He's here!!!

Sorry for not updating sooner but we've been enjoying our chunky little man!

Jessica was the first to hold him after everyone came back to the room as promised. She was so excited to hold her little brother, although I think she got overwhelmed pretty quickly cause she gave him back after a few short minutes.

His other first visitors included Nana, Papa, Granny, Grandpa, Amy, Jason and Layne.

Kevin also got me a beautiful bracelet with the kids names on them and their birthstone. He said he was starting to get a little worried because today was the last day the birthstone would have been correct!

Baby Day

8:30 am: We got up this morning at 5:50 and headed out the door around 6:30 to go to the hospital. When we arrived they got us checked into our room and started getting everything prepared. Everything went smoothly until it was time for them to put in my IV...that was quite the ordeal. It is in now and they are pumping me full of fluids, the doctor should be by in about an hour to break my water. So for now we are just waiting.


8:35 am: Well I got a surprise and the midwife I originally started with was making rounds this morning and she just stopped in and broke my water! It was great to see her again and nice to get the show on the road!

10:30 am: I tried to sleep after they broke my water since I didn't get much sleep last night but being attached to every monitor under the sun and trying not to move so I don't mess any of them up doesn't bode well for restful slumber. I'm starting to really feel the contractions now....the last few are "starting to smart a little!" I'm not going to lie, I don't have a huge tolerance for pain but I do clearly remember what the epidural needle looks like and I'm going to have to be in more pain than this to request it! I'm going to see if I can talk my husband into playing a game of Skip-Bo with me to kill some time and focus my thoughts on beating him and not on the contractions.

12:00 pm: Well I just got finished getting my epidural, I feel FANTASTIC!!! At 11:30 when they checked me I was dilated to 4 1/2 so we are making progress (I was at 3 when we came in this morning). I just wanted to update one more time before I tried to fall asleep again, figured I should try and get as much rest before he gets here as I can!

1:15 pm: The nurse just checked me again and we are now to 5cm and 90% effaced. Our doctor has been telling us all along that I was 80% effaced but when we got in here today they said it was more like 50%, so we are making progress. She said she'll be in to check again in another hour or two unless anything changes before then.

2:30 pm: I've decided it is physically impossible to sleep in a hospital while you are in labor, epidural or no epidural. I'm exhausted and if I were in my own bed I would be out like a light but since they have to come in and adjust this monitor or check this machine or have me switch positions I'm getting 5 minute cat naps...I guess just one more way to prepare for the arrival of Jett and the sleeplessness that comes with a newborn. Jessica on the other hand has given up and she's snoozing peacefully on the couch! She needed it! Also, since we've been here I've now heard 5 babies screaming that have been born, I'm starting to feel like Rachel on Friends when she was in the hospital and everyone else was having their baby and she wasn't! I think they will be back in to check me within the hour so stay tuned for another update!

3:30 or so: My epidural started wearing off and my contractions were being felt a lot more than I cared to feel them. By the time I called for the nurse (Jessica was asleep on the couch and I didn't want to use the intercom to page her and wake Jessica up) I was more than uncomfortable. She called the anistesiologist to come up and redo the epidural. By the time she got up here I was dilated to a 10 and we were waiting on the doctor to get here.

4:02 pm: Started pushing

4;09 pm: Jett Gabriel Reeves entered the world in all his perfectness! He weighed 8 lbs 4 oz and is 19 inches long.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow!!!

We go in tomorrow at 7! Doc will be by to break my water between 8 and 9. If things don't progress after that we'll have to start with the pitocin. I'm SUPER excited to meet our little guy and I'm running around the house like crazy now trying to get things prepared before we leave. We'll keep you posted so keep checking in!

False Alarm

During the afternoon yesterday I started having more contractions, there were about 4 big ones that brought tears to my eyes and I had to make sure I was breathing through. They were about 15 minutes apart though. So at that point we started timing them and they were coming on a regular basis. They dropped down to 12 minutes and then 10, although they lost some of the intensity. With the weather being as awful as it was yesterday I went ahead and called the doctor because I was having back labor too and the contractions were lasting about 5-6 minutes a piece...(the ones that reached around to my back anyway). He still said to wait until they were 5 minutes apart. So we waited and after I hung up the phone with him they dropped to 8 minutes and then 6 minutes so we loaded up and headed to the hospital thinking we could hang out in the waiting room if we needed to but that way we weren't on the side of the road somewhere. So we get there and they hook me up and they are almost exactly 5 minutes apart and then dropped to 4. Although I wasn't having them as strong as before. So we waited for about an hour and then she called the doctor. She had me get up and walk around our floor for an hour to see if we could produce some results because even though they were very regular I wasn't dilating anymore. (still between 2-3) So we walked and walked.

She checked me again and everything was still the same. So she hooked me back up to monitor the contractions...they had dropped to 3 minutes apart consistently, although again, nothing too strong. I switched positions a few times trying to get comfortable enough to sleep and when I was laying on my side the contraction monitor could barely pick up the contractions (that is how NOT strong they were). So I asked the nurse to check me one more time and said if there was no more change we would just go home so we could get a good nights sleep in our own beds. We finally got home and in bed about 12:30 and I continued to have contractions but was able to fall asleep. I woke up this morning about 9 to go to the bathroom. When I was headed back to lay down I had a contraction that paralyzed me. I couldn't move and it wrapped around to my back. I've had several of the smaller ones since and one more large one but they still aren't strong enough to send us back to the hospital...I do feel like we are getting closer though...although our nurse last night said it could be my body preparing and these smaller contractions could last another week or so! YIKES!!!

39 Weeks

So tomorrow is 39 weeks, yes I'm a day early. I went to the doctor and I'm now dilated to "almost a three."

Click here, here and here to read what happens at 39 weeks.

Here is a picture of Jessica after school today doing her homework. She's growing up so quickly. Her reading is improving daily and it still amazes us some of the words she can sound out on her own!

And last, here is a picture of George from last night...I wish you could all experience the lovely smells he puts off when he's this relaxed, we shouldn't be the only ones who suffer - I mean - get to enjoy him so often.

Spring Break is coming to an end...

Jessica starts back to school tomorrow. She had a great week; she learned to ride her bike, she went bowling, and her reading has improved even more.

I can definitely tell I'm in the home stretch with Jett, I'm absolutely miserable at night and hardly getting any sleep. I am only comfortable for about 30-45 minutes before I have to change positions which usually results in having to make a trip to the restroom as well. Not to mention my now almost nightly insomnia between 3:30 or 4:00 am until about 6:00 or 6:30 am. That's been a real treat! I do believe that will be part of our normal routine once Jett gets here though because he's up and active during that time as well.

Other than that nothing new to update. I go back to the doctor on Tuesday and I'm scheduled to be induced on March 30th if he's not here yet. I'm praying he comes on his own before that though!

Social Suppers

Last night I went to Social Suppers with Chelsea, I have wanted to go to a place like this for a while now but never made the time to do it. I think this is a WONDERFUL idea and it was so nice to just put the meals together and leave the mess for them to clean up! The prices were pretty comparable to what it would cost to make them at home and MUCH cheaper than what it would cost to go out to dinner. My freezer is now stocked up with a few meals that can be easily prepared when we get home with Jett. I plan to make a trip to the store this afternoon and get stuff to make lasagna and a few other dishes to add to our "freezer stock" as well.

Thank you to Chelsea for bringing me with her last night and also for the meal she put together for us!

38 Weeks

We went to the doctor yesterday afternoon and we've made a little more progress. I'm now 2 cm dilated and still 80% effaced. She informed me "his head is way down there" as if I was unaware of this little gem of information LOL. Gee thanks doc, I hadn't noticed!

Click here, here and here to read how Jett and I are growing and changing this week.

I think Kevin is starting to grow more impatient than I am at this point, he's so anxious to get this little guy here! My mood has improved with the nice weather and being able to get outside and enjoy the sun and fresh air, I'm still VERY ready for Jett to make his appearance but I've been trying to go back to the mind set that it could still be another two weeks instead of any minute.

Jessica

She is just so gorgeous (I might be a bit biased) and overflowing with personality. She is getting smarter by the minute! She has such a loving heart and is a great helper and friend-it is so cute watching her help the younger kids in our neighborhood when they are out playing or hearing the good reports from her teachers at school.

She is so excited to be a big sister and gives my belly hugs and kisses at night and before she leaves. When she walks down the hallway she peeks into Jett's room, like she is making sure everything is still ready for him. She's just as anxious as the rest of us for him to get here.

We found a video of her this week from her 3rd birthday and it is amazing to see how much she's grown and changed in the past 3 1/2 - 4 years. Seeing the old videos is such a reminder of how quickly they grow and change and how important it is to treasure and capture more every day moments, not just the big milestones. So I have made a new resolution to get the video camera out more and capture the daily moments on video, it is so fun seeing her on the other videos we have and I wish we had more that captured her over the past few years.

37 weeks 2 days

Well Wednesday evening when Kevin and I were watching TV, Jett got very active for a few minutes and we could actually see him trying to turn or move in my stomach. My right side sunk way down and my left side went way up, after a few minutes it returned to normal and he got really calm. All day Thursday I had to massage and rub my belly to get him to move and last night in the middle of the night I woke up several times in a panic and had to massage my belly to get him to kick so I could put my mind at ease and go back to bed. So I called the nurse this morning to ask if this was normal or if he was just saving his energy if he was ready to come out or something. She told me that we needed to come in for a BPP (ultrasound) since I was experiencing decreased fetal movement. So we went in and he passed with flying colors, the sonogram tech said that he's just out of room and in the last few weeks the amniotic fluid levels decrease so it isn't as easy to feel all the little movements as it once was. So we got to see our little man on the sonogram and his heart was beating fine and his lungs were working great. We didn't actually see the doctor so I don't have any updates on progress as far as dilation or effacing. After our appointment we went and had lunch (spicy buffalo wings & fiesta lime chicken) and then went and walked laps around the mall. I was walking my heart out as fast as I possibly could. Then when we got home I went for another walk around our neighborhood and then stopped at our neighbors to visit for a little bit. Before I came home I borrowed her elliptical machine, that didn't last very long, that thing kicked my butt!!! So yes, I'm still pregnant. And yes, I'm very annoyed that our doctor told us it could be any day now because I was prepared to go full term and just had hopes he would be a few weeks early but when she said it could be any day now....well now each day that passes just makes me feel like we are OVER our due date and it makes it 10x harder!

37 Weeks and 1 day

Before we went walking today Kevin took my 37 week photo, here is my very first photo and the most recent:

37 weeks: Fully cooked!!!

We made it! Since I just posted an update yesterday I don't have too much to comment on, I am having HORRIBLE back pain and lots and lots of pressure, contractions are still present and I am noticing more and more of them but they still aren't anything to time yet. I was so miserable last night, just couldn't get comfortable, and with the news from the doctor yesterday I thought for sure I'd wake up in the middle of the night with stronger contractions. Jessica predicted a few weeks ago that Jett would be born on March 12th...wonder if she'll be right?

Click here, here and here to find out what is going on with Jett this week.

Yesterday Kevin and I (mostly Kevin) went through the house and put batteries in all of Jett's fun toys. His swing, monitor, pack n play, etc are all ready to go! We also put a family effort into getting the house ready for Jett's arrival and cleaned and vacuumed everything...now we are back to waiting!

Update: Doctor Appointment

We went to the doctor today for our weekly check up, she told me that I was still only dilated to a one but I am now 80% effaced. She said she could tell that he had moved way down and she could also tell that my water was about to burst. She said that there was no way we were going to make it another three weeks. So we are still playing the waiting game but it looks as though we are getting closer!

Days or Weeks? It's anyone's guess

Friday night I had dinner with Amy & Jason and then Amy and I went shopping for a little while. While we were walking around I started to have some contractions. I went home and drank my water and took my Tylenol and fell asleep. Woke up Saturday and had some running around to do so I set off, I continued to have contractions all day but nothing strong enough to do anything. By the end of the day though they were very consistent but still not painful, just still uncomfortable. I went ahead and called the doctor and he said to go in and get checked just to be sure. So Saturday night we spent the evening at the hospital hooked up to monitors. They ended up telling me that the reason I was having the contractions was because I had "moderate key tones" which means I was slightly dehydrated. So we came home and Sunday when I woke up I was feeling crampy and achy and like he had dropped significantly cause there was so much pressure. I ended up passing the "plug" on Sunday morning and even with the gallons of water I drank I still continued to have contractions. My back has been hurting a lot all day yesterday and I'm still crampy/achy off and on. I really thought we would be heading to the hospital last night but we are still here this morning. Just wanted to give you all an update. Hopefully the next update will include a picture of our little man!

Dr Appt - Making Progress!

Went to the doctor for my regular weekly visit and got some good news! I'm starting to dilate and while I am very much aware I could walk around for several weeks dilated to a one it was still GREAT to hear that we are making progress! He needs to hang tight until the 17th when all of Kevin's shows are over for a while but he can keep progressing in the mean time! He's still a few days shy of full term so while I'm eager to get him here I'm happy to keep him safe and sound for a few more days, but I am REALLY excited that we are making progress! I didn't start to dilate with Jess until I was in full blown labor so this was a great pick me up!

Basketball Star

Jessica had a play date after school today and the girls had a great time playing basketball. It was so nice this afternoon, I wish the weather would last and it wouldn't get cold again!

36 Weeks: Nesting or Necessity?

36 weeks down! For the past week (or longer) I have had zero energy or ambition to get anything done around our house, I've been tired when I wake up, tired all day and tired when I go to bed. Seems the only thing I've been doing is waddling back and forth to the bathroom every few minutes. However, yesterday I decided to clean a little. Once I started I couldn't stop though! I scrubed our kitchen table and chairs, cleaned and organized our tupperware cabinet, scrubbed all the light switches and door handles, dusted, even got out the leather cleaner and cleaned the ottoman and hamper and polished Kevin's shoes, vacuumed and even edged and cleaned all the stairs.

My husband told me last night that he's not sure if I'm really anxious to meet Jett or just anxious to not be pregnant anymore (cause I've been complaining about being pregnant). Yes I know he was joking (kind of lol) when he said that, but I have been focusing more on the heartburn, trips to the bathroom, uncomfortableness, and the fact that my legs are feeling more and more like a wishbone. I am super excited to hold our little guy in my arms and see what he looks like and smell that sweet baby smell. I'm so anxious to feel his little fingers wrapped around mine and feel the feeling of my heart about to swell out of my chest. I've never been a patient person so for me it is easier to focus on the "misery" now instead of on the excitement and beautiful little boy I know we still have to wait for, when I think about him and picture us holding him for the first time I get teary eyed and even more anxious for him to get here. So for now, I'm going to keep focusing on the trips to the bathroom and the molten lava like feel of the acid reflux in my throat, and in between times I'll enjoy the little rolls and kicks of Jett in my tummy and know that it will all be worth it in a few weeks!

Click here, here and here to see how he's doing this week. I have a dr appointment on Friday, I'll update you again after that!

The girls before church

Jett's Dresser

Papa is making Jett's dresser for him. Here is a picture of it before it has been painted...

It is going to be all white with shelves in the hutch at the top. We are so excited Papa is making this for him and it will be something he'll have forever. It was sent to get painted this week so after that is finished and the handles are put on I think we can get it into his room! I'll post another picture when it is all set up in his room.

I guess there are some perks to getting snow...

Yesterday Jessica was SUPER excited to get out and play in the snow. We went over to Kevin's sisters house and Layne and Jessica got all bundled up to go sledding.


They had a blast even though it was FREEZING outside and still snowing. Pops even got in on the fun!