Natalee Ann

Introducing.....

Natalee Ann

Born Monday, April 26th at 9:10am

7 lbs. 2 oz.

20 inches long

We are so thankful for this precious, beautiful, healthy little girl.

We are a happy family of 4 now.

And Haylee is a proud Big Sister!

To answer the big question...Yes, she has a lot of hair. Not as thick as Haylee's or as dark, but more than the average newborn I'd say.

We are absolutely in love with our new little miracle.

Thank you for all the prayers that we said on our behalf. She's perfect!

39 Weeks

*How far along: 39 weeks


*Total weight gain: 33 lbs. (I gained 33 lbs. total with Haylee too)


*Maternity clothes: The only thing comfortable is stretchy gauchos and maternity shirts.


*Sleep: I just toss and turn.


*Best moment this week: Last minute preparations, hearing the heart beat and knowing I'm dilated to 2 cm. (making progress!)


*Movement: She's had the hiccups a lot and she rolls around trying to get comfy. She makes my stomach look lopsided. =)


*Food cravings: Starburst, salad & cereal.


*Gender: A precious little girl.


*Labor Signs: Will start tonight but hopefully with a good epidural I won't feel a thing =)


*Belly Button in or out: It's out!!!!!


*What I miss: Just being comfortable.


*What I am looking forward to: Seeing our little girl!


*Milestones: I'm 39 weeks!!! Time to meet our little girl.





We spent our last few days as a family of 3 having fun! Thursday night we took Haylee to see Oceans. It didn't keep her attention as good as other movies, but she lasted the entire time. She loves animals, and her favorite was the sea lions, polar bears, and baby turtles. I know it's nature and all, but these movies are sad. Good thing Haylee didn't fully grasped why the big shamu came out of the water and swallowed the cute sea lion she was making a fuss over. Yikes! After the movie we went to Chick-Fil-A so Haylee could play in the play area a bit before heading home.


Yesterday we took Haylee to the library to "stock up" on books to read. I'm so glad she loves books. It keeps her attention for so long and she just loves to read. We also spent most of yesterday running last minute errands and getting things done. Josh and I went to dinner at Uncle Bears.


Today I'm trying to stay busy to keep my mind from wandering. The biggest problem I'm having right now is the thought of leaving Haylee tonight. I know she'll just be sleeping, and when she wakes up in the morning she'll come to see me, but I get emotional just thinking about it. I just want to cuddle her and never let go!


Please pray for us. Obviously this is a major change for our family and I'm very excited to welcome our little girl. I just keep praying for a smooth, uneventful labor and delivery and a healthy baby girl.

Miss & Not Miss

Since this pregnancy of mine is coming to an end I wanted to remember the things that I will and will NOT miss after Miss Natalee arrives.

I will definitely NOT miss-

*Heartburn
*Headaches
*Hot flashes
*Nausea- still having some morning sickness and I'm about to deliver-nice!
*Aches & Pains
*Tossing and turning and getting up to pee all night.

I will miss-

*Feeling Natalee move all around in my belly.
*Going to our Dr. appointments to hear her heartbeat.
*Seeing her squirm around during ultrasounds.
*Watching my belly grow.
*Being able to eat a lot and not feel too guilty.
*Watching my belly move when she has hiccups and when she rolls around.

I am sad this pregnancy is ending. Although it was more difficult than my first it still wasn't too bad. These past couple weeks I have been pretty uncomfortable but I can handle it.

I look forward to meeting our sweet little girl in just a few days. I wonder if she'll have a lot of hair like Haylee did when she was born.

(Haylee the day she was born)

I wonder if she'll have blue eyes like her Daddy or brown eyes like her Mommy and Haylee. I wonder if she'll end up a good sleeper like Haylee, sleeping 7-8 hours by 6 weeks. I wonder if she'll be as active and constantly on the go like Haylee or if she'll be a calmer child. I guess we'll find out soon. Only 3 days till we head to the hospital!

5:45am

Unfortunately that is the time my day started today. I heard a door open and I saw a little girl peeking around the corner into my room. I think I said something along the lines of, "you've got to be kidding me! You need to go back to bed it's way too early." After explaining that it was too early to watch cartoons because even they weren't on yet, I did get her to fall back asleep until a little after 7am but no such luck here. What happened to the Haylee that always slept till 8am or later?

When Josh gets home I'm going to Target for black out curtains to go over her black out shade that apparently isn't doing it's job. If that doesn't work........I just don't know what.

I just love my little girl!

The Game Plan

Today I had my last OB appointment. That is crazy for me to believe. I haven't gained any more weight so I'm still up 31 lbs. I might just gain a little less this time around! After the exam Dr. H said I'm dilated to 2, she's head down, in position and everything is perfect and ready to go! Per Dr. H, the plan is for me to check into the hospital Sunday night, get the pitocin started, get my epidural and then just chill and sleep. He'll see me Monday morning around 6am to break my water unless I go faster on my own over night and then he'll see me sooner to deliver Natalee. There was no mention this time to head to the hospital if I go into labor on my own so I think he thinks Natalee will wait till Sunday. Obviously if I have contractions before that, I will just head to the hospital and go from there! I feel a lot better after talking to Dr. H. He is such a wonderful doctor and I know I'm in good hands.

After leaving the office (of course) a bunch of questions started to pop into my mind. Like, how far can I dilate (or progress) without my water breaking? I know with Haylee I didn't really progress until he broke my water, but then again this is my second baby. I do like the idea of getting checked in and getting my epidural way ahead of time so I can relax and not worry about the pain. I have a feeling things will start "moving" along after he breaks my water like last time, but all I can do is sit back and see.

So that's it for now. I will be putting updates on my Facebook page throughout the night if you care to track my progress. 5 days to go!

Weekend Recap

I started off the weekend by making 7 freezer meals for after Natalee arrives. My sister and niece, Samantha, came over for a couple hours Friday morning and we were able to get everything made, nice little weight off my shoulders! We made hamburger pie, chicken enchiladas, spaghetti, cream cheese chicken, chicken stuffed shells, tater tot casserole, and lasagna. By Friday night I was having some pains which I think were contractions (having never felt a hard contraction before I'm not sure) and a lot of pressure. I was pretty sure I would be going to the hospital at some point as I was very uncomfortable. After a few hours it all seemed to go away, and I haven't had any problems since. I'm thinking it could be that I was standing for over 3 hours straight cooking but I don't know.

Most of our weekend was laid back. Saturday, my mom, Josh and I took the girls to the park in the morning to play for awhile and then came back to our house so they could play in the pool. It's not quite hot enough yet to keep the water warm so they were shivering within a few minutes. After some otter pops and playing around in our backyard we came in for lunch and naptime. I love the beautiful weather we have been blessed with this year. Before yesterday, the high had been in the 80's and now this week it's cooling off again to the 70's. Awesome weather for almost the end of April in AZ! Saturday night my mom watched Haylee for a couple hours so Josh and I could enjoy one last little night out before Natalee arrives. We went to Outback and then we ran a couple errands. Before heading home we stopped at Bahama Bucks for a shaved ice. I had to laugh when I was looking over the flavors because they had pickle juice! Must be for us pregnant ladies. To me that just sounded disgusting so I stuck with my usually, strawberry colada.

Sunday, my mom and I went to get pedicures then headed over to Serrano's for lunch. Nothing else too exciting, just trying to take it easy and finish up the last few things I have to do.

Today I've been in a weird mood. It's hard to explain, but I'm just down. I find myself saying, "this is the last time I'll do this before Natalee comes," and "this time next week I'll be....." I'm excited for Natalee to join our family, but it is gonna be a rough transition for all of us. I'm really gonna miss the bonding time Haylee and I have each day and the naps we have been taking together every afternoon. I'm sure these emotions are normal, I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed with the changes that will be taking place in our family soon. Life is about to be crazy here in our home but I think I'm ready for it!

38 Weeks

(Notice: No Braces!)

*How far along: 38 weeks

*Total weight gain/loss: Up 31 lbs. (I gained 33 lbs. total with Haylee

*Maternity clothes: The only thing comfortable is stretchy gauchos and maternity shirts.

*Sleep: I just toss and turn.

*Best moment this week: Hearing her heartbeat at the doctor and finding out I'm making progress (dilated to 1-2 cm).

*Movement: She's had the hiccups a lot and she rolls around trying to get comfy. She makes my stomach look lopsided. =)

*Food cravings: Starburst, salad & cereal.

*Gender: A precious little girl.

*Labor Signs: Had some contractions along with pressure Friday night. I thought the time had come but things settled down after a few hours.

*Belly Button in or out: It's out!!!!!

*What I miss: Just being comfortable.

*What I am looking forward to: Seeing our little girl in just a week

*Milestones: I'm 38 weeks!!! Only 1 week to go.

        38 Weeks With Haylee          38 Weeks With Natalee

Making Progress

I had my weekly OB appointment with Dr. H today which went well. I haven't gained any weight since last week and I'm making progress! He said I'm dilated to 1-2cm. That's about what I was with Haylee at this point in my pregnancy. He also went on to say that he "induces like 80%" of his patients and "it all works out the same." I'm not worried about being induced, it just shows how often it happens. I'm worried about not being induced! I hope little Natalee girl stays put till Sunday the 25th....only 11 days to go!

261 Days

I've been pregnant 261 days so far! Looking back, the beginning was a little rough, I was sick for months, I was diagnosed with low thyroid and it just seemed like one thing after another. Maybe it was more difficult for me since my pregnancy with Haylee was so uneventful and easy. Like every other hurdle in life, I got through it and it seems the last few months have been pretty easy. In the beginning, this pregnancy was totally opposite from the 1st, I thought for sure I was having a boy. Now, the 2 pregnancies are more similar. I think I might actually gain more weight this time around though but I'm happy to report no stretch marks so far, so I'm not complaining!

I can't believe it's almost time to see our little girl. The months went by so slow at first but now that the end is near, I feel so rushed. 2 weeks from today we should be coming home with our little girl, it's hard to imagine. I don't expect things to be easy, in fact I'm scared how Haylee will react. Sometimes she seems so excited when we talk about her little sister and other times she wants nothing to do with the subject. I just pray she'll adjust well like she does with mostly everything else.

I've been asked by a couple people why I chose to be induced and if there is something wrong so I thought I'd address that here. Nothing is wrong, in fact at the last ultrasound she looked perfect! I was induced with Haylee the night before my due date (I had her on my due date) because my Doctor was leaving the country and it was important to me to have him deliver Haylee. Everything went so perfect, a very smooth, easy labor & delivery. Here's a little timeline on how things went:

*8pm- Pitocin was started. I was dilated 1-2 cm.

*11:15pm- Dr. Huff broke my water. Still at 2cm.

*11:45pm- I got my epidural. Didn't hurt at all =)

*12:30am- I was dilated to 4cm and 90% effaced.

*2:10am- I was dilated to 7-8cm.

*4am- I was fully dilated to 10cm.

*4:15am- Started pushing.

*4:33am- Haylee was born.

I can only pray things go as uneventful and smooth! I realize that labor is harder and more intense being with Pitocin but as long as I get an epidural, and it works, I should be fine. I think that is what scares me the most, being in a lot of pain. I didn't experience that with Haylee. So since it went so wonderful the first time around (being induced) I figured I'll try it again. Can't hurt to try!

That's all the rambling I'll do for now. As of tonight, we are all ready for her to come. I have my hospital bag packed, Natalee's bag, the car seat is in, and my list of stuff is done. The only thing I have left to do is make some freezer meals and get a pedicure!

Weekend Recap

 

Our weekend was spent getting ready for our new arrival. Now that the induction is scheduled I feel like I have a million things to do. Luckily, Josh and I got so much done this weekend so now I can breathe a little.

Friday we went to Babies R Us to get the last few things we needed for Natalee. We now officially have it all! Saturday we had our carpets cleaned so we spent the rest of the weekend doing paint touch ups, wiping down doors and baseboards, dusting, vacuuming, and putting everything back. We cleaned this entire house from top to bottom. And if that didn't put me into labor, not sure what will!

We just put the finishing touches on Natalee's room and I love it. The paint, wallpaper, and bedding are all the same but we re-arranged the furniture and added new decor to make it a little different for Natalee. (And now that I look at the pictures I realize the last 'E' needs to be moved down a bit!)

For some reason I have this feeling Natalee will come earlier than my induction date. I don't know if that's because I fear she will or because she might just be early. I have her bag packed so I'm gonna go ahead and pack most of mine this week and finish mostly everything I need to do so that next week I can just relax and spend time with Haylee. While I'm in labor I will continue to add updates on Facebook so you can stay tuned there if you'd like. I thought that would be easier than calling everyone and I can just do it from my phone.

I got my sling in the mail this weekend and I can't wait to try it out. According to the weight limits I should be able to carry Haylee in it so I think I'll try that out tonight- HA!

37 Weeks

Sorry no picture this week.

*How far along: 37 weeks

*Total weight gain/loss: Up 31 lbs. (I gained 33 lbs. total with Haylee)

*Maternity clothes: The only thing comfortable is stretchy gauchos and maternity shirts.

*Sleep: Not the best lately.

*Best moment this week: Hearing her heartbeat at the doctor and marking things off my to-do list!

*Movement: She's had hiccups a lot lately. Sometimes 2-3 times a day.

*Food cravings: Not craving much, just always hungry.

*Gender: A precious little girl.

*Labor Signs: Had a couple contractions, probably braxton hicks. Hopefully nothing more till the 25th.

*Belly Button in or out: It's out!!!!!

*What I miss: Just being comfortable. My feet are starting to hurt now.

*What I am looking forward to: The 25th so I can see my baby girl. (Actually she'll probably be born the 26th unless she comes sooner on her own)

*Milestones: I'm 37 weeks!!! Only 2 weeks to go.

Haircuts

Haylee and I both got our haircut this week. I wanted Haylee's a little shorter for the summer and it turned out super cute! I didn't even bother to try to do it myself this time, I just took her to Great Clips. While we were waiting she told me, "I don't want that black thing." (cape) "I don't want that blow thing." (blow dryer) "I don't want water," and "I don't want to look in the mirror." Oh, and she didn't want the tissue paper thing around her neck.lol Luckily she behaved and held still and did super. When she was done she asked where the suckers were. Gotta love how shy she is!!!

Before

During

After

The countdown is on.....

I had my OB appointment yesterday and everything went very well. I have gained another 2 lbs. putting my total weight gain at 31 lbs. This needs to end! After measuring my belly and listening to the heart beat I asked how he works his inductions. I told him he induced me with Haylee and I loved it! He said he'll do it when I'm 39 weeks, then he looked at his calendar and said, "how about Sunday, April 25?" I told him that sounded good and he asked the receptionist to call the hospital and schedule it. I guess I'm in shock that it's already scheduled and that I'll be going in in 2 1/2 weeks to have our little girl! My nerves have been crazy since I left. I guess my biggest fear right now is going earlier on my own. I pray Natalee will stay nestled inside till the 25th and that everything will go as well as it did when I had Haylee. So the countdown is on.....Sunday, April 25th at 8pm is induction time!

Weekend Recap

Falling behind again. I have a lot to catch up on so stick with me here. Let's say our weekend started Thursday. We took Haylee to Disney on Ice, 100 Years of Magic. There were over 60 characters (I think they said) and we had a blast. Haylee is always scared at first that the characters are going to come into the audience and touch her but once she realizes they aren't she'll let loose and enjoys the show more. She sat eating her popcorn and playing with her Princess light up toy and was such a good girl. And of course, she's still going over all the characters we saw that night.

Saturday I had my last craft show at the Queen Creek Farmer's Market & Craft Fair. Josh was my helper once again and we did better this time around. Funny thing is, there were about 1/2 as many people this time. The big seller this weekend was my burp cloths, I sold 5 sets! I also sold a couple journals and some cards. We had fun and the weather was beautiful. I'm gonna hold off on craft shows till next spring because I just don't think I'll have any extra time for awhile, can't imagine why... Saturday night Haylee colored Easter eggs with Grandma then Josh and I went to a couple stores to get some of the last minute things we needed/wanted for Natalee.

We got her pack-n-play, monitor, binkies, diapers, and a few other things. I only have a couple things left that I hope to pick up this Friday and then I'm done. My list of things to do is finally dwindling a bit! I changed my mind on the whole sling thing again and now I'm getting the Peanut Shell. It's 1/2 the price of the other one I was looking at and it seems to be exactly the same. Although I didn't use a carrier that much with Haylee, I think I'll use one more often with Natalee since I'll have 2 kids to juggle. Especially since Haylee has to mark her territory go potty at ever store or restaurant we go in.

Sunday was a crazy, busy day. We started the morning off by letting Haylee and Jackson check out their Easter baskets. Haylee was more excited about the grass in her basket than the actually presents. Go figure! She got Princess Golden Books, a Princess hooded towel, and a Little People Easter set. Jackson got some treats.

After breakfast (which Josh made and was delicious) we did Easter egg hunts for both kids. Jackson went first, found all of his eggs, opened them, and enjoyed the treats. Then it was Haylee's turn. She found all her eggs and stuffed them in her basket trying to hurry before Jackson found hers and claimed them as his own. Fun times!

After that, it was Haylee's turn to hide the eggs for Mommy and Daddy. We would find one here and there, then all the rest (10+) would we lined up in a row down the hall-we cracked up laughing. We made Easter cookies, colored Easter eggs and then it was off to get a bath and take a nap.

After nap we went to the park so I could get some pictures of Haylee in her dress with her basket and eggs, and then we went to my mom's for dinner. It was a long day and I was exhausted by the time I crawled flopped into bed. Oh, and Sunday marked the 36th week of my pregnancy making me officially 9 months pregnant (see previous post).

The craziness didn't stop there. Monday, Haylee, my mom and I were the first through the door at Target for the after Easter sales. Ya, we're crazy! We got some great deals and I got Haylee & Natalee matching baskets and all the stuff to go in it for next year, just thinking ahead =). After that we spent the day going to some other favorite stores including Ikea where I found a night stand for Natalee's room-another thing to mark off my list! That night, me, my mom, sister and 2 nieces went to see "The Last Song". I thought it was gonna be a cute love story. It was, combined with a too-close-to-home very sad ending. All 3 movies us girls have went to lately have left us in tears, this one was the worse though. So bring the tissues if you go see it.

Yesterday was the big day for me. I got my braces off after having them on a little over 2 years. What a difference! I can't believe how different my mouth, and overall face structure has changed. Talk about red carpet treatment (literally), I show up and there is a red carpet leading to the door with a sign mentioning everyone who was getting their braces off. Inside, there were balloons at each chair and I even got a goody bag with all the candy I wasn't suppose allowed to eat the last 2 years. And then to top it off the staff sang us a song about getting our braces off. I'm really happy with how they look.

36 Weeks

(I look as big as a barn....I don't think I'm really as big as I look in this picture)

*How far along: 36 weeks= 9 months!


*Total weight gain/loss: Up 29 lbs. (I gained 33 lbs. total with Haylee


*Maternity clothes: The only thing comfortable is stretchy gauchos and maternity shirts.


*Sleep: Getting more uncomfortable.


*Best moment this week: Hearing her heartbeat at the doctor.


*Movement: Still squirming around.


*Food cravings: ehh, not so much cravings...just always hungry.


*Gender: A precious little girl.


*Labor Signs: Nope, just other pains!


*Belly Button in or out: It's out!!!!!


*What I miss: Just being comfortable. My feet are starting to hurt now.


*What I am looking forward to: Seeing what Natalee looks like.


*Milestones: I'm 36 weeks!!! Only 4 weeks to go.