Madden's Birth Story

Sorry I haven't wrote in so long but I have a good excuse… I'm a new MOMMY!!!

Madden was born on October 18th 2013 at 2:38 pm.  He was 19.5 inches long, 7 lbs 14 oz, and 100% perfection.  This is his birth story!

On Thursday, Oct 17th Kory and I headed to the Riverton Hospital where I was scheduled to be induced.  We were so nervous to become parents that we avoided talking about it the whole way there!  We really liked the nurse we had the very first night. She was super friendly and helped calm our nerves. One of the questions the nurse asked when I got there was what my pain goal was, ummm... ZERO!! Ha! Apparently that wasn't an option, so we settled on a 4. After filling out papers and getting all of the boring stuff out of the way it was time to get started!  It was about 10pm when the nurse gave me an oral medication to get things going.  The pill was suppose to "ripen my cervix" (if you ask me that term is kind of icky), anyway, after that we just laid back and waited for the show to start. Well, Kory laid back, I stayed up in fear of the pain I was about to experience.

A few hours later the nurse came in and said the baby was showing signs of stress so they started monitoring baby and me very closely. After that news, I couldn't sleep at all and even when I did start to relax a nurse would come in and wake me up again.  So I just laid there all night with mild contractions.  The contractions felt like menstrual cramps and they were starting to get pretty uncomfortable in the early morning so I decided to ask for some pain medication.  I thought this would be a good idea so I could wait for my epidural but I ended up just getting sick from it.

Around 8am my doctor, who I loved, came in to check on me and gave my pitocin. About an hour later he broke my water.  Immediately after breaking my water my contractions became very, very intense!! I was dilated to a 4 and my contractions were starting to hurt really bad.  I could feel the contractions in my lower back and it felt like my back was so tight it was going to break!  Since my pain goal was originally a zero I decided it was time for my epidural.  The anesthesiologist came in right away and I got my epidural sitting cross legged on my bed. The epidural hurt but not nearly as bad as my contractions, which were at a five by the time I got it.

I stayed dilated to a five for a couple of hours and the doctors were getting concerned I was failing to progress.  The baby was still showing signs of stress and getting less oxygen so after about 4 hours of no progress the doctor decided it was time to take the baby cesarean.  To be honest, I was relieved at that news! I was so anxious to meet my little guy and getting tired of waiting for more contractions, plus a c-section meant I could just lay back while the docs took the baby out for me.

About ten minutes later Kory was suited up and I was taken into surgery.  During the surgery my body was shaking uncontrollably and I started to feel really nauseated. I held on to Kory's hand the whole time and tried to focus on his face (his eyes looked SUPER blue next to his white scrubs and blue cap). I never felt so dependent on my husband for comfort as I did during those 40 minutes, I was terrified!! It seemed like I had just laid down, when the doctor told Kory and I to get ready to meet our baby son! His first cry was the sweetest sound I had ever heard.  We were overwhelmed with emotion as the doctors brought our new baby for us to meet. He was beautiful and as the doctor said "all muscle!"

33 Weeks & a Camp Out!

Don't mind the mess in the pic above! Kory and I had just moved all our stuff back in from our summer in VA! 

There I am at 33 weeks pregnant! I'm almost 34 weeks now, I've kind of been slacking on the blog. But I'm feeling great! Yeah, sleeping is a little harder and my back hurts a lot but it's not too bad.  I'm just enjoying feeling my little man move and watching my tummy roll. :)

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I was just itching to go camping all summer long... so we went! Belly and all!! 

We went with our friends Jake and Katie. Here they are making delicious breakfast burritos! 

not the most flattering pic of me but at least Bentley looks good ;)

 Strawberry scenery

Bentley begging for bacon.. I think he ate more human food than ever 

Plug your ears baby Madden, Mommy sees a squirrel!! (don't worry, I missed) 

Hungry in Utah

I'm home!!!

 I'm staying in my Bluffdale home with Mom and Dad until Kory comes home on the 31st.  I figure, I missed my family all summer long, why go stay at my house in Provo by myself? Plus, I admit, I'm scared! Hey, houses can get pretty creepy when you're alone at night!

So far I've been visiting all the people I've missed while I was away and of course, eating at all the places I missed even more! ;)

Places I have to eat at now that I'm home:

1. a snow cone, probably from that place I've seen all over instagram... check!!! and it was delicious!

2. Cafe Rio (they had one in VA, but they just couldn't get it right)... check!

3. J- Dawgs

4. El Ranch Grande or Los Tres Amigos, either will do! I just want a good smothered burrito!! I guess VA was too far from Mexico to have a legit Mexican restaurant.

5. Zupas... Almost check, I'm going with my friend Avi today!

6. India Palace!!!!

7. Fortune Cookie...best Chinese food/sushi ever!

8. Wow, this list is getting a little lengthy. I must be hungry haha Anyway, I've been craving my mumsy's home-made fried chicken dinner! Not just the fried chicken either, I want the works. Mashed potatoes, corn from the garden, a fresh salad, rolls, and strawberry short cake for dessert!

Yum.. Are you drooling yet? :)

one last time

As summer starts to wind down the wives will be dwindling over the next week (I have one more week) so we went out for one last hoorah! We're just missing Katie Rosell. 

Yesterday us girls went to Coastal Flats for dinner before we watched the Bachelorette finale.  The restaurant had a fun atmosphere and the food was really yummy! Sammi and I shared the fish and chips...mmmm :) 

After dinner we went back to Christa's for the Bachelorette...

Surprise! The girls planned a baby shower for me!! Don't I have the best friends ever? I'm sure going to  miss them.  

We opened gifts, ate ice cream (don't worry I checked my blood sugar first), and watched the Bachelorette. Katie Rosell came over right after work and caught the end of the show, and gave me a blanket she knitted herself! Thanks again Katie ;) 

Yesterday was the perfect ending to all of the fun girl time we've been having this summer.  I'm so grateful for my summer friends and I hope we get to do it again next year!!! 

Bad & Good News

Bad or good news? Which do you want first?   Let's go with the bad so we can cheer our selves up with the good!

Well, on Monday I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes.  Not the worst thing that could happen, but still... not good! Gestational diabetes is basically diabetes that develops during pregnancy, then after you deliver it goes away.  I went to a 3 hour training on Tuesday where I learned more about gestational diabetes, learned how to check my blood sugar (which is NOT fun), and got a personalized diet plan.

So they gave me a meter and all the gear to check my blood sugar level every two hours after I eat.  It hasn't been too horrible, mostly just annoying, but I still wince every time I have to prick my finger.  What's more annoying, is that my blood sugar has been really low, not high, so I'm kind of confused. Are you sure I have diabetes, Doc? I guess I'll just keep following their plan and checking my blood sugar until my follow up appointment (in a week) and find out then.

The food plan they gave me isn't that bad either.  The nutritionist basically planned out how many grams of carbs I should be eating and when.  It hasn't been too different from how I normally eat (besides the regular candy binges I usually go on) but I think I can follow the rules for the most part. The hardest part about the whole thing is recording what I eat every time I eat and recording my sugar level.  I keep forgetting to write it down or I'm not home to write it down.  And I'm supposed to be eating every two hours, which comes up fast! I'm really hoping at my follow up appointment they tell me I'm not diabetic after all so I don't have to deal with the hassle.  But if it means a healthy baby, of course I'll deal with any hassle I have to!

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Now for the fun stuff! Kory actually got a day off on Monday!!!! During the whole four years he's been selling he has never been given a day off, so this was big news for us.  Usually we try to fit everything in on Sunday since Kor doesn't get much free time, but last Sunday we just relaxed allll day long! It was so nice to just sit around and be bums together :)

Then on Monday we went to the water park with everyone in the office.  It was so much fun and actually felt like summer!

The water park was a tinsy bit ghetto and didn't have very many slides for the guys but everyone still had a blast! It was the perfect refresher everyone needed :) 

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A quick baby update: Baby boy is still growing strong as ever! He's kicking harder every day and I can even see my belly move where he kicks now!

We still love the name Mac but now there's competition... Madden! I love Madden because it has two syllables and is really unique! Guess it's just Baby "M" for now ;) 

27 weeks

 Welp! I went to the doc today and everything looks normal. Baby's heart beat was 153 and I measured 27 weeks so I'm back on schedule. Woohoo!! No ten pound babies for me :)

I took the glucose test (checking for gestational diabetes)  today too, and I'll find out the results on Monday.

I've been feeling pretty good lately too! I've been soooo tired though, but besides that, I have had way more good days than bad.

Kory and I still like the name Mac and we've even been calling the baby Mac every once in a while so I'm thinking that's the name!! It's not set in stone or anything and knowing me, I'll probably change my mind about ten more times.  So it's not official until it's on his birth certificate.

I'm enjoying being pregnant so much more these days! I can't wait to hold my new baby boy :)

a sweet hubby

I've been meaning to write ever since Saturday!! The last few days have been busy and I have been EXHAUSTED... like all the time. Haha I guess it's hard work growing a tiny person inside of you. Anyway, so on Saturday I went to the mall with the girls and baby gap was having a major sale!  I love the baby clothes from baby gap but they are so expensive, so I just kind of avoid the store so I don't get my hopes up.  I found a ton of newborn outfits that I instantly fell in love with and since everything was on sale I went on a little shopping spree for the lil man.  It was the first time I spent a lot of money on the baby in one outing so I was super excited! I showed all the girls each purchase as I imagined dressing my new baby in each piece.  We went on to other stores and pretty soon my swollen feet were throbbing so I decided to wait outside of a store on some couches.  That's when the horrible happened.

After a few minutes, I went back inside the store looking my friend.  I realized my hands were empty!! I had lost my shopping bag! My heart sank and I frantically looked everywhere for my bag.  I was pretty sure I left it on the couches, but it was no where to be found.  Christa and Kati helped me look for the bag and we talked to security, but no luck.  My bag was gone.  All of my baby boy's clothes had disappeared.  He wasn't even here yet, and I had already messed up as mom.  Kay, maybe I'm being a little dramatic.  But I'm a pregnant lady with raging hormones, I'm allowed to be dramatic right?

I could feel a lump forming in my throat but held it together until I got home.  I called Kory as soon as I walked in the door and instantly began to cry when I heard his voice. I'll never forget what my sweet husband said after he put the story together.  He didn't think I was dumb for crying over a bag of clothes and he wasn't mad about the money, he told me not to worry and that we could go re-buy everything the next day. That's definitely not the reaction I was expecting, and it caught me off guard, I felt so loved in that moment and I always want to remember the time my sweet husband's words fixed everything.  I can't wait to see him love our baby boy the same way he loves me.

I wasn't able to buy everything I bought the first time around, but I did get most of it.  But, it was just a bag of clothes.  A bag of clothes that went missing and somehow let me fall in love with my baby daddy all over again.