Lanaya Rose

 She's here!

If you want the whole story, read along.  If you're not into that, feel free to just enjoy the photos.

Here she is in all her brand new newborn glory!

So, I had on-again-off-again labor for a few days, keeping us all on pins and needles.  Especially, when my mom's flight got delayed and it looked like Lanaya wasn't going to wait!

But, wait she did.  We were able to finish up the kids' final swim lesson and even  have a day to work on some projects and final preparations.  And for me to finally lose my serene patience and get frustrated that she wasn't here already!  But then, Friday night, things started moving along and I could tell it was finally going to keep up until she did arrive.

If you look closely, you can see that the machine says 7 lbs. 10 oz.

I slept as much as I could, then finally got up early and took a shower (the last one I'd be able to do without having to listen for a baby crying!) and got ready.  All the while, using the hypnobabies technique I'd been practicing for the past couple of months.  Every time a pressure wave (in hypnobabies that's what you call contractions) hit, I would remind myself that it was simply a feeling of pressure (not pain) and that it was bringing me closer to my baby.

I thought I was totally rocking this technique.  Normally, I kind of freak out with each "pressure wave", but this time I really was  quite serene and at peace.

Finally, I woke Blake up a little after 6 AM and told him it was time to go.

The night before we had talked about going to the Farmer's Market to get donuts if I was not yet in my active birthing time (a.k.a. labor).  So, when I told Blake it was time to go, he rolled over, looked at the clock, and told me it was too early.  The Farmer's Market doesn't open until 8 AM.

I patiently told him that I wasn't talking about going to get donuts.  And apparently, I seemed too calm because I then spent the next 5 minutes explaining to him that yes, my pressure waves were coming every 5 to 15 minutes and this was the real deal.  And finally, I just had to say, "You're bugging me!" and he realized it was in fact, time to go.  We had agreed weeks prior that we would head to the hospital early, so I would have time to get settled and it wouldn't be the mad rush the last two had been where I got there by the time I was dilated to a 7 and pretty much had to just hop on the bed and start pushing right away.

This photo shows just how battered this little one looked right after birth.  Poor thing!

As we headed outside, we were greeted by a gorgeous sunrise and chirping birds.  I remember thinking it was such a perfect morning to have a baby.  There was even a rainbow as we were arriving at the hospital.

When we got there, they sent me to the triage to make sure I was truly in my birthing time.  This was not a surprise to me because the hypnobabies training had said that no one would believe that it was my birthing time because I would be too calm and happy.

But then, everything stopped.  I had a few minor pressure waves.  And a couple not so minor.  But really, nothing was happening.  Blake told the nurses I was doing hypnobabies and they really could not have cared less.  Or, been less supportive.

So, when the nurse came back after about an hour of this and asked if I wanted to stay, or go home, I immediately said go home.  She seemed surprised.  Why on earth would I want to stay strapped to a bed and monitors when I could be doing anything else?

And, of course, on our way out to the car, I had three pretty intense pressure waves.  But I was mad and disappointed and wanted to get as far away from that nurse as possible.

So, naturally, we headed to the Farmer's Market.  Unfortunately, by the time I got there, the nausea I'd been feeling off and on all morning was back in full swing and the doughnuts I'd been craving didn't look so tasty.  So, we headed over to our CSA and picked out the week's veggies, then bought some eggs.  All the while, I was having pressure waves and really struggling to even remotely convince myself that they were only sensations of pressure and not pain.

I was still pretty mad.

This was my birthing time and absolutely nothing was going the way I'd envisioned it.

On the way home, we stopped and picked up some donuts and snacks from the grocery store.  I was still having pretty frequent and intense pressure waves and I'm sure someone somewhere is talking about the crazy pregnant lady they saw squatting in the bulk foods section last week as yet another powerful wave hit.

The kids were disappointed to have me home without a baby, but the donuts helped.  Blake went back to bed (all morning he'd been complaining of how tired he was and that he could have used a couple more hours of sleep.  You can guess how that affected my already mad mood) and I told my mom all about the frustrating morning.

The sunrise, chirping birds, and rainbow were completely forgotten.

And I never really did get back into the "hypno" mode.  Instead, I just kept talking to my mom and tried to stay distracted as each wave hit.  This worked pretty well for a couple of hours.  And then I could tell it was time to go.  And this time it really was.

So, I woke Blake up.  No arguments this time.  And then waited for him to get ready.  And then it was like a switch flipped and it was past time to go.  So, we hurried out to the car and headed on our way.  I strapped on my ipod and listened to the various tracks coaching me through my "easy first stage" and tried really hard to only feel pressure.  I think it worked a little for the drive over.

I love that Blake captured her looking right into my eyes here.  I was so happy to meet and hold our baby girl at last!

Blake got us to the hospital in record time.  I had to wait out a pressure wave in the parking lot and Blake didn't think I'd be able to make it to the labor and delivery floor, so he questioned the nearest hospital employee about a wheelchair.  That guy took off running down the hall in spite of my protests that I didn't want a wheelchair.  But, I was mostly trying to stay focused inside my head on the hypnosis, so when he brought it back and Blake put me in it, I didn't protest.

Sitting straight up on a stiff wheelchair is a most uncomfortable position during pressure waves.

But, it did get us to the labor and delivery floor much quicker.  And this time, they skipped the triage unit and sent me straight back.  We were disappointed to learn that both rooms with the bath tub were full, so I told Blake to start pumping up the birthing ball as soon as we got into the room.

He went to work furiously, all the while fielding questions from hospital staff, so I could focus on trying to get into a self-hypnosis.  Of course, by the time he got it pumped up, they checked me and guess what I was dilated too--a 6/7.  So, I never touched it.

Then my least favorite nurse from the morning came in and informed us that my doctor was out of town at a wedding shower and wouldn't make it back in time for the birth.

I was so sad.  And I really was hating on this nurse right then.

And to make things even worse, they were struggling to get an IV port in my rolling veins.  So, Nasty Nurse took over and was so incredibly rough and forceful!  For days after delivering my biggest complaint was the bruises all over my hands and wrists.  The one where she finally got it to work is still quite painful and traumatized.  My whole hand and wrist hurt every time I move them!

Then, they told me they needed a blood sample.  It was the same guy who'd grabbed us the wheelchair downstairs.  He probably thinks I'm a very nasty person, because I wasn't very polite to him as he tried to stick me right as a pressure wave hit.

Anyway, I'll spare you all the gory details of the next few minutes and sum things up this way:  They told me I couldn't push because the doctor wasn't there yet and there was still a tiny bit of my cervix in the way.  Fortunately, my mom had told me that morning that she always ignored this instruction and pushed anyway.  So, I did too.  And laughed inwardly as the nurses would praise me each time for being so good and not pushing during each pressure wave.

Then, just as the doctor got there, I felt that I'd had enough, couldn't remember why I'd wanted to do this naturally, and asked for any kind of pain relief.  But, it wasn't to be had.  The baby was too close and it would go straight to her at this point.

I cried and said this wasn't how I'd wanted things to be and that I'd wanted to be calm when I gave birth.  They all quickly reassured me that I was calm.  I'm pretty sure that they reassure all women of whatever it is they wish.  If I'd said I wanted to look like a supermodel at my birthing time, they would have just as quickly and confidently told me I looked like a supermodel.  But still, it was nice to hear that maybe I wasn't as hysterical as I felt.

The doctor told me that we could make this work if I would roll onto my back and give it a good push. So, I said a quick and fervent prayer that I could focus and do what I needed to do.

And I did.  Two pushes later, and my baby was in my arms.  I have never pushed for less than 30 minutes before finally getting to hold my baby.  Blake and I were both amazed.  And it turns out that she was born about 33 minutes after we arrived at the hospital.  That's a record, even for me.  So much for getting there in time to get settled in!

And I could not have been happier.  I held her for a long while and tried to ignore all the rest of what was going on.  And I felt so great!

He could take a cue from my nurse.  One of the first things my labor and delivery nurse said to me after giving birth (not the Nasty Nurse, but a very likable nurse) was, "I love your hair!  It's so cute!"  Not a bad thing to hear right after giving birth.

Loving her first bath

This displays some of my favorite bits about a newborn--the super soft hair right at the base of the head, the wrinkly skin on the back and shoulders, and just the precious smallness of them!

Eventually, I let them take her briefly to clean her up, weigh her, and all that fun stuff.  Stats time:  Lanaya Rose, born at 2:31 PM, 7 lbs. 10 oz. and 20 inches.

And perfect in every way.

Even though one of the first things her daddy told her was that she had "Wrestler's ear".  They were a bit mangled.  And actually, are still kind of unfolding even now, a week later.

Eventually, we were taken to our recovery room and my Kind nurse even took the IV port out a little early because it was causing me so much pain.  We took Lanaya down to the nursery to get her first bath and then my mom showed up with the kids.

These two were thrilled, to say the least.

It was love at first sight as they met their new baby sister.

And they still can't get enough of holding her.  I love it!

Grandma's turn.  Isn't my mom beautiful?

Trey stayed quite uncertain.  He pretty much ignored me and the baby.  I knew that was a likely possibility and for the most part, was okay with it.

Here we are!  This is our family.  I love it.

Water

It's amazing how much fun a little water can create.

Our slip n' slide bit the dust last weekend, so we picked out a new one.

And this crazy wiggly hose attachment as well.

They all had a blast running around in it.

We were hoping to help water the dry grass, but it was so intense, I think it did a better job of washing the sides of our house and the neighbors house.

Love this cute little smile.

Check out the mid-stride-cheek-jiggle.  So cute.

Kayli and Bryce have also been doing swim lessons the past few weeks.  We signed them up for the private lessons since we'd be allowed to reschedule those if Baby Girl came before we finished.

But we just finished them up this week, thank goodness.

A little blurry, but I think she looks so cute in this photo.

Remember when you had no qualms, or issues about getting photographed in your bathing suit?

Oh, my goofy little adorable boy.

We love him so.

They both made excellent progress in their lessons.  Kayli can swim all four strokes well enough that she qualifies for the swim team!  Of course, she tells me that "doggie paddle" is still her favorite.  I'm not even counting that as one of the four different types of strokes.

Bryce is not quite as far along, but can swim all the way across the pool doing both front crawl and backstroke.  Not too shabby.

And I should have taken a picture of this sooner, but here's Trey's latest escapade as a youngest child.  We were eating dinner at some friends' house.  They had an old school, rickety metal fire truck ride on toy.  Kayli and Bryce decided it would be excellent to push him down the hill in it.  And apparently, the second time, it flipped over.  The other dad saw it and said it could have been a lot worse, so we'll thank his guardian angel that he just wound up with a really bad scrape (mostly gone in this photo because he's been picking at the scab every day, telling me, "I have boogers!") and that lovely shiner.

Aren't his eyes still amazingly beautiful though?

Birthday Daddy

Blake had a birthday.

He was still a little under the weather and the poor man looks so tired in all of his birthday photos.  But he had to pose for the traditional "birthday breakfast with a candle".

And because I was really quite pleased that I happened to have the ingredients for his favorite breakfast on hand when he announced that he was going into work late so he could stay home and have breakfast with us.

Of course, when your favorite breakfast is sliced peaches and bananas, that's not too big of a challenge.

And here lie the ingredients for the evening celebration.

Lots of really great presents.

Pictures from the kids.  Look at his enthusiastic face.  He's such a good dad.

See above.  I love that I caught this moment.

Trey had fun building a tower with all of his great presents.

Don't look too closely.  You'll see that they were actually quite unimpressive and boring.  Oatmeal, anyone?

But, that was just so I could wrap something for him to open.  He got his real presents the following Saturday on a date with me.  Which, really, should be present enough for him, but I was feeling generous.  So, I bought him a gun.  A Remington Wingmaster 860.  Or something thereabouts.  And a cabinet, so I can sleep soundly without worrying about the kids getting into his guns.  And a case.  And a clay pigeon launcher.

All of this to support a hobby I'm not sure I really like.  I'm such a good wife.

This is the pie that I have made for Blake every year on his birthday.  Every year.  It's his mom's recipe for a fresh peach pie and it is delicious.  And, in case you couldn't tell from his breakfast, the man is a big fan of fruit.

I embellished it with raspberries doubling up as candle holders this year.  I'm so creative and festive.

And he's not turning 18.  That was all there was room for on the cake.

Good thing I didn't put as many as his real age would have required--look how smoky it was with just 18 candles!

I love the genuine excitement on their faces here.

It is a good pie.

And he's a good man.  Happy Birthday, Honey.  I love you.

Pregnancy Photo Lessons

I thought I'd try something a little different for my 8 1/2 month bump pics:

That's when I learned that the zoom made a big difference in how big my belly looks.  This is not my actual perspective.  My belly is not that huge in comparison to my feet.  Plus, you can hardly see my pretty toes.

My friend gave me a fabulous pedicure the day before these were taken.  And made my toes all sparkly.

And then I learned that it makes a big difference what angle my lens is pointing.  Too much focus on my belly is sort of a theme around here these days anyway.

And finally, I got one I was happy with.  This is about what I see when I look down.

But not for long...

Random June Happenings

Blake had a sick day.

The kids thought it was a great opportunity to climb on him.  He's so accommodating.

A few weeks back, I bought some flowers to plant on the previously barren side of our home.  The picture depicted bright pink pixie lilies.  I love lilies and I thought pink would be fun.

Then the plants put up some buds... and they looked yellow.

I was sad.  We are planning on planting yellow day lilies there later in the season and now I was going to have a big old flower bed full of just yellow lilies!

Imagine my surprise when I drove up to the house and noticed this on the side.

Not yellow, but a beautifully delicious orange.

It made me very happy.

As did our one final violin recital.

I know, we've had a pretty intense month of recitalings.  But with the skills my kiddos have, how can we not?

This one was in our home because it was just my two kiddos.  This is the only one who would pose for the camera, though.

Which is fine, because it was mainly her parade.

She finished the Suzuki Book 1 back in December, but has been practicing and polishing all of the songs (18, I think?) to perfection.  And then she played them all.  Accompanied by her fabulous instructor.  It was so impressive and excellent.

Bryce played all five of Dr. Suzuki's variations on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and then the theme itself.  Also impressive, but he's been able to do this for quite some time.

It was a really great night.  A huge thank you to their instructor for making sure this happened.  And I'm grateful that the timing worked out for it to happen while my parents were in town and to the few friends who were generous enough with their time to show up and support my kids.  It means a lot.

Play Ball!

Here's a ball game I never got tired of watching:

This brought back fun memories of this man teaching me how to hit, catch, and throw a ball.

Or, at least, he tried.

My parents came to visit the same day Uncle Chris left, so we only had a few hours to feel lonely and bored.  Thank goodness!

It seems that my kids might have a bit more natural ability than I.  And they absolutely love playing with their grandpa.

Then we took a little break for Trey to open a belated birthday gift.

A tractor and a "builddddding" truck.  He's obsessed with all things "buildddddding" because they are buildddddddding a house across the street and a new addition at our gym.

"Mama, dey builddddddding!"

He's developed a way of rolling his d's, much the way you roll the "r" in Spanish.  Impossible to imitate, but pretty funny to hear.

Then it was Grandma's turn.  Looks like she successfully managed to hit it off the T.  Good job, Grandma!

Rounding the bases

And I'm not sure if Bryce's triumphant cheer here was because Grandma made it home, or because he tagged her out.

I was busy taking pictures...

The Flamingo Stance really makes for effective hitting.

And the Hut, Hut, Hike stance is very beneficial to any outfielder.

We're very athletic over here.