Legends are Born in October

And as we had hoped, so was our baby girl, Alexis Leigh Shannon. She came on Halloween, of all days, so not only will our little pumpkin always have a fun birthday every year, she will share it with her uncle Ross. I'm thrilled to continue the tradition.

Since you all want details, here's how it went down:

Saturday night the 29th was a terrible night of sleep with cramping all night long, which up to that point was pretty typical for me. But then I woke up Sunday morning and noticed that the cramps weren't going away - they were getting worse. After about 30 minutes I noticed that they were about 10 minutes apart. For the first time all month they were regular, which could mean only one thing: real labor. Yay! Also, hurray for no induction! I'm so proud of my body for doing it's job!

I woke Sam to tell him that I didn't think we were going to be teaching a lesson at church today, because I was about 90% sure I was in labor. I took the morning to rest a bit and start timing them more, taking every opportunity between contractions to finish picking up the house, packing the bag, showering and even drying my hair. I have to say, at that point they weren't too painful and for awhile I thought that maybe labor wouldn't be so bad after all.What wishful thinking.

Around 4pm they were about 4-6 minutes apart, but as I mentioned still not that painful, and we hopefully jaunted off to the hospital while still in pretty good spirits. We were there about an hour and a half before they finally determined that I hadn't progressed AT ALL since my last prenatal appointment and sent us home. I was devastated thinking this might be a really really long labor. Ironically it was at the hospital that the contractions really started picking up and getting harder and harder to talk through. By the time we got home around 7 they were 3-5 minutes apart and right about the level they should be when most folks leave for the hospital. We were so afraid of being sent away again for lack of progress that we hung around until midnight, trying a warm shower, massage, different positions, anything to keep my mind off the increasing back labor.

We were back to the hospital at 12:30am, but this time the contractions were so bad in my back that it felt like someone was driving an industrial drill through it. I was near hyperventilating through them and it took several nurses and Sam by my side to remind me to breathe. My wonderful midwife evaluated me, and even though she was really hesitant to admit us since I had only progressed one more centimeter since the last time we had come, she felt that my pain was too much to be making my labor effective and that an epidural to help me rest through them and might actually speed things along. She was right. And so is everyone who's ever had one - they are a miracle.

It took until 3:30am to get it going, break my water, and get us settled, but from that point we were finally able to rest, and within 2 hours I was at 7cm. 2 hours later I was at a 9, and a 10 an hour after that. Thank heavens for modern medicine, because it really made the second half of labor a breeze.There was a 30 minute period in the last hour before we started pushing when the epidural wore off in one spot and my back was in intense pain again. It didn't quite fade all the way, which made pushing rather uncomfortable, so I was bound and determined to get her out quick.

After an hour of pushing, she was born and was immediately checked by a respiratory specialist since they had found some meconium in the amniotic fluid, but thankfully she was alright and didn't need any special treatment. I was so dizzy and tired after pushing that I was in sort of a trance and it felt a bit like an out of body experience, but it didn't change how amazing it was to bring her into the world. They placed her on my chest and I will never forget that moment of looking into her eyes for the first time. That and watching Sam hold her for the first time.

She's a good little chunk at almost 9 lbs. and was 20.5 inches long, but she's a wonderful eater and breastfeeding has been second nature for her since the moment she was born. We're both recovering well and adjusting to this new life as the three of us.We are so blessed. I am so in love with my little family.

 Just minutes old.

 Daddy's little girl

 Mommy and Alexis

We love our little "Eskimo Baby"

Bundled up and getting ready to go home

 More pictures and adorable videos to come. . . once I get a spare moment. ;)

The Big 4-0

Hi there. Yep, still here. But not for long! Thank heavens for long tests at the doctor to let me hear and see my little one, and to post her eviction notice. Non-stress test and growth ultrasound were in order today. Blood pressure is still high, but not surprising after a month of mild contractions. We're both doing great, though, and baby girl is going to be a tall one! 98% percentile for her length. No wonder her little feet haven't moved from my side for months, they're too long to fit anymore!

So if I'm not in labor by this weekend, I'll go back for more tests on Monday (Halloween!) and have a firm induction date of Nov. 2nd. Still hoping for an October birthday, but we'll see how stubborn she decides to be.

In classy Myspace self-portrait style, here's our last shot together as one entity.

 6 days or less until we can hold her in our arms. Hurry out, little baby! We can't wait to meet you!

Still Waiting

Sorry my posts are kind of one-note these days. You know that feeling when you've run out of excitement? How you spend so much energy anticipating Christmas coming all year that by Christmas Eve you're sort of spent and almost numb to the reality of it? I think I'm at that point. I feel like it's never going to end at that I might as well give up being excited too, because I just don't have the energy for it anymore. It's a weird feeling. 

I think it goes without saying that there's still nothing to report. I had some pretty painful contractions off and on last week, but they've mostly subsided now. Why things would slow down at this point is beyond me. I'm still measuring ahead and on track for an Oct. 22nd due date, but I'm still in the record books as Oct. 29th, meaning that if she's stubborn and doesn't want to come, I wouldn't be induced for another 3 WEEKS!! Oh boy. On the agenda this week: get in 20 hours of work, finish her costume, and walk as far as my little swollen feet will allow me. Anyone know where I can get my hands on some castor oil?

Daddy's Girl

I love when Sam says things to me like, "I hope you're ok with no longer being the only girl in my life."

Or when he goes first to my tummy instead of hugging all of me so he can love on his little girl.

Or when he whispers sweet little things to her in French that I don't fully understand.

Or how excited he gets to hold her, to fuss over her, and to have her here.

I've never been so happy to be replaced. :)

Home-Body & Halloween Stuff

So this week began my "Maternity Leave" or my first few days transitioning to work outside the office. I plan to continue working from home until my due date and then pick it back up at least part time once the baby comes. It's amazing that it has worked out in such a way that I can work from home. I am extremely grateful for my co-workers, modern technology, and God's hand for this.

It feels good to be needed, but it does make me feel guilty for leaving. I know that's silly, I'm pregnant, like due in a week and half pregnant, but it's hard to shake that lazy feeling since full-time work has been my life for the last almost two years.

All this being said, I'm so grateful that my to-do list is basically a to-done list, and aside from work, my days consist of keeping the house VERY clean, actually making homemade dinners again, getting some walking in, some reading in, and working on some fun crafty stuff that I never seemed to have the time for until now. It's pretty nice, I'm not going to lie. Some projects I'm working on:

- Alexis' Halloween costume. More on that this week. Just you wait....
- Finding a Lumina pumpkin to paint (or just a regular pumpkin painted white). I'm digging the spiderweb pumpkin that looks like it could be done with a permanent marker.

 - Making one of these. Looks pretty easy and I'm game for any simple Halloween decor.

 - Hanging rope spiderweb on the back deck.

The biggest thing on the agenda: being patient. I'm now officially full-term by whichever due date you go by. I've been in sort of a false labor for over a week now and have progressed a lot as of my last appointment. The same will probably be true this week. I just wonder how long this can go on before the real thing hits.

et viola - 38.5 weeks. Could I get any bigger? (Please don't answer that)

 

Nesting

I can't say that lately I've had the ridiculous urge to clean and organize my house....because I ALWAYS have the ridiculous urge to clean and organize my house. I'm kind of a freak about it. if I went through a pregnancy version of it at any point, I didn't notice.

But the last few days I've definitely been feeling a mental nesting, if you will. Like a sort of urgency make sure everything on my to-do list is ready and that all my plans are in place before time runs out:

- pre-register at the hospital
- make sure all my office work is moved to my home computer and all maternity leave assignments have been delegated and reviewed
- decorate for Halloween
- get my manicure and pedicure scheduled for this week (so excited!!)
- go on a nice date with Sam
- have at least a few days at home sans work to read, rest up, go for walks, do a final deep cleaning of the apartment, etc. 

I think if she wanted to come next week or later, I would be totally fine. That would give me a few days grace period to accomplish all the above. But strange as it sounds this far along, I hope it's not sooner. What am I saying?? Watch me go into labor tonight.... or not.

What a Weekend

I love to see the temple, I'm definitely going here someday.

When this happened, it was evident to me that the Provo Tabernacle was a sacred and special place. I can't wait to see it as Provo's SECOND temple. Tears accompanied this announcement, you can be sure.

Some other highlights from General Conference:

- I shouldn't feel ashamed or guilty about starting our family before we have a house, a solid career, or other "prerequisites" that the world tells me we need, because I remember now why I felt like this was the right thing for us. We're making a righteous choice and it's ok that we don't have a "fancy nursery or a designer crib" as Elder Andersen put it so well. Even the Savior himself came into the world in a lowly stable. Little Alexis will start with more than that. She will of course have all her needs met, an eternal family to be welcomed into, and all the love in the world. Really, what else matters?

- Being busy does not necessarily equate to being productive. Am I spending my precious time (that I seem to use up so quickly every day) on that which matters most? Food for thought.

-  "It's better to look up." - President Monson. What a clever, eternally cheerful, and inspired man to give us all such great advice when we want to hang our heads.

Really, I just loved all of it. Can't wait for more tomorrow. Conference, fall coming, baby coming. Seriously, could October be a better month?!