2015 :: week 32

August 2

Sunday was the last full day Anthony and the kids spent at the cabin in Wisconsin. They posed for a few family pictures while everyone (but me) was there. There's always a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes for large group photos (coordinating outfits, wrangling kids, etc.).  This picture make me smile because I love the people in it and also because I can imagine the work that went in to making hit happen. Anthony and the kids left the cabin after dinner and stayed at a hotel in Minneapolis before making the rest of the drive home Monday.

August 3

The kids and Anthony arrived home just in time for dinner Monday evening. After we quickly ate some Creamy Chicken and Rice (one of their favorites because I missed them) we met my parents at the pool for an evening swim. After a long day in the car they had some energy to burn! And they loved showing off their swimming skills to Memaw and Pepaw.

August 4

The weather turned stormy quickly Tuesday afternoon. Anthony helped the kids build a fort with some couch cushions after dinner, and the fort kept them occupied for the rest of the night.

August 5

Thirty-nine weeks! I didn't really think that I would go into labor while Anthony and the kids were gone, but it was a relief to have them back and still be pregnant. At this point I was feeling very large (though not quite as large as I was with Will or Lauren) and easily worn out. It was taking me twice as long to get half as much work done and needing a "power nap" to get me through most afternoons.

August 6

While I was at a water aerobics class the kids told TJ that I had told them they could get ice cream (I have no recollection of telling them this). I had the car so they ended up walking to Chick-fil-A. I picked them up on the way home from class.

August 7

The closer we get to my due date the more sentimental I become. Not that I am not looking forward to having a new family member, but more a sense that life was going to change for all of us and there would be no going back. Friday was a busy day with doctor's appointments and van shopping. After dinner and one last evening swim we went to Hy-Vee, each picked out an individual ice cream, watched the Royals game, and picked up a few groceries. Because those are things we like to do (swim, ice cream, watch baseball) and that's what you do on your last Friday as a family of four.

August 8

Saturday we made our last trip to Bluejacket pool. Schools in the area start this next week which makes it hard to staff all the pools, so the city closes all but 2 of the outdoor pools. One of our favorite things about our neighborhood is the proximity of the pool.

Elliott

Elliott!!

Elliott Robert John

The dude has arrived! Elliott was born around 11:30, so the optimistic nurse was right. Carrie handled labor magnificently. Everything went quicker and smoother that other births. His cord was wrapped around his neck, and it had to be cut quick.

He is 7 lbs 8 oz and 20 inches long. He seems to have a giant mouth. Like all babies he looked like a gremlin at birth. He seems to look a bit like me, but maybe that will fade as he looks less and less like a gremlin.

But it was love at first sight. So happy that he is here and that he and Carrie are healthy.

Who's the Boss

And Carrie was not making it up, she is now dilated to an 8 and 100% effaced and the baby is at -1 position. She feels vindicated, showing this delivery WHO IS THE BOSS. But that progress, especially before the epidural, was very painful. Carrie is boss. The nurse optimistically guessed that the baby will be born by noon. Having witnessed our kids reticence to be born twice before, I remain skeptical. Stay tuned!

Less Pain

Carrie just got her epidural. She now can rest easier. She looks like she is getting ready to take a nap. Oh, except I can tell she just had a contraction because her face got tense. She is having consistent, strong contractions, but no one has checked her progress in awhile. When I find out about her progress, I will let you know.

Fast and Furious (come the contractions)

Carrie's pain has continued to increase, and she is handling the agony with grace. The anesthesiologist is on their way to give her an epidural. While my heart breaks a little every time she has to close her eyes and take deep breaths every few minutes, but she would rather get this over with than wait more. We can feel the thoughts and prayers on her and baby's behalf.

Sunny Side of the Womb

During her whole pregnancy Carrie has been having extra pain in her back compared to previous pregnancies. She told me that she thought this was because she was older than before (hahaha). Since her water broke her back pain has increased. The nurse told her that it is likely that the baby is "sunny side up", which would explain her back pain. That brings a little anxiety because of stories we have heard about painful births, but Carrie is much tougher than I am. Carrie is struggling to find the right position to deal with the pain, even trying resting on her hands and knees.

Hurry Up and Wait

We slept through the night alright, Carrie did not get very much uninterrupted sleep, but in her experience it was not an atypical night at the hospital.

I am considering going to eat breakfast, but I feel guilty about it. But Carrie needs me to be energized and fresh. Yeah. It is what Carrie needs. :)

We woke up this morning around 6 hopeful for more progress. Carrie was able to take a normal shower before setting up camp on the bed. Carrie has progressed to a 3 according to her OB who was doing rounds this morning. Dr. Proverbs broke Carrie's water, saying that there is no going back now. Going back was never our plan. Carrie, for the first time in her life, is experiencing contractions before being induced, so she still feels hopeful that things will progress faster than the previous two births.

The nurse is right now hooking her up to the petocin pump to start the induction. They will not start Carrie on the petocin until they have a 30 minute baseline with the baby this morning.

So the general feeling around here is: let's get this show on the road.

It Begins...

Carrie decided to start the induction process tonight during her last appointment with her doctor. An hour and a half ago we left the two John kiddos with Memaw and Pepaw, which they were excited about- Will for the Wii and Lauren for the candy. Thank you Laurence and Linda for watching the John monsters.

We are back at Shawnee Mission birthing center. They have Carrie hooked up to some monitors for her and the baby. We hoped that she would be farther along than she is, but none of our kids have come particularly fast.

So, tonight we sit and wait. Probably not going to be any exciting news until tomorrow, but I will put a note on facebook and on here if something unexpected occurs. We are just watching the Royals.

We have been joking with our kids for months that we will name the baby "Ned", "Salvador", "Moose", and "Cosmer"(Lauren's pronunciation of Hosmer). The Royals are an oddly large part of our family, and it is fitting that we will spend tonight just relaxing, watching the game, waiting.

It begins...

2015 :: week 31

July 26

I wasn't very excited about the kids and Anthony leaving Monday so I wanted to have a fun afternoon with them. We went on a walk and made a batch of chocolate chip cookies that they could take on the drive to Wisconsin with them.

July 27

Anthony and the kids left Monday morning for a week in Wisconsin with the John family. Anthony's family has been planning this family reunion since last summer and unfortunately I am too pregnant to travel this week. My heart broke a bit as they pulled out of the driveway. I have never been apart from either of the kids for a full week before and my pregnancy hormones were getting the best of me. They called me in Des Moines where they got lunch and then again when they got to Minneapolis (where they stayed that night) and by then I was feeling better.

July 28

Since I've spent more time at the pool this summer than I have in years I figured I should take at least one awesome 38-weeks-pregnant-pool-bathroom-mirror-selfie. It was weird going to the pool without the kids.



July 29

Will and Papa John playing baseball in Wisconsin. I'm going to try to get Anthony to do a post about the family reunion because although he and the kids told me lots of stories about what they did, a first hand account is the best way to tell a story.

July 30

Melanie and Leah came to town the day after Tony and the kids left. I joined them at the pool Thursday evening after a water aerobics class and we had a fun night. Leah is a little water baby and it was fun watching her laugh and splash around in the water.

July 31

Will playing on the playground with his cousins--Sadie and Elise.

August 1

It was my turn to teach Relief Society on Sunday so I spent time Saturday night literally cutting and pasting my lesson together. I probably wouldn't have to resort to this if we had a good word processor, but I'm too cheap to buy Microsoft Office for my computer and have to rely on free programs to put my stuff together.