Update

Last week we went to the doctor on Thursday to get Hunter's weight checked and make sure he was doing well. At that appointment his weight was down to 8lbs 6oz. Today we went to his regular pediatrician for his first real doctor's appointment and he is now up to 9lbs 4oz and 22in long!!! I thought he was growing but almost a pound in a week, wow! Also an inch and a half. I was really surprised. He is doing well, and so am I.

After getting Hunter checked out, we went to see my doctor too. Good news, I am healing nicely and he has lifted and lifting restrictions that the ER doctor gave me so I am going to be able to do a lot more than I thought once Mom goes. To say I am relieved is an understatment. Also the ER doc was wrong about the mastitis, it is just a clogged duct, but I have to finish the anitbiotic anyway, BLAH.

Overall a great day with great news.

Trunk-or-treat tonight and trick-or-treating tomorrow. Be safe and have a great halloween.

Here are some pictures of the kids decorating their pumpkins.

Hunter's first week (or so)

So Hunter is a little over a week old now and I am feeling a little more rested. So I am going to try to write a little about his birth and our going ons around here.

Hunter was due October 14th, and I was hoping for an early arrival but it was not to be. Jessi had her first Primary Program at church on the 18th, so once we were closer to that I had mixed feelings about him coming and me missing her. He had his timing all worked out since my mom came in on a flight Sunday afternoon just in time for the program and Hunter came the next morning.

For those who don't want to know the details of the birth, skip the next colored section.
October 19th, just about when MJ was headed to work, I started contractions. The first one was a about 4am and then next 2 each half our later. This is how labor started with Tanner so I wasn't concerned because I "labored" all day with Tanner and we didn't go to the hospital until 7 or so that night. I had a feeling that this would be a little faster but had no idea how fast. By my 4th contraction they were already getting quite a bit stronger and only 10 minutes apart so I called MJ and told him to come back home from work and then went and got in the shower. They say a shower will either help labor progress or stop it. Well I guess it helped mine since I had 2-3 contractions while I was in the shower (and I don't take long showers). Anyway, by the time MJ got home they were about 5-7 minutes apart and still getting stronger so I decided to call Labor/Delivery and see if they had beds available at the hospital closest to us. They had 2 left so I told them I was coming. At this point I was still handling the contractions well and they were still coming about 5 minutes apart. Once I decided that we were going the contractions started to get pretty intense and on the way to the hospital I told MJ that I wanted "drugs" ASAP.

When we arrived at the hospital we were put in a room right away, I was checked and was 5cm dilated. This was about 7:30am. They were having problems getting me checking in on the computer, but my nurses were great, gave me an IV and overrode the system and got me some phentanel right away. This helped for about 30-45 minutes. They finished checking me in and left. I think MJ got to sit down for maybe 20 minutes and I told him to go and get the nurse because I was feeling a lot of pressure and an urge to push more. They came and checked me and I was at 7cm. I'm not sure how much time passed but the next thing I knew the midwife was in the room and saw that my body was pushing with each contraction and checked me again and I was at 9.5cm. She told me if I felt like pushing to go ahead and push. I think this was about 8:45am, but I wasn't really paying attention to the clock.

Over the next few minutes Hunter moved down into the birth canal and I could feel him coming down in my back a little. When he started to crown(his head was showing) his heart rate went down to they told me to change positions and called in the pediatric team and doctor on-call just in case he needed to get out faster. As soon as I rolled to my side, he rolled too and his heart rate came back up and he started to come out again. This time after his head was out, the cord was around his neck. The midwife could barely get her fingers between the cord and his neck and ended up having to cut the cord before I was able to push him out the rest of the way. (We found out the next day the cord was so tight, she actually cut her glove and her finger a little cutting it). He was a little bluish when he came out, but within a few seconds he coughed and she handed him over to the pediatric unit in our room, they gave him a little oxygen and when they did his apgar scores at 1 minute he scored 8 and 9. So after a very fast and eventful delivery Hunter arrived at 9am.

Once the pediatrician checked him out, they gave him back to me and MJ and I held him for about 20 minutes I think while they repaired my tear. So we didn't know how big he was until about 30 minutes after he was born. 8lbs 13.2oz. 20 1/2in. long. My biggest baby by almost a full pound!

So after an exciting and momentous morning we were able to have a semi-relaxing day with a few visitors and the kids. The following morning we were able to be release from the hospital and were home around noon. I was glad that we didn't have to stay at the hospital longer, since I had only gotten 2 hours of sleep that night and another 2 in the morning. I was glad to be home with MJ and Mom to help and no nurses to keep waking us up, although we had amazing nurses the whole time.

Now that we are home, we are both doing well. Hunter is nursing like a champ and for those who know my previous history of nursing, I have only had to pump 2 times, which says what a good eater he is. He had a little adjustment to sleeping in his bed the first 3 days home but now that we elevated the head of the crib and prop him on his side he is now sleeping in his crib all the time and eating every 3-4 hours and sometimes going almost 5 at night already. I am catching up on sleep and the other kids are adjusting pretty well. We have had a few emotional moments but that is to be expected.

I am so grateful for my mom and MJ for being here to help out and take care of everything that I usually do so that I can focus on resting and taking care of Hunter, and giving as much attention as I can to Jessi and Tanner too. I couldn't do it with out them.

As for me, recovery is going to be a little longer than I was expecting. Friday night the stitches in my tear somehow came out. We went to the urgent care clinic and were told that they can't be repaired because of risk of infection so my recovery is more like a C-section because I am unable to lift anything until it repairs itself. Also we found out the I had mastitis. So now I am on antibiotics and doing pretty well I think. I have been up a lot more the past day or two and am still feeling good. It will be hard to do much once Mom leaves though so I will have to depend on MJ and others a lot more than I am used to. I guess that is a lesson that I need to learn though. Overall we have been so blessed and I am glad that this is happening to me and that Hunter is doing so well.

Now here are the pictures that you wanted to see!


Before we headed to the hospital I had to get at least one shot of me pregnant, since we hadn't posted any previously. So this was me in labor.


This is his weight and the first few pictures that we took of him. Also MJ holding him for the first few times.


Here is the first time the kids got to see him. I love their expressions.


This is the day we came home.


Here are a few shots of his first bath at home. I am so spoiled, MJ and Mom have been doing it and MJ continues to do bath time with all the kids unless he isn't home when it is time.


Jessi can't get enough of Hunter and is a great helped. She loved to hold and snuggle him.


This is the best picture that I have of Hunter so far.


Here is a group shot of our munchkins.
Hope you enjoyed and sorry for the length.

Hunter is here!

Hunter Michael arrived! He started his journey 4am Monday, October 19th and was here at 9am weighing in at 8lbs 13.2oz and 20.5in long. We are glad that he is here and are adjusting to a newborn in the house again. He is a great eater, but needs some help in the sleep department. Here is a few pictures to hold you over until I have time and energy for a full post.



(My sis just realized that I put the wrong weight for Hunter, so I made the correction:)

Pumpkin Patch

On Saturday we decided to go to the pumpkin patch that is just around the corner from us. We are going kind of early this year since we don't know when Hunter is coming. The kids had a blast despite the fact that the bunny petting and the train weren't open that day. So we may be going back another day.
Here are some pictures:


Here are the kids and Daddy. They loved just running through all the pumpkins.


There was a little maze set up for the little kids. Here are the kids playing in it.


There is also a bigger Tunnel/maze for everyone to go through. Here we are coming out the end.


Here is Tanner posing with a pumpkin.


Here is Jessi posing with a pumpkin.


Jessi really wanted a big pumpkin this year.


Tanner picked up a big one and then said it was too heavy and went in search of another one. To our surprise he almost picked a white one.


He took a seat on this one for a while. Thank goodness for diapers.


Here are their final pumpkins that we brought home. I'll have to post again after we carve or decorate them.

The kids also were able to go to Chuck E. Cheese with just Daddy so that Mommy could get a welcomed nap! Thanks Daddy.

Daddy's day off

Today Daddy didn't have to "work". Although he has been up and gone not "working" all day. He has been cleaning up our yard. He took a load to the dump and the kids love to ride in his truck so I fixed them a sandwich each and sent them all on their way. Later we are going to go swimming at Chris and Melissa's new place. Another exciting day for the kids! I'll try to get some pictures of the swimming on here later, but for now, here they are on the way to the dump.


Here are the swimming pictures.

Where's Tanner?

The "new" rooms

After an enjoyable 3 1/2 months of having my brother and his wife live with us, they have found their own place and I have done some "redecorating". MJ's mom took the kids Tuesday night so I could "sleep" (almost impossible these days). And MJ and I moved some furniture Tuesday night. After 5 straight hours of sleep!!! I decided to get up and finish the task. So Wednesday I "finished" (for now).

We have moved Tanner into what was our guest room. This room will eventually become a play room so I invested in a rug that I really liked. It has all the letters (upper and lower case), the numbers, shapes and colors. Also a little extra fun with some "bee's" on it. It is still a work in progress but he has been sleeping in it for 3 nights and seems to be okay with the switch.


Then we turned Tanner's room back into the "nursery" or Hunter's room. With a little less than 3 weeks to spare (sooner I hope) before he comes we are finally ready and have somewhere to put him.


Then we can't forget Jessi's mess, I mean room. She is the lucky one that gets most of the toys and other things stored in her room for the time being, so it usually is a little cluttered but I don't think she minds too much.