I took over during the night. We stopped every couple hours so I could nurse Hannah and Aubrey could run around, get some energy out.

Nightime was rough. Aubrey couldn't get comfortable. Hannah was still upset from being in the carseat. But eventually, both girls slept and I made good progress. Jared was able to rest a little bit. But I hit my driving wall at about 4am. I hadn't slept well the night before and I was running out of juice!

Luckily, Jared was great and was able to take over until the morning. I could rest my eyes a little bit and we took turns driving the rest of the way.

Nebraska is such a LONG state to drive through. And for miles and miles, there were no stops! Nothing for gas or food, except a Pizza Hut. But it was breakfast time and we wanted food! Aubrey was ready to get out and we all needed a break. Nothing for miles!

Finally, we found an exit with something!!

We stopped for breakfast at a McDonalds. Aubrey has a weirdness about foods. So we brought her own bowl, cereal and milk. She loved it and Jared and I had a quick breakfast too.

We ran into a rough part just outside Park City. Oh my goodness. It was STRESSFUL!!

Our poor car isn't used to driving in the mountains and we made the mistake of trying to drive the speed limit. We stopped at a McDonalds for a quick lunch. Holy cow, it was hot! I was in the backseat, trying to keep Hannah happy the last hour of driving. I had Jared blast the air conditioning at the lowest temperature to help me cool off in the back.

Big mistake!

We overworked our car! And of course it happened on a construction strip of the road. So here we are, an hour away from our destination, Hannah is ready to get out, Aubrey is getting antsy and our car stalls out! Cars are lining up behind us because there wasn't much room to pass! Luckily I could pull the car over to the side and people passed. We tried the car again and it stalled out again.

Jared called his Mom and told her what happened. I tried to call roadside assistance. But Hannah was crying and my reception was bad in the mountains. Jared's brother, Brandon, was ready to be the hero and come pick the girls up while Jared stayed behind with the car.

But I didn't want to sit around in the heat. I tried the car one more time and just took things really slow. I waited til most of the cars were passed and we said lots of prayers. Jared's family was praying. We were praying. Even had Aubrey say a prayer, because I believe kids' prayers have special power.

We were blessed and finally made it to grandma's house. Got there in time for dinner. Aubrey loved seeing everyone. Hannah LOVED being out of the carseat.

I got some really cute pictures though!

 Breakfast at McDonalds

 Selfie in the backseat!

A rare happy Hannah moment.

The trip back was so much better. 

We left in the morning when Hannah was struggling to stay awake. Aubrey was set up with more movies and snacks. Jared drove first because I was planning on driving through the night again. 

Hannah was so much better. I think she had finally gotten used to the idea of being in the car. We drove alot all over Utah to different things, so it just became a part of life for her. 

We'd stop for food and gas. But we could do longer stretches at a time because Hannah would actually sleep! When she'd wake up, Jared or I (whoever wasn't driving) would hop back and play with her. When she got fussy/hungry then we'd look for an exit. 

Aubrey was still great. Nighttime wasn't easy again, but it was much better. Aubrey found a good way to sleep. Hannah put up a big fight, but once she was asleep, she was out. 

I had plenty of Dr Pepper and my Les Miserables CD playing to keep me awake. I made it til the sky's color started lightening up. I don't remember what time. Maybe 5. But I had been driving since 9, so I was ready to stop and take a break. Jared took over and let me rest for a little bit before breakfast. 

No car problems this time!! We made it home in the early afternoon. Both girls were exhuasted and took long naps. I even took a nap too!

We are NEVER doing another roadtrip like this! Unless all kids are old enough to watch movies or entertain themselves! Trips to Ohio are still good. But anything over 6 hours is out of the question!! 

But we survived and still came out a happy, loving family. 

Two more pictures of Hannah!

 She was a much happier baby for the drive home!

Got a little fussy, so we had her chew on some licorice!

Hannah's Natural Birth story (2 of 2)

So we got settled at the birthing center. Our food was already there from our false alarm on Tuesday. My room was still open and ready. Michelle started to run the water for the tub for me.

We were excited that things were finally starting to happen! Some of the excitement would leave for me though, during the contractions. Not many happy thoughts through contractions!

I got in the tub for a little bit. The warm water was awesome. And for some reason, being on all fours really helped me through the contractions. I would just sit on my heels, hold myself up with my arms and try to make it through each one.

Jared was so awesome with everything. He would rub my back, talk to me and gave me a pattern of breathing to follow. He was also really nice when I would snap and tell him to stop rubbing me. I think I even told him to "shhh" a few times. He didn't take it personally though :)

Michelle would come by every now and then, just to see if I needed anything. She promised she wouldn't check my progress unless I asked her to. That was a relief. I didn't want her coming in every hour to check.

Jared and I tried lots of different things. I was in the tub for a while. And then we tried the bed. That was a mistake. Every time I moved set off another contraction, even if I just had one! Couldn't handle contractions laying on my side. So we tried a birthing stool. A little better. But not much.

We brought a movie and put it on for a few minutes. I was on the birthing stool again with Jared behind me on the couch. I just couldn't relax. I'd just end up on all fours on the floor. Michelle came out and gave me some good tips. I would take short breaths and that left me light headed. So she'd have me take a deep breath and slowly let it out while trying to focus it down with the baby. That really helped.

I couldn't watch the movie. I just hurt too much. I began to seriously doubt the decision. I decided I want to get back into the warm tub. Of course, getting there set off like 10 contractions. I basically had to walk during them or Jared would have had to carry/drag me.

While in the tub, Michelle checked to see how far I'd progressed. In just 3 hours I had progressed from a 4/5 when we got in at 9pm to a 8/9 at 12:30am. It was time to call the nurse! She lived an hour away and Michelle guessed I wouldn't want to push until another hour anyway.

It was pretty good timing. Melissa, the nurse, got there right around the time I wanted to push.

Oh my gosh, I was terrified of pushing. I never really went through it with Aubrey. They just told me to push and I would try, but I couldn't feel anything!

But I got the point I had to try! It was just getting so painful! So I moved out of my all four position and got in a better sitting position to push.

I have no idea how long I pushed, but I don't think it was very long. Jared had jumped in the tub with me by that point to help me by giving me his hand and just having him nearby helped me so much.

The time came I had to start pushing. I just couldn't hold back. But I was so scared of the whole thing. I had made it so far, I just didn't think I could finish the work.

I tried pushing a couple times and it helped with the pressure from contractions. It was just a different pressure. I would push as much as I could and Michelle would get excited when she could see things happening. But from my point of view, I couldn't see what was happening. All I knew was that I would push and get to a point I had to stop and take a break.

I had some serious self-doubt moments. I felt I just pushed and pushed and that it wasn't getting me anywhere. I didn't believe I had enough power in me to finally push her out.

At one point I even asked in desperation, "Can't you just pull her out!?" Michelle held back a laugh and said, "I can't; there's no handle! You have to push her out!"

There were a few times I pretty much had my whole head in the water. I had to put my chin to my chest and hunch over to push and sometimes I would be sitting so low that I'd felt I was drowning in the water. We had to drain it to a low level for me to be able to breathe!

We were finally reaching the point where the baby was almost out. I just had a couple more pushes left to go. I really started to freak out and I just didn't believe I could do it. My breathing would turn panicky and I would just sob. Michelle said that's usually when you just have one or two pushes left.

Next thing I knew, our baby was out! It felt much better having her out and Jared immediately helped put her to my chest. It was just so great having her there and seeing her beautiful face! And it was so fun to see her dark hair! We've been wondering for weeks if we'd have another red-head girl like Aubrey or if she'd have darker hair like me!

After a few minutes, Jared got out and dried off so he could take the baby while I finished up.

We officially decided to call her Hannah Rae. She is just perfect! She was born at 1:44am on January 3, 2015. Weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces and 20 inches long.

So that's the birth story! We had some great cuddle time, which was much needed. I needed some rest after not being able to take a nap and also from being up all night. Because I thought I was only cramping, I had skipped dinner. Which was a mistake after all the work I went through :)

At 5am, we decided we wanted to go home. I wanted to lay in bed and have some time to relax before we brought Aubrey home and introduced the 2 sisters!

It was quite the experience, choosing natural childbirth. I'm glad I did it this one time (if I choose not to do it again). My recovery is definitely going better, which is great!

Hannah's Natural Birth story (1 of 2)

Jared and I were so excited to find out we were pregnant in the spring of 2014. We always knew we wanted to have a couple kids so it was great that our family would be growing!

But we wanted to do things differently this time. Having Aubrey in our lives is wonderful, but her delivery was pretty hard on me. I made a few posts about it, if anyone wants to go back and read it. (click here to check out Aubrey's story). To summarize, after 2 epidurals and an episiotomy I didn't want, my recovery was really rough. It took me a long time to get back into the swing of things.

I didn't think Aubrey would tolerate me having a rough recovery with this next delivery, so we talked to friends and I learned that a lot of women in my ward have done natural deliveries.

Not to offend anyone, but at first, I thought going natural was for hippies who were all organic and it just wasn't for me. My friends are all normal, so learning about why they went natural really changed the image for me.

Being in control was a large factor in why I chose to go natural. I didn't like being stuck in a bed in a hospital when having Aubrey.

Another large factor was that everyone said recovering from natural childbirth would be a little easier and faster. With an active toddler at home, I would need an easier recovery!

So anyways, everything was going really well! I read a book about natural childbirth several times. Made notes. Talked things over with Jared and my midwife. I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing. Except I had never been through it before.

I was induced with Aubrey and didn't really get to feel normal contractions. And I couldn't feel anything from the waist down so I couldn't even feel myself pushing her out.

I was really nervous about how I would react to having contractions start. And with the goal in mind of having this baby before New Years, there was a little added pressure.

After having my membranes swept on Monday and Tuesday before New Years, I felt that annoying cramping. It started to get worse Tuesday night so we thought, "Hey! Contractions! Let's go to the birthing center!"

False alarm. I was feeling contractions, but not the right ones that were making progress. So that was disappointing.

New Years came and went. Still no baby. I was getting a little sad, because I really wanted her out!

Because I was technically past my due date, I had an ultrasound and a non-stress test to make sure everything was still OK with the baby. My fluid had dropped a little bit, but nothing dangerous. I passed all the tests and the heartbeat was a good, strong one so I was given the all-clear to go another few days. The midwife I saw checked to see if I had dilated any more since Tuesday. Nope. So she went ahead and swept my membranes again. 3 times in one week is quite enough! Never doing that again...

Aubrey has been a rockstar at every prenatal visit. We got home and she went down for a nap, because being so good is exhausting. I wanted to take a nap too. But the cramping kept me up. Bummer for me!

The cramping started to get worse, but after a week of pretty much non-stop cramping, I didn't really focus on it. Just had to get through it.

Jared let me have the car that day. It was time to pick him up and my cramping was starting to get really bad. Enough to where on the way home, I started to tear up during the cramps while Jared drove.

Things kept getting worse as the evening went on. I was laying on the couch after about 2 hours of crying. Aubrey was sweet during most of it. She put her blanket on me, rubbed and kissed my arms and even hugged my legs.

Out of concern, Jared called my midwife and wanted to know what we should do. After explaining what was happening, my midwife, Michelle, said we could come to the office and get checked if I'm having contractions or if it's really just cramps.

Unwilling to get my hopes up, I just insisted they were cramps. Didn't even bother packing up some things I wanted, like my iPod or some more snacks.

We dropped Aubrey off at an amazing family's house. Our Bishop and his family are just so great. Jared just called and they were more than willing to have Aubrey over, even though they already had company!

Jared drove us to the Auburn Birthing Center office and Michelle let us in. My eyes were all puffy from crying. The bumpy roads to get there were NOT welcome during my "cramps."

She checked to see if I had dilated more than the 4 I was at previously. I hadn't. But then she checked during a cramp and said I was at a 5. So I was in labor.

Now all my crying made sense! I was so adamant about not getting my hopes up just to be dashed again that I didn't even seriously consider the cramping to be contractions. And they also weren't what I was expecting, so that threw me off.

It was time to head down the road to the birthing center!

Ready As I'll Ever Be

I am within 2 weeks of my due date! Which is crazy! Time is going by so quickly and also taking forever!

Because I'm doing this naturally, I won't be induced unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. Which means Baby H will probably come in January, just to mess with my plans! I don't mind too much.

I have most everything figured out, at least as much as I can. I have 2 freezer meals all ready to be thawed and thrown into the oven. They are a 13x9 pan of white enchiladas (a recipe I got from my aunt Kirsten) and 11x7 of lasagna. They will both have leftovers and it's enough to feed all of us and my Mom, if we make them when she's out here. I'll also make a meal to take to the birthing center to eat and keep my energy up. But it's just a breakfast casserole and I can make it quickly in between early contractions!

Finally got someone to be on call for when I need someone to take Aubrey. I always feel weird asking people to babysit for me. And so asking someone to be ready night or day for a phone call to watch my toddler for an undetermined amount of time made me drag my feet. But I have my neighbor and a friend both willing to help.

Jared and I have been slowly stocking up on diapers and wipes. We don't have nearly enough to make it very far, but every little bit helps! Never know if there will be a big storm keeping us from getting out of the house, so it'll be nice having some on hand.

I saved most everything from when Aubrey was a baby, so we have clothes and blankets and so many cute things for this next baby! Had to get some long-sleeve outfits though. Aubrey was a Spring-time baby and didn't need long-sleeves while living in Georgia.

All the laundry is done as well. The clothes were washed in the right detergent and I have them all organized into cute bins.

I've also taken the classes required to use the birthing center and I've preregistered at the hospital (just in case).

The main thing I have left to do is wait! I have no idea how the contractions will feel and I don't know how I will respond to them. To normal pain, I get really quiet and I just have tears leaking out of my eyes. I'm not very vocal so we'll see if Jared can figure out my thoughts to find ways to help me!

Waiting is hard. I like having some sort of plan. Jared is trying to find ways to help induce me after Christmas and before New Years. So that means acupressure foot massages and eating out-of-the-ordinary foods. If he's willing to do that, I won't fight too hard!

Aubrey and I have lots of lazy days. She loves watching Christmas movies. Her favorites are Frosty the Snowman and Veggie Tales: The Little Drummer Boy. We're often in pajamas most of the day (because I'm lazy). But Aubrey has been really good. She doesn't mess too much with our Christmas tree. Sure, there are ornaments she likes to play with, but they are all ornaments that won't break, don't matter if they break, or are easily fixable.

Jared has been amazing with helping cleaning and dishes and watching Aubrey. He gets up with her every morning while I lay in bed and try to catch up on sleep I missed during the night. Aubrey loves the time with him!

A Quiet Book for Aubrey

I made a quiet book for Aubrey!

For some reason I just felt like being crafty. And Aubrey has a difficult time staying entertained and quiet at church. She's either entertained and loud, or bored and also loud. She is also loud here at home. So I thought I'd try making a quiet book!

I don't know why, but I always thought felt was more expensive than it really is. But I just got a few packets from Wal-Mart that had a variety of colors. Perfect!

Here is the book:

Nothing amazing. But in the pocket at the top right, I put the letters of her name.

Now we can work on her recognizing her name in print and she can learn a few important letters!

The "first page" is to help her count. She can move the bead across the pipe cleaner and it was the number next to it to help her make the connection. Aubrey already loves moving the beads back and forth.

I only did upper case for now. And I tried to make an apple, a banana, a clock and a door. Start with the first bunch of letters and eventually move on from there. If I get motivated, I'll cut out lower case letters too.

I did a few normal shapes and a few extras to learn. That way it's not just the same ones over and over. I also wrote the name of the shape inside it. I figured she'll have this book for a while so might as well make it a little difficult. That octagon really threw her off the first few times!

These pages are more interactive and fun. She can put apples on the tree, or pick them off and put them in the basket/pouch. And the flowers are a little bit harder for her. She has to button the little piece on to the big piece. Right now she is just matching colors and putting the piece on top. But I'll start showing her how to button them soon. 

Last of all are the Thanksgiving pages! She has to put the 3 long strips on the football, which is also a pouch for the turkey. She can put the feathers and feet on the turkey. I might make a little top hat and write T H A N K S on each feather. We'll see. 

Already been Aubrey-approved!

Anyways, that's my book! I'm really proud of it and I'm excited to keep adding to it. After Thanksgiving I'll do a Christmas page. And I'll keep adding holiday pages and some harder activities. 

It's been a lot of fun figuring it out as I went. I learned a lot and I have so many ideas to try to implement!

The last molar

Aubrey is finally getting her last molar. She has all the others and I figured out the pattern. The bottom teeth always came in pairs. Then one at a time on the top. 

A couple weeks ago she got all cranky and was driving me crazy. So I did some checking and found the sharp tip emerging from her gums. 

I let her crankiness slide because I know it's not really her, it's just the pain and uncomfortableness. 

Now that I'm in my third trimester, I'm not as easily forgiving as I was last time. I can't move as quickly and I can't do all the energetic things she wants me to do. 

When she starts to throw a tantrum because I can't read her mind, I just let her cry. She'll fling her arms all over and smack the floor. Once or twice she'll go back to hitting her head on the floor. But she has made great progress in her speaking, so if she wants something, she can tell me. 

I'm not going to get up out of my comfy seat and offer her everything in the kitchen when I THINK she MIGHT be hungry. I will make ONE meal that I know she has eaten regularly before. If she won't eat it, then she can have a slice of bread later and maybe some yogurt or a banana. 

I've even gone so far as to do the silly old wives tale of putting an egg in a sock over her door. These mood swings are exhausting and there isn't really much I can do. I figure, if the egg and sock doesn't work after a few days, I'll just use it in my next batch of cookies. Then at least the egg won't be a complete waste.

Jared is good with Aubrey. He's not home all day with her craziness. So after he's eaten and has a chance to unwind from work, he'll rough-house with her and keep her entertained for a while. 

I'm not excited at all to go through all of this again next year with a new baby. With Aubrey, I had NO IDEA she had teeth coming until I saw them pop out! At least now when I notice a mood change around 4 months with this next baby girl, I can go ahead and assume it's teeth. Once Aubrey gets this one out, she'll be done, which is awesome. 

2014 Halloween Season

October was such a fun month with so many things going on!

We went to a wedding in Ohio that I posted about a couple weeks ago, which was great! It's good for me to get out and about while I still can!

We took Aubrey to the same pumpkin patch we went to last year (Hilger Family Farm) the Saturday before Halloween. Last year she was so cute and helped us pick out pumpkins!

Found her pumpkin 2013

Helping Daddy buy the pumpkins 2013

Now she is so big! But she had as much fun as she did last year!

And we had to get another photo of us in the corn maze. Might make this a tradition!

Aubrey enjoyed a fresh honey crisp apple on the way home. Ate basically the whole thing herself!

The next week was pretty busy with all the crazy and fun things happening!

Jared and I carved our pumpkins. Nothing amazing. But we have a good time doing it together. Aubrey was having a rough night so she wasn't invited. Don't worry, she still had her chance to decorate her pumpkin later in the week.

I did Dracula - Jared made an awesome pumpkin face

My twin brother, his wife and their 4-month-old baby boy William came mid-week! This was our first time meeting baby William and we hadn't seen Chris and Alicia for quite a long time!

Aubrey did pretty darn well with a baby in the house! She wasn't bothered at all by the usual baby noises, fussing and crying! Which is a good sign for me, because she's getting a baby sister in 2 months! She wasn't quite sure what to do about Chris. He's pretty large and she wasn't used to people his size. But I think she warmed up to him, even if it was just a little bit!

And we had to get a little family picture on Halloween, the night before they left for a USA v New Zealand Rugby game.

This was our first Halloween in a house and we were so excited about getting trick or treaters! Aubrey would run to the door with us to hand out candy. I wanted to get a few pictures, but parents would probably be creeped out by that! It was cute seeing Aubrey hand out a few pieces of candy.

While we adults watched Hocus Pocus, I had Aubrey paint her pumpkin. She did a great job! Kept 98% of the paint on the pumpkin! Of course, there were a few bumps to the pumpkin with her elbow and the paint would drip on the paper, but that was to be expected!

It was such a great Halloween season!

Now that it's November, all Halloween specific decorations are down and packed away. There are still a few things up that relate to fall. Our next big adventure is Thanksgiving in Ohio. It's a family tradition that is easy to keep up, seeing as how we're just a few hours away!