A HUGE Thank You!

I want to send out a HUGE thank you to our neighbors, Matt and Mallory!

They are the BEST! We are so lucky to have them as friends! They were such huge lifesavers when I went into labor with Cole. They watched Anden for us while we were in the hospital. Anden always has so much fun with Matt and Mallory! Oh and thank you Doc, for guarding Anden while he slept! I don't know what we would have done with out ya'll!

I also want to thank Mallory for taking such beautiful pictures of my family! These are pictures I will cherish forever!





Thank you so much!

Hi Friends!

I am still alive! We are going on our 3rd week of visitors! Sorry I have not been able to leave comments like I want to. Please know that I am reading when I get a few minutes. Much love to you all and I plan to start posting again very soon!

Cole's Birth Story!

Please excuse all the typos! I am doing well by just getting this up! I have been writing it all morning. :)

On Friday, I went to my 38 week appointment and was 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. I knew it could be any day or Cole could take his time and actually make it to my induction on the 8th.

On Sat, I woke up feeling pretty good. I had a few contractions that morning but it was one here and there. Nothing regular. About 11:00am, I was doing some laundry and went to bend over to get some clothes out of the dryer and it really hurt to bend over. So I called Joe to help and told him what was going on. It felt like a period cramp. I had been having lots of braxton hicks but they were all in the top part of my stomach and this pain was in my pelvic area. I decided to go ahead and jump in the shower to see if it would go away. The pain continued while I was in the shower and I had to get out and sit down. While I was sitting, I noticed the pain got strong again. Kinda like it was coming in waves. I told Joe to start to time these pains to see if they were regular. I really did not think they were contractions. They felt so low and more like a cramp or maybe even gas pains. I did not feel any pain in my stomach at all. Joe began to time them and they were coming regularly at 2 mins apart. I asked Joe if he could put a call into the Dr while I got dressed. As I was getting dressed I thought I felt a small trickle of water and wondered if my water had broke but I was not 100% sure. I told Joe and we both started to get anxious. I began to think that this was it. The on call answering service told us that the Dr would get back with me within 30 mins, but I decided we should start making our way to the hospital.

When we got to the hospital (about 12pm) the nurse checked me I was 3 cm dilated and he then checked to see if my water had broken and he said, "Well how does June 2nd sound for a birthday?" Joe and I smiled at each other and said it sounded good! We soon got settled into the labor and delivery room at about 12:30 pm.

By then the contraction pains were starting to get harder and harder. I told the nurse that I wanted to get the epidural for pain management and I needed it as soon as I hit 4 cm because my first labor went so fast. I don't think they took me to seriously. The nurse told me I needed 2 bags of iv in me before they could administer the epidural and he would get that and the blood work going as soon as possible. I got my 1st bag of fluid at about 2:10. Everything from here on out was a blur because I was in so much pain. I am having to rely on Joe. LOL! At this point I was having to breathe through each contraction to get through them. The Dr came in to check on me at about 2:45. He said that they kept loosing the baby's heart rate on the monitor so he was going to put an internal monitor on the baby's head. While he was doing that he checked me and said I was at 4 cm dilated and he would go ahead and order the epideral but he said that it would probably make my contraction fizzle out and he would then start me on pitocin. As he was putting the monitor in and checking he must have finished breaking my bag of waters because I felt a big gush and felt Cole slide down lower.

At about 3:20 I began to feel some slight pressure and told my new nurse. She told me that she was not going to check me until after I got my epidural because she felt like I was way too close to complete and she was nervous that they would not even give it to me at this point. She said she was upset at the Dr for breaking my water before he gave me the epidural. She told me if I ever had another baby to DEMAND the epidural because of my history of fast labors. I told her I had no idea that was what he was doing. I really liked her. She said she was pushing to get the epidural STAT!

4pm the anesthetist came in! He worked as fast as he could. My legs started to feel warm and tingly very quick but I was still having the same pains. It did not help at all. He then gave me an extra shot into my iv. Still was not working. The nurse checked me and I was an 8. He waited about 10 mins and came back in. The nurse asked if he could give me one more extra shot and he looked a bit nervous and told me it might make my blood pressure drop but he wanted to try to make me as comfortable as he could. Still did not work. I was panicking at this point. I had no idea how I was going to push on top of all of the pain. It was really unbearable. The worst pain I have ever felt in my life. My blood pressure never did drop. Epidural never worked!

The nurse checked me about 5 mins later at about 4:20 and I was a 9 and she told me the next contraction I needed to begin pushing. She said it might actually help with the pain. While it helped a bit it was still so painful. She said not to push on the next contraction and hopefully that would help the baby move the rest of the way down. I tried but I just could not do it. The urge to push was just too great. She called the Dr in and everyone started to get set up. It would be very soon. As I was pushing the Dr noticed that Cole's heart rate dropped dramatically during every contraction. I remember hearing him yell for the nurse to get the NICU team in with a vacuum to help get the baby out. A few mins later I remember hearing him yell louder that they were not coming fast enough and they needed to get in there ASAP! Finally a team of nurses showed up and the Dr used the vacuum to get Cole out. He had his cord wrapped around his neck really tight. He let out a small cry and then stopped. It took a few seconds to get him to cry again but as soon as he did he just cried and cried.

He was born at 5:03pm. His apgar scores were both 9s. He was 7 lbs 9 oz and 21 1/2 inches. He is doing well and such a content baby.

Welcome to the world, Baby Cole!

Cole Alexander

06/02/2007

5:03pm

7lbs 9oz 21 1/2 inches

I will post the birth story as soon as I can! We are home and doing GREAT!

38 Week Update!

2 cm and 50% effaced! 7 more days unless Mr. C decides to come on his own!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Hot Ham and Cheese Croissants and fruit
Tuesday - Crockpot Roast Beef w/ potatoes and veggies
Wednesday - Leftovers or Chicken tostadas, mexican rice and beans (Didn't have last week)
Thursday - Chili
Friday - Cubed Steaks, mashed potatoes and veggies
Saturday - Crockpot Cheesy Chicken (recipe below), rice and veggies
Sunday - Pizza (??)

Cheesy Chicken
1 can Chedder Cheese Soup (do not add water)
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup (do not add water)
Chicken Breasts (I usually use the Tyson frozen chicken that comes in a bag.)

Let cook on slow in crockpot for about 7-8 hrs or until chicken is white inside. Serve over rice or egg noodles. I usually make the california mix of veggies (broccoli, califlower & carrots) and pour the cheese from the crockpot on the veggies. YUM!

For more menu plan recipes and ideas, visit Laura at I'm An Organizing Junkie!

37 Week Appt Update!

After being high and closed last week, I am now 1cm and very soft. Just very busy getting ready and trying to get all the last min details done! Won't be long! :)

Menu Plan Monday!

Monday - Baked potato & Salad

Tuesday - Eating out. Busy night.

Wednesday - Joe's Famous Breakfast Tacos

Thursday - Chicken Tostadas, mexican rice and refried beans

Friday - Porkchops, potatoes and veggies

Saturday - Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches (recipe below), fries & beans

Sunday - Leftovers

Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2 1/2 lb pork roast

1 - 14oz bottle of your fav bbq sauce

1 tsp brown sugar

1 Tbs lemon juice

1 medium onion, chopped

8 hamburger buns or hard rolls

Place the pork roast in crock pot. Cover, cook on low 10-12 hrs (or on high for 5-6). Remove the pork roast and pull the meat into shredded pieces. Pour out any liquid in the stone ware, and combine the pork with the remaining ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on High for 2 hours. Serve the bbq pork on hamburger buns or hard rolls. (Serves 8)

Visit I'm An Organizing Junkie for more recipes and meal plan ideas!

19 Days!

Yep! If C decides to hang on, he will be here in only 19 days. The countdown begins! We are waiting for the hospital to confirm the date, but as of right now I am going to be induced on June the 8th. I will be exactly 39 weeks. This makes me slightly nervous since A made his debut on that day when we had his induction set for 2 days later. The whole reason we have to induce is so J can be there. With A, he was working his last job before he was due to take off. He had just arrived in VA when I went into labor and ended up having to take a cab from VA to NC. His company had to pay a $2,000 cab fare to get him down and someone else back up to take his place. Oops! I ended up having a very fast labor and had to stop pushing so J could get there in time. He came running into the room and 2 pushes later A arrived.


Here are some pictures of A getting ready for "Baby C".

Our day at the Park!

Menu Plan Monday

I am so glad J and I started to do this. We have saved so much money already since we are not just going to the grocery store and picking up whatever looks good. I now just take a list of what I need. We are also not eating out as much and I get to try to be creative with new ideas and recipes!

Monday - Beef Stew & Rice

Tuesday - Tacos

Wednesday - Spaghetti & Garlic Bread

Thursday - Breakfast for Dinner or Leftovers

Friday - Beef Teriyaki over Rice

Saturday - Easy Crockpot Ribs (Recipe Below) , Mashed Potatoes, Veggies

Sunday - Leftovers

EASY CROCKPOT RIBS

- 3 lbs beef or pork spare ribs, sliced into serving sizes (I buy the country style.)

- 1 tsp salt

-1 tsp fresh ground pepper

- 1 medium size onion, sliced

- 1 - 14oz bottle of your fave BBQ sauce

- 1 Tbs brown sugar

- 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

Rub the ribs with the salt and pepper and broil for 15 mins until brown. Place the ribs and onion into the crockpot slow cooker. Combine the BBQ sauce, sugar, and lemon juice and pour over the ribs. Cover; cook on low 8-10 hrs (or high 4-5). Makes 4 servings.

For a 5, 6, or 7 quart crockpot, double all ingredients, except for the BBQ sauce.

Visit I'm An Organizing Junkie for more recipes and ideas!

Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!

That is what I heard as A came running into our room this morning. Sigh. Such a sweet boy and he is growing up so fast. My Mother's Day has been perfect so far. J woke up and went to get us donuts this morning. I have been craving Dunkin Donuts for a week now. I was hoping that A would like the little Munchkin donuts but he wanted ours instead. So we all snuggled in bed, ate our breakfast and watched our morning cartoons. J also got me flowers and a new photo editing program to go along with the new camera I got yesterday. (It was an early birthday present from J and his parents.) Joe got A dressed. (See below! So perfect!) We then sat and ate lunch together and went outside to play in the beautiful weather. J then left for work and A and I just hung out, sang, danced, and watched his favorite shows. He also showed off his new trick. Jumping over and over across the living room floor. He can actually get both feet off the floor at the same time now. So funny! It would send us both into giggles! I am so lucky to be the Mommy to this wonderful. smart, loving, silly little boy!

I have tucked A into bed with his "blankie" and got a sweet good night kiss and hug from him. C is letting his presence be known by giving his Mommy a few nice contractions to remind me that it won't be long now. Makes me even more excited to know that I will be holding a newborn in less than a month. Now I am just settling into bed to watch my favorite shows. This day could not have been any better.

YUMMY FUN!

Our neighbors, Matt, Mallory and Doc, invited us over yesterday for a yummy cookout! Matt grilled out hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken kabobs. Their friend, Caitlin, made some pasta mixed with broccoli, homegrown parsley and Italian dressing. It was so good! Mallory treated us to drinks I had never had before. Of course mine was a virgin, but I am so ready to try a real one after C gets here! Here are a few pics...

I got tagged again!

Julie tagged me with the "10 things that make you feel warm and fuzzy" tag. Fun! Hopefully this will be much easier then the last tag!

1. Ummmm.... laying under the covers with hairy legs. That will make you feel warm and fuzzy! HA! LOL! JUST KIDDING!

1. Burning candles. I just love them. My fave store lately has been Yankee Candle. I LOVE the Peaches and Berry scent.

2. Mint hot chocolate with LOTS of whipped cream in the winter.

3. Laying in freshly washed sheets. I use the best smelling fabric softener.

4. Hot molten lava cake with vanilla bean ice cream.

5. A glass of Chateau St. Michelle Reisling or Fetzer Gewurztraminer wine. Castoro Zinfandel is yummy too.

6. When A comes up to me and gives me a kiss for no reason. Love my little boy!

7. The thought of holding a newborn in under a month!

8. I still get butterflies when I think of J. :) He is my best friend.

9. Getting to sit and relax and watch my favorite reality tv shows.

10. Driving down the road and one of my favorite songs comes on. A and I sing and dance in the car. :) I am sure it is a funny sight.

OK... I tag Mandy, Colleen, Yan, Lauren and Mallory.

7 Weird Things About Me.

I GOT TAGGED!

My dear friends, Corey and Lauren tagged me with the "Post 7 Weird Things About You" tag! So here it goes....

1. I cannot eat meat off of a bone. I almost gag thinking about it. The thought of my teeth getting close to a bone makes me so nauseous. I have to use a fork and knife and never go within half an inch. LOL! J teases me every time and gets so upset that I leave so much meat.

2. My addiction is magazines. I guess it is better than cigarettes, alcohol or gambling. But I assure you I spend just as much money. I have turned Hubby into one too. It is scary to even think how much money we spend on them.

3. I was such an accident prone child. My Dad jokes that he is still paying the hospital bills. I was born 3 months early weighing only 3 lbs. When I was 3, a dog was chasing me and I ran into table and had to get tear duct surgery. At 4, I got hit with a lawn dart in the side of the head and had to have a cranionomy. Some of my brain was bruised and they had to remove part of my skull. I still have a dent in my head. But I have NEVER broken a bone. I hope my boys don't follow suit.

4. Lately, I can only drink my water and caffeine with LOTS of ice and I have to have a straw.

5. I usually sleep with one leg under the covers and one leg out to help regulate my body heat when I am sleeping and if there is a sheet on the bed it will be off by morning. Oh and can't sleep without Fred. (My body pillow.)

HMMMMM... This is HARD!

6. My other addiction is buying comforters and bedding. I seem to have to have a new one every month. I get so bored. Too bad they are so expensive. I am the same way with the boys bedding.

7. I could eat Chick Fil A everyday and just about have with this pregnancy.

Now I am tagging Jessica, Ingrid, Lori, Mallory and Amanda. :) Have fun girls!

35 WEEKS TODAY!

SO SO TRUE!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Leftover Enchiladas
Tuesday - Pork Chops, Homemade Mac & Cheese & Veggies
Wednesday - Make Your Own Quesadillas
Thursday - Breakfast for Dinner Night
Friday - Cube Steaks, Mashed Potatoes, Veggies
Saturday - Ham & Beans with Cornbread
Sunday - Leftovers

For more menu plan ideas and recipes, visit I'm An Organizing Junkie!

Reminiscing...

Until the past few weeks this pregnancy has been so easy! It just has not seemed real to me. I have had to stop myself and remind myself everyday that I am pregnant.

With the big day quickly approching, I have found myself reminiscing and remembering all of the firsts and good times we got to experience with A, and I am really getting excited to be able to do it all over again. I thought I would share some of them with you....



I cannot wait to share some of these moments again with C.

Just hanging out and waiting!

Nothing new happening here. We have just been hanging out and getting ready for C. As you can see, A is ready to see who this "Baby C" is. Every once in awhile he will come over and lift up my shirt and give "Baby C" a kiss and talk to him. It is really cute but I don't think he fully understands. Hubby and I are anxious to see how he will do. I am sure he will do great and will be such a big helper.

I have also been having lots of fun baby shopping. We got C's bedding a few weeks ago and I got my new diaper bag yesterday! (See Below! All from Target!) I love it!

We did go to the Dr's office yesterday. The baby is healthy and everything is looking good. I go back in another 2 weeks on May 18th and I believe they are going to let me set a date for our induction at that point. We are thinking it will be the 1st week in June at 38 1/2 weeks. I am hoping C will stay put until then! I have been contracting on and off like crazy and C is soooo low which is causing some pelvic pain. The Dr assures us that this is normal since it is my 2nd pregnancy but they said to take it easy and keep my feet up as much as possible. This should help with the pain. I know I am so ready for this to be over and for C to be here!




C's New Bedding!

A's New Bedding!

My new diaperbag!