Harpers Birth Story

I had written this the day and days after I had Harper but hadn't got around to posting it because I thought I'd add more. Oh well I'll post this and try and post pics later.

-Went into labor at 1:30. Riley had just come into bed and cuddled up to my back and there was no way I was staying in bed.

-contractions started right off the bat about 1 min long and every 2-3 min. Started off strong and painful. After probably a half hour or so it got to the point that I couldn't really stand through them and I had to concentrate. I told tony to start getting ready and to let his mom know to come but not to really hurry too much.

-went to the hospital and got there at 4 am. I was dilated to a 4+ which was what I was the Tuesday before at my appt so they had me walk the halls for an hour. We got into a good routine where tony would put pressure on my lower back during each contraction and help me sway my hips. The nurse, Ashley, had another patient so it ended up being closer to 6 before I got admitted. I was dilated to a 6 plus. 

-we moved into the birthing center room and met our nurse, Dianne. She was amazing

-i laid in bed for a little while then got in the tub-my saving grace! I labored in the tub almost the entire time. I was able to relax since there wasn't so much pressure on my joints like when I was out of the tub

-things seemed to be moving along well, about a half centimeter at least every half hour to hour. At 9 things slowed down which was fine

-I was able to handle the contractions really well on my own most of the morning. Tony took a nap for about 2 hrs which he really needed, especially for how much support he gave me throughout the day

-once the contractions started getting stronger I needed to hold Tony's hand just to keep me grounded, just distracted from the contraction. A few of them I needed to squeeze it tighter but it was mainly just a comfort thing to have him there 

-every half hour Dianne would check harper's heart rate with the Doppler and it was great the entire time! She was such a trooper

-Dianne kept asking what she could do to help and I really didn't need a whole lot of help for the most part

-it was really a relaxing morning despite having contractions

-Amy came at about 10:45 because we were thinking things were going to keep moving quickly but she could have stayed at work awhile longer

-about the last 5 contractions I had in the tub were difficult. I couldn't relax my lower back and Tony had to keep reminding me I needed to relax and breathe. I was trying to do "j breathing" like hypnobirthing teaches but her head was causing so much pressure and I couldn't focus enough. I could feel her head when I tried to curve more into a "c" instead of arching my back

-the nurse told me she thought if dr ott broke my water then Harper would come right out so I decided to do that, not knowing how much control I would be able to maintain if something didn't happen

-I assumed he would just break my water in the tub but they made me get out and that was absolutely miserable! I had another contraction just as I got to the bed and I just clung to Dianne to get through it. It was at that point that I think I kind of lost my control

-once in bed I kind of lost track of what all happened. I remember the contractions hurt so much more now that I was out of the water and I was a little annoyed that they had me get out. I know at one point I was on my side by tony and really wasn't in control and I think it must have been Dianne came behind me and pushed on my knee as well as my lower back and it felt so good-wish they could have provided that relief during the actual pushing

-dr ott came in and broke my water and gave me some instructions on what would happen and what I would need to do

-tony was right by me the entire time which I wasn't expecting! He laid right by me on the bed and held my hand and one leg 

-dr ott told me I would need to curl my back, take a deep breath and hold to 10 while pushing then breathe out and do it again. He said don't worry if I had to pee or poo because then we'd know I was doing the right movements

-pushing hurt more than I thought possible. He kept telling me to listen to my breathing and my body and to relax my legs in between. He really gave me some great instruction and guidance but I had a hard time concentrating and doing what I needed to

-I think it was about 5 contractions til she was out but man it felt so much longer. It hurt being in the position I was in but I couldn't figure out what position I wanted to be in and I honestly didn't know if I would be able to move into another position if I tried. Amy told me the next day that dr ott had asked me if I wanted to reposition but I don't remember that at all honestly. 

-I remember him asking if I wanted to feel her head and I said no. And I remember tony telling me she had a lot of hair. I vaguely remember thinking how surprised I was that he looked down at all for him to know she had lots of hair. 

-I remember looking at tony and was so grateful he was right there helping me when I knew it must be hard for him. He looked like he was pretty pale at one point but he never let on he was struggling at all. He really stepped up and I am so thankful for the help he gave me 

-I found out I was a yeller. Tony told me that I apologized for yelling in his face and dr ott cracked a joke saying "you haven't yelled that his parents weren't married when they had him so I think you're doing good". I knew he was referencing something but I couldn't concentrate to figure out what it was from-I just realized that it was bill Cosby

-I also yelled at Harper to hurry and come out haha

-between contractions dr ott was trying to help so I wouldn't tear, tony said he'd barely touch me but even that little bit was so incredibly painful that I could barely handle it. I remember feeling like I was sobbing but no tears would come out 

-hearing Harper cry was so great and the relief from all the pressure that came was unlike anything else-so weird(it was also weird to feel her feet move as she squirmed out). She started crying before she was completely out and Tony told me later that Dr Ott cracked a joke and said "you're not supposed to be doing that-you're not even born yet!" Haha

-they handed her to me and I was just so happy! 

-I was getting a little worried because dr ott said I was losing more blood then they would like, it seemed like a lot. The look on tony and Amy's face worried me a bit too. They gave me a shot of pitocin and he ended up getting me another medication as well. They also wanted Harper to nurse but she wouldn't so they asked me to just stimulate my nipples so it would help my uterus contact and control the bleeding. It seemed like it took awhile before he was satisfied enough. In between dealing with that he was stitching me up too because I had a second degree tear. I wasn't numb the entire time so that was not enjoyable

-my body was so spent that I couldn't even try lifting Harper to nurse or to hand her off to anyone. My arms just didn't want to work for a little while. Yet while they were cleaning me and the bed up I had no problem helping move my hips and legs out of the way

-because of the bleeding he said they would want to watch me for 6-8 hrs to determine if I could go home that night or not

-also because of the bleeding they didn't weigh or measure Harper for a few hours after she was born. She peed and pooped right after coming out and nursed a little while later

-she ended up weighing 7 lbs 6 ounces, 20 inches and her head was 34 cm-smaller than her sister!!

-I felt pretty weak after for a little bit, from the effort and I think from the blood loss but by 6 when Tony's family brought Riley I was feeling so much better! And throughout the night I felt pretty good. A little sore but not bad at all honestly. I was able to get out of bed without getting light headed and take a shower. I was able to eat quite a bit and really felt like I could move around pretty good considering. I'm more tender today than I was last night

-I had tried feeding Harper again before I got up and we tried for about 2 hrs to wake her up and feed her but she wouldn't have it. I was getting tense and it just wasn't going well. After I showered we tried again and she latched but wouldn't eat. The nurse wasn't too concerned so long as she started eating today but to keep trying to offer it at least every 3-4 hrs

-I had to wait from 9-11 to see if they would discharge me and it ended up being perfect because that's the same time frame harpers dr could come check her out and discharge her. We got home about 11 last night

-she finally ate about 11:45 and we headed to bed but she wasn't having it. I thought she was going to cluster feed but by the time I got settled to feed her she was out so we ended up sleeping in the recliner. Everytime she would wake up we'd try again but it just wasn't happening. This morning at 6 we finally were successful and she's been making up for last night ever since. We're struggling a bit with a correct latch but she's getting better. She won't open her mouth wide enough and when she finally does she slips her hands right in front. I've got a blister on one side so we've still got some learning to do! 

The 8th:

-Went to get the newborn testing done. Still have to do hearing test 

-struggling with latching 

-brought Riley home around noon. She was not overly interested in Harper but seems interested

-Harper does not like being set down at all

-a little more sore than last night. Just have to be slow sitting down and standing up

-I was expecting to be bleeding a ton because of having issues bleeding after she was born but it hasn't been bad

The 9th:

-didn't leave the house all day

-Harper peed and pooped first thing in the morning and didn't again until almost midnight. I was getting really worried something might be wrong

-she ate a lot but we're still struggling with latching

-Riley thinks she's cute and she's doing pretty great with her 

-we all got at least a short nap

-Harper had 3 really good naps

-getting better at letting us set her down for a bit

The 10th:

-she slept in the co sleeper when she was asleep. I feel like we were up a lot

-she's peeing and pooping again(she didn't hold back!) her first one was about 3 am and she started spitting up over everything as well so I had to change her. The second one I had just got in bed(not even out my head down) and I heard her poop. As I was putting on a clean diaper she peed everywhere 

-I met with a lactation consultant today because I have been in pain and felt like we couldn't get a good latch. Of course Harper latched perfectly while there. I got a couple tips and ideas on how to heal so I'm not in pain anymore. 

-my milk came in-I forgot how uncomfortable it is. I like that she doesn't have to suck as hard to get what she needs but I hate feeling tight and have to pump to be comfortable because I only nurse one side per feeding

It's been a great six weeks with our girls and it has flown by! I can't believe Harper is already 6 weeks old and I have to go back to work on Monday. I have loved being home with the girls so much and can't wait til I have the opportunity to stay home with them again!

39 Weeks

How far along? 38 weeks 6 days-basically 39 weeks

Size of baby? 7-8 lbs and 19-21 inches

Total weight gain: 32 lbs

Stretch marks? I got a dark one below my belly button :(

Sleep: I would be sleeping great if we had a toddler who would stop waking up in the middle of the night and who would go back to sleep

Best moment this past week: We went to the Sand Hollow Aquatic Center Saturday for a couple hours. It was so fun seeing Riley have so much fun. And I got to swim some laps and it was amazing!!

Miss Anything? Moving easily

Movement: Tons of movement

Food cravings: Fruit

Gender: Baby Girl

Labor Signs: Contractions almost daily. At my appt this morning I was dilated a bit more, not quite a 5 yet and still almost fully effaced. He said he doesn't anticipate me progressing much more until I go into labor just because I'm already almost halfway there. He offered to strip my membranes but I declined. I told him I'm hoping she'll come anytime after Thursday after work. He said if I wanted to I could come in on Thursday and he'd strip them if I wanted to see if it would help get things started more. I told him I'd think about it and call if I decided to. I don't think I will, but it was nice of him to offer. He did tell me that although it's not a sure thing, typically women who have already had one baby tend to labor less and dilate quicker, so he thinks once things start I'll go pretty quick. He recommended me not laboring at home TOO long

Symptoms: Heartburn/acid reflux

Belly Button in or out? In but it's tiny

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

Looking forward to: Holding this little one. The temple tonight with Tony

NOT Looking forward to: Dealing with a toddler and a baby with little sleep.

Riley has been having nightmares or night terrors or something and is making our nights miserable. We've really tried teaching her to sleep in her own bed from 6 weeks old, with exceptions of if she's sick. She used to be a really good sleeper but this past month has been an absolute nightmare. I'm really at a loss on what to do to help her. All I know is that something better change real quick!

38 weeks

How far along? 38 weeks

Size of baby? 7 1/2 lbs, 20+ inches 

Total weight gain: 30 lbs

Stretch marks? It's hard to tell if I have new ones or if they're from Riley

Sleep: Good. I normally get up once a night to go to the bathroom

Best moment this past week: Seeing how happy Riley was when she woke up this morning. I love when she's in such a great mood

Miss Anything? Moving easily

Movement: Tons of movement

Food cravings: Fruit

Gender: Baby Girl 

Labor Signs: Lots. I've had a few nights that I had consistent contractions that we're getting pretty strong  but they always seems to stop completely. At my appt this morning the dr said I was dilated to a 4 and almost fully effaced, my cervix is super soft and her head is right there. He offered to strip my membranes but I decided I wanted my body to go into labor without any help, I just think everything will go better without any interventions like that

Symptoms: Just still healing from the issues I had last week. The dr said this morning that it won't go away until after I have this little one

Belly Button in or out? In but it's tiny

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy 

Looking forward to: Holding this little one 

NOT Looking forward to: Dealing with having a newborn and toddler in this heat!

Today is our 3 year anniversary! I cannot believe it's been 3 years and we're waiting to welcome our second sweet little girl into our family! I am so grateful Tony and I were sealed in the temple and that we are able to be with our girls for eternity. I love Tony so much and am so lucky to have married such an amazing man! 

37 Weeks

How far along? 37 Weeks 1 Day

Size of baby? 7 lbs, 20 inches about

Total weight gain: 32 lbs before yesterday then I went down to 24 lbs :|

Stretch marks? I think I've got a few on my sides

Sleep: Good

Best moment this past week: Seeing how happy Riley was when she got home last night. And being able to hear baby girls heart beat and hear that I've progressed quite a bit. On Tuesday I was dilated to a 3 and 70% effaced

Miss Anything? Moving easily and not being in pain

Movement: Tons of movement

Food cravings: Fruit, especially watermelon 

Gender: Baby Girl

Labor Signs: Lots. I thought last night was going to be the night she came(or early this morning). I had contractions that lasted about a minute and a half every 3 1/2-4 minutes from about 8-11(when I decided to try and get some sleep). They weren't painful or uncomfortable so I wasn't thinking I was in active labor. I was just hoping to get some sleep incase things progressed throughout the night that I would wake up more in active labor. Things slowed down and I've only have a few contractions here and there today

Symptoms: From 6pm Tuesday night to 7 pm last night I was in the bathroom a LOT. My body decided it was gearing up for this baby and wanted to clear everything out. I didn't end up going to work because I was so miserable and I really couldn't sit on my butt yesterday(today is not ideal either but at least I'm not in the bathroom!). TMI I know. I called the dr just to make sure what I needed to be watching for to go see them. They weren't too concerned, just told me a couple things to try and that it was a really good sign that my body is getting closer. With Riley this happened 6 days before she came but the nurse said they typically see this happen 1-3 days before delivery so we'll see!

Belly Button in or out? In but it's tiny

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

Looking forward to: Meeting this little girl-it's so soon!

NOT Looking forward to: dealing with recovering from yesterday and then from delivery on top of that if I'm not better before she comes

It's crazy to think that it's possible I get to meet this little girl really soon! Yesterday I was so miserable that I asked Tony for a priesthood blessing. It was such a sweet blessing and talked a lot about my delivery going smoothly. I am grateful that I have a worthy priesthood holder in our home and that he is willing to give me and Riley blessings when I ask for them. I am grateful for the gospel that has taught me the importance of the priesthood and how much of a blessing it is that we have it in our lives today. I hope Tony and I are able to teach our girls and any other children we have how blessed we are and that they are able to gain testimonies for themselves of the truthfulness of the gospel.

35 weeks

How far along? 35 Weeks tomorrow

Size of baby? 18 inches, 6 lbs

Total weight gain: 28 lbs-a little more than with Riley at this point, but that's okay!

Stretch marks? Still not sure if they're stretch marks or just the way my stomach is growing

Sleep: Good

Best moment this past week: Spending the day with Riley on Saturday for her birthday

Miss Anything? Moving easily

Movement: Tons of movement

Food cravings: Fruit, especially watermelon 

Gender: Baby Girl

Labor Signs: I've had some Braxton Hicks contractions here and there but that's it 

Symptoms: A little back and hip pain

Belly Button in or out? In but it's tiny. I doubt it will ever pop out or even be flat

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

Looking forward to: Meeting this little girl-it's so soon!

NOT Looking forward to: if this little one decides to come early-only because it messes with a trip we have tickets for to San Diego my last week of maternity leave

This past week has been pretty good. I got baby girls room all done, minus moving her crib mattress up to the higher setting. All that's left other than that is to install the car seat base, I have to buy new tubing for my pump and pack the hospital bag. So crazy!

Riley's birthday was on Friday. We went to lunch and dinner. Then Saturday we took her on a walk then went to the pool for about an hour and a half. She's so cute! She just wanted to stand in the shallow end and say "jumping jumping jumping" "swim swim swim" haha.
Tony's aunt that watches Riley started with potty training her yesterday! She had no successes and lots of accidents yesterday but that's okay, she'll learn. I was only home for about 2 hours before bed and I was tired from taking her to the bathroom every 15 minutes-I can't imagine doing it all day. Aunt Toni is a saint!! I am so grateful for all she does for us and for Riley. I'm hoping today goes better and that she starts picking it up-even 1 successful time would be awesome!! Her gift after she's potty trained is a pack of Frozen underwear that she was so excited about!

My appointment was this morning and it went well. Heartbeat is strong and baby is head down which is good. When the dr was feeling to make sure she was head down he pushed on her butt and she freaked out! It was pretty funny. He had me make a guess when I think she'd come-his guess was the end of the month. I'm just hoping on or after her due date. He said "what about July 4th? As she's coming out we can put on some patriotic music!" Haha. It's crazy how soon this little one is going to join our family! I love her so much already and I can't wait to hold her! I don't have another appointment for 2 weeks, then they'll start checking to see if I'm dilated or not. I thought they'd have me come in next week but oh well! Less dr's visits I guess!

34 Weeks

How far along? 34 Weeks

Size of baby? 17.5 inches, 5+ lbs

Total weight gain: I'm not sure, I have an appt on Tuesday so we'll see then

Stretch marks? I think I saw a few small ones creeping in around my belly button :(

Sleep: Good

Best moment this past week: Having all weekend with my little family :)

Miss Anything? Being able to get up and down easily, especially out of bed

Movement: Tons of movement

Food cravings: Fruit

Gender: Baby Girl

Labor Signs: Nope 

Symptoms: A little back and hip pain

Belly Button in or out? In but it's tiny. I doubt it will ever pop out or even be flat

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

Looking forward to: Meeting this little girl

NOT Looking forward to: Finishing up baby girl's room

I've got a lot organized in the baby's room but I still feel like I have quite a bit to do. I have all her clothes washed and organized from newborn-3 months. I'm in the process of organizing all the clothes up to the ones Riley just grew out of into a better system. I've just been too lazy the past weekend to finish it up. We got a couple more things that were on our list that we needed so we only have about 3-4 things on our list of things to get(mostly small things like new tubing for my pump and more wipes). I told Tony we have until June 15th to get everything done and get the car seat base installed in the car again. So I'm giving myself until then so I don't have to do much the last few weeks of this pregnancy

Riley turns 2 this Friday! I cannot believe how fast it's gone and how grown up she seems some days. She is so much fun and I absolutely adore her! Tony's cousin Kyla took some adorable pictures of Riley for her birthday and I am in love! I wish I could take this Friday off to spend all day with Riley and do something special with her. Tony gets off early on Friday's so I think they're going to go to lunch or something to celebrate. Riley is really into backpacks, so I think we're going to look for one small enough for her for her birthday present and then we'll have cupcakes or something. I'm pretty excited to celebrate with her!

33 Weeks

How far along? 33 Weeks

Size of baby? 17 inches, 5 lbs

Total weight gain: I'm not sure

Stretch marks? None that I've noticed

Sleep: Good. I've had a couple leg cramps this past week that have woken me up but I can fall back asleep super easy

Best moment this past week: Tony and I went to see Pitch Perfect 2-loved it!! I also really enjoyed the three of us going out for ice cream on Monday

Miss Anything? Being able to get up and down easily

Movement: Lots and lots of movement

Food cravings: Fruit

Gender: Baby Girl

Labor Signs: Nope 

Symptoms: A little back and hip pain. I can also tell when I do too much exercise or push working around the house too much because I get sore for about 2 days after 

Belly Button in or out? In. It's getting smaller though

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy (minus a ridiculous hormonal breakdown on Sunday morning....more to that in a minute)

Looking forward to: Meeting this little girl

NOT Looking forward to: Recovering from having this baby, but I'm hoping this will be an easier recover than with Riley.

This past week has been pretty good. Friday and Saturday I spent a lot of time getting the dressers for Riley's room and babies room all painted so I can get some organizing done. With the dresser I painted for Riley's room I laid out all the drawers to make sure they were the same size(my mom had brought the dresser and we have brought most of the drawers when we drove back so they weren't already in the dresser). I was painting the drawers 3 different shades of pink. After laying them all side by side they looked the same size so I spent a LOT of time painting them to make sure they were perfect. Sunday morning we moved them all in and wouldn't you know it-the drawers were less than 1/8-1/4 inch different and now they're all in the wrong place :( after spending all the time on the dresser I just broke down and started crying. I knew it was stupid and we could fix it but I cried for about 15 minutes. It was completely ridiculous. I'm not sure when we'll fix it but for now the colors are all messed up

Last night Tony and I went to a low intervention childbirth class-the last thing needed before I can deliver at the birthing center. Now all I have to do is show up when I'm in labor :) I knew Tony wasn't thrilled about going to this class but he said it wasn't as bad as he was thinking it would be. There was a few things he had to participate in, like learning different counter pressures and a light touch massage(that I love!!) and he was a good sport about it. Probably the funniest thing was that the teacher had said how the dr's basically will just follow you around where you decide you want to deliver and Tony basically said to me "well where will I sit so I don't see anything if they just follow you around?!?" haha. He didn't do well with me actually delivering Riley, he had to sit on the couch. So I told him I'm not expecting him to have to be right there during the actual delivery-I'll need him most during my labor ha. He was funny-we treated him to ice cream after for going haha

32 Weeks

How far along? 32 Weeks, 1 Day

Size of baby? 16.5 inches, 4.5 lbs

Total weight gain: 22 lbs I think

Stretch marks? I don't think I've got any this pregnancy yet. It's kind of hard to tell if they're new or if they're from Riley

Sleep: Normally pretty good when I don't have a toddler waking me up!

Best moment this past week: Spending the weekend with Riley and she was good all weekend! Then Tony and her bought me flowers and chocolate covered strawberries for Mothers Day! Taking a nap on Mothers Day was pretty great too

Miss Anything? Being able to get up and down easily

Movement: Lots and lots of movement

Food cravings: Fruit

Gender: Baby Girl

Labor Signs: Nope 

Symptoms: A few Braxton Hicks contractions here and there. I never had those with Riley so that's a new experience 

Belly Button in or out? In. It's getting smaller though

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

Looking forward to: Labor(weird I know!) and Riley's birthday in 2 weeks!! I can't believe I almost have a 2 year old!!

NOT Looking forward to: Recovering from having this baby, but I'm hoping this will be an easier recover than with Riley. I'm also not looking forward to doing the actual organization that I need to do to get ready for the baby. I have so many clothes I need to sort through and I am getting frustrated I haven't been able to do it yet

Last night I had one of my mandatory classes to deliver in the birthing center. It was a Caring for Yourself and Newborn class. Honestly, I didn't get anything out of the class. I really think it was geared toward 1st time moms, which is great, but not really applicable in this case. The second half I was looking forward to because it was with the lactation consultant who I took a breastfeeding class from when I was pregnant with Riley. I was expecting the same kind of class where she would go into detail about latching, positioning, different struggles, timing of when to breastfeed, etc. She really didn't at all. It was a brief overview of the benefits of breastfeeding and an even briefer overview of the positions and latching. If I was a first time mom I would have been completely lost and felt like I didn't know anything. I had my notes from the first breastfeeding class I took with her and she didn't go over anything at all from it.
Tony and I have the second mandatory class on Tuesday and I am looking forward to that one. It is a low intervention class that will talk about different positions in labor, different pain management techniques that I can do and that Tony can help with. It will be more beneficial to me I think. I wish I could take the Hypnobirthing classes, but I wouldn't be able to get Tony to come to them with me, so this is a compromise.

31 Weeks

How far along? 30 weeks 6 days

Size of baby? 16 Inches, 4 lbs

Total weight gain: 21 lbs(I hate the Dr's scale-mine says 17 haha)

Stretch marks? No new ones 

Sleep: Great when I don't have a little one come in our bed, which has been way more than I would like 

Best moment this past week: Even though we were looking around at cars and that was miserable, it was nice spending time with just me and Tony on Saturday. We haven't done great at our date nights recently.There's also been a few moments recently when Riley will pull one or both of us into her to hug or kiss or cuddle that I absolutely adore!

Miss Anything? My back not killing me  

Movement: She moves a bunch 

Food cravings: Fruit. Last night was ice cream

Gender: Baby Girl

Labor Signs:None

Symptoms: Back pain and some hip pain

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

Looking forward to: Seeing my mom and grandma on Thursday. Being able to organize baby girls room when we get a dresser from my mom on Thursday. Also, the two classes I'm required to take in the next 2 weeks!

NOT Looking forward to: Nothing I can think of right now

I had my appointment this morning and everything looks good. Heart beat is strong and I'm measuring right on track. Of my 2 doctors I met with the one I like more. He delivered Riley and he's just very friendly. I like my other doctor as well, but he's not as personable. Today the doctor I met with told me he signed off on me delivering in the birthing center. He said he thinks I'm a perfect candidate and he's excited for me. I'd been flipping through the Hypnobirthing book when he walked in so we talked about that for a little while and he said the best tip he can give is to prepare. He told me there have been 2 water births at the birthing center since they opened(they don't plan for water births but sometimes they happen) and he delivered both of them. He said at his previous practice they had tons of water births so he is very familiar with them. He told me that if you get in the water at 8+ cm there is very little chance of you delivering outside of the tub because your body just gets so relaxed and you don't want to move by the point you feel like you should push. So apparently that's what I need to do if I want a water birth ;) haha. Talking to him got me even more excited for having this little girl at the birthing center in a couple months!!
I don't have another appointment for another 4 weeks, then I'll start going in every week or every other week. It'll be soon!!!

30 Weeks!!

How far along? 30 Weeks

Size of baby? 15 1/2 inches and about 3 lbs

Total weight gain: Still about 16-17 lbs(we'll find out for sure on Tuesday when I have my dr's apt)

Stretch marks? No new ones 

Sleep: Excellent, I've had to start sleeping with a pillow between my legs because my hips kill constantly

Best moment this past week: Spending time in San Diego. It was fun going to the beach, playing in the pool and going to the Padre games. And it was great seeing some of my family

Miss Anything? My hips not killing me

Movement: She moves all the time

Food cravings: Watermelon

Gender: Baby Girl

Labor Signs: None

Symptoms: Hip pain and low back pain

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy

Looking forward to: Figuring out something to help with my hip pain. It doesn't help that I have a job that I have to sit at a desk all day but I can't really do a whole lot about that. Also getting a dresser to go in the babies room-my mom is driving one up to us next week then we'll have to paint and rearrange some stuff. But it will be nice to get a bit more organized. I'm also excited for a couple classes coming up-a low intervention childbirth class and a caring for yourself and newborn class that I have to take to deliver in the new birthing center at the hospital

NOT Looking forward to: Nothing I can think of

Things are going really well, despite the horrible hip pain that I can't seem to help. In San Diego we got a few things we were needing for the baby and only have a couple more things on the list to get. In the next couple weeks I'll be able to get everything cleaned and organized in her room so that will be nice. I know I still have awhile (7-12 weeks, hopefully closer to the 11 weeks!) but I like having it all ready so I'm not doing anything last minute.
I can't remember if I posted about the birthing center last week or not, but I'm planning to deliver naturally in the new birthing center in the hospital here. It's basically a home birth setting but it steps away from medical intervention if needed. This is the closest Tony would ever feel comfortable with for a birthing center or home birth. It's connected to the labor and delivery wing at the hospital. Since the beginning of my pregnancy I've been planning for a natural delivery and have been trying to prepare my body and mind. Lots of yoga, reading, stretching, exercising etc. I had tried reading through the Bradley Method book and a couple supporting that method but it really didn't seem to fit with what I think I want. I was given the hypnobirthing book and CD's last week at an orientation for the birthing center. I finished the book while in San Diego and really enjoyed it. It fits along with what I envision being the best for me and it has got me really excited. I've tried listening to the relaxation/visualization stuff the past few nights and I can't get more than 5 minutes in before I fall asleep! I haven't even got to any of the visualization aspects of it-just the breathing. I need to figure it all out haha

29 Weeks

How far along? 29 Weeks 

Size of baby? 15 inches and about 2 1/2 lbs

Total weight gain: I have fluctuated the past 2 weeks up and down about 2 lbs, so I'm still at about 16 lbs

Stretch marks? No new ones

Sleep: Good, I'm out as soon as my head hits the pillow. Unless I wake up I don't have to go to the bathroom. I've started to need to use a pillow between my legs some nights to get a bit more comfortable. Last night I really needed it but Riley ended up in bed with me and threw that out the window

Best moment this past week: This morning was pretty nice-Riley was sick and ended up in bed with me at midnight and we didn't sleep a whole lot but this morning she had her foot basically in my face twitching and she was talking in her sleep, then baby girl was moving a bunch so I was just enjoying the little moment with my girls :)

Miss Anything? being able to lay on my back on the floor or sitting on the floor without it hurting so bad after that I can barely move 

Movement: She's been moving more and more the past few days. Laying in bed two nights ago talking with Tony and my stomach just started moving a TON-he just said "that is really creepy" haha

Food cravings: Watermelon

Gender: Baby Girl

Labor Signs: None

Symptoms: Back issues and last night/this morning my hip seems to be out of place and I can't get it back to how it should be

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On. I never had to take mine off with Riley and I doubt I'll have to with this one either

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.  

Looking forward to: San Diego this weekend!

NOT Looking forward to: Sitting in the car on the way and way back from San Diego

This week I've really been feeling pretty good for the most part(at least I can't remember having too many complaints). My stomach is definitely more and more noticeable to people, but I think I still look pretty good and I can still wear my pants(can't button all of them but that's okay).
I'd heard recently and then read an article about the new birthing suites in our hospital here. They are for a natural delivery and are supposed to have a "homelike" setting. There is a queen size bed, full tub, private bathroom and kitchenette in each of the 2 suites. They also talked about how it is a shorter stay than if you used one of the regular rooms at the hospital. Immediately I decided that if I can I would love to deliver in one of those suites. I have been planning and preparing to have a natural delivery with this baby. I loved my epidural with Riley except for the fact that it didn't wear off for 12 hours after I had her. I've been trying to work out and do specific stretches every day to help my body prepare. Talking to my dr's one of them suggested hypnobirthing classes but we can't afford that. My other dr is all for essential oils and I have a few I'm hoping to use during this labor/delivery/recovery. I've been trying to read a lot and trying to do yoga to help learn how to relax when I'm tense. I really hope the preparation I've been doing helps. I'm also planning to go to a free class taught by a birthing center in town in a few weeks. If I am able to use one of the birthing suites(you have to send in an application) they require you to take one or two birthing classes, so I may be taking those as well-not sure if Tony will be up for joining me on those or not. I'm just hoping things go well and that I don't freak out and chicken out halfway through

Riley has had a fever the past two days. It keeps fluctuating and I think our thermometer is broken because I know she was warmer than 99 degrees yesterday. Tony brought her into bed with me at midnight last night and she was burning up. We got her some Tylenol and a cool washcloth for her to use. She was a little chatterbox until about 2 or so before she finally settled down enough to sleep. She also talked in her sleep a ton more than normal. I'm hoping she feels better today. I am grateful for Tony's aunt that watches her for being willing to take care of her while we work. If we weren't taking Friday and Monday off work I would take some time off to take care of Riley. If Riley's not feeling better tonight Tony is going to give her a priesthood blessing. Although we don't take advantage of having the priesthood in our home as much as we probably should, I am so grateful to know Tony is a worthy priesthood holder and that we have that blessing.

28 Weeks-Third Trimester!

How far along? 28 Weeks-hit my third trimester!

Size of baby? About 15 inches and about 2.25 lbs

Total weight gain: none from last week

Stretch marks? Haven't found any new ones 

Sleep: Pretty good.  Most mornings I think I wake up in the same position I fell asleep in

Best moment this past week: Amidst the tough time Riley has been giving me she has been extremely sweet and she's saying "I love you" a lot more. She was playing under our bathroom sink and kept opening the door and saying "bye! I love you!" Love her!

Miss Anything? Nothing really

Movement: She moves a lot. Yesterday was the first day that she's moved and it actually hurt. I was not a fan.

Food cravings: Watermelon! That's a close second to strawberries

Gender: Baby Girl

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: I've had some really bad back issues the past week off an on. Last night was so bad that I just had to lay on my bed because it hurt so bad to move at all. I was able to use an ice pack and finally able to crack my back and that helped SO much. It's still sore today but I can actually function

Belly Button in or out? In but getting smaller

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I feel like this week I have been a lot more moody because of how Riley has been acting-I haven't handled a lot of situations the best  

Looking forward to: San Diego next weekend. A new car at some point. And meeting our little one :)

NOT Looking forward to: The recovery from delivery. I had this conversation yesterday and I am definitely not looking forward to it

Bump pic

Me on the left is 27 weeks with baby girl and on the right is 27 weeks with Riley!

27 Weeks

How far along? 26 weeks 6 days 

Size of baby? 14 1/2 inches and about 2 lbs

Total weight gain: 16 lbs (that's 2 less than I had gained with Riley at 28 weeks so I'm right about the same as with her)

Stretch marks? I don't think I have got any more, it's kind of hard to tell-I have so many from with Riley 

Sleep: Good. I can never get enough-having a toddler that wakes up by 7 most every day(granted I have to get out of bed earlier than that during the week for work) doesn't help the matter

Best moment this past week: Spending time with Tony, Riley and family this weekend for conference and Easter. Also seeing this little girl for a minute during an ultrasound

Miss Anything? Being able to do cardio

Movement: All the time. Yesterday she had hiccups almost all day and I was getting so annoyed haha. She's been doing a lot more big movements.

Food cravings: Fresh fruit

Gender: Baby Girl

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: Nothing 

Belly Button in or out? In but getting more shallow. I don't know if it will go out at all

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.  

Looking forward to: Figuring out a dresser for baby girl's room so I can get a bit more organized

NOT Looking forward to: Doing the actual organization in her room haha.

This morning I had my glucose test, I haven't heard back on the results yet. This one wasn't nearly as bad as with Riley. They had a fruit punch one instead of orange and it was definitely better than last time. I had some spotting and pain a couple weeks ago so they did a quick ultrasound to make sure my cervix wasn't starting to soften or shorten. It's still looking how it should. Baby girl was asleep during the ultrasound, found a nice little pillow in my placenta to smash her face into. She had her little pinky up by her face. She's got a squishy little face and it looked like she was furrowing her brow. Can't wait to see her!!
Riley has been such a hoot recently. She is talking so much and has so much personality. She cracks me up constantly. Her favorite sentences are "I cute" or "I funny", she also says "I don't know". She has so many words she's picked up on recently. The other night we were looking at a book that has just a bunch of items in different colors on each page and she could point out at least 90% of the items(there are a TON). I was so impressed!
We have been trying to transition away from a bottle completely recently. She hasn't had one for naptime in about a month and for the past couple weeks she has had a sippy cup of milk for bed instead of a bottle. She's been doing really well so I put all the bottles in a box for baby girl. Since she's been doing really well we've changed her routine at night to give her milk while reading stories, then brush teeth and then I'll sit down and cuddle with her for a couple minutes before putting her in her bed and she's been doing great!!
I sure am loving our little family and can't wait to add this little one in a few months! We still can't believe we're going to be a family of 4!

25 Weeks

How far along? 25 Weeks 

Size of baby? About 13 inches and 1 1/2 lbs

Total weight gain: I'm not entirely positive-I think about 10-12

Stretch marks? None from this pregnancy

Sleep: I sleep great. I occasionally have to get up to go to the bathroom but have no issues going back to sleep

Best moment this past week: I enjoyed yesterday morning-Riley ended up in our bed right as Tony left for work and I wanted a few more minutes of sleep. She cuddled right up next to me and reached behind her and put her hand on my face. She's so sweet!

Miss Anything? Right now I'm missing not being sick-my body just isn't fighting off colds like it normally does

Movement: I feel her most when I'm laying in bed at night. Tony came in a few nights ago after I fell asleep and asked how long she'd been so active-apparently she was kicking up a storm!

Food cravings: Sweets-I've been trying to not have too many

Gender: Baby girl!

Labor Signs: None

Symptoms: Yesterday morning I woke up and had a little bit of spotting. That was it all day, no cramping or anything and I didn't do anything to provoke it so I'm not too worried. Last week I also went walking with a friend and I think I pushed it just a little too much(I added in some squats and lunges) and I started cramping a little. I really need to get it through my mind that I need to just relax and not push it. I've really been trying to do a lot more yoga instead

Belly Button in or out? In. I can see the bottom of it(I normally can't)

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy but very very tired 

Looking forward to: Seeing Riley with this little girl! She LOVES her babies and is so sweet with them. Yesterday she had one in the baby stroller, carrying two in her arms trying to push the stroller. When she realized she was having a hard time carrying two she handed me one and said "shh baby sleeping". She's going to be so sweet with her little sister I think

NOT Looking forward to: Glucose test in 2 weeks

Things have been going pretty good minus this stupid cold I have. My birthday was on Thursday and Tony's dad cleared out our backyard for us! I am so excited :) We still need to bring in some fill dirt but this is SO much better than it was. Tony and I just went to dinner on Thursday, nothing too fancy. We're also going to see Insurgent at some point for my birthday.
Riley is going full force on this teething thing. She has never done it half hearted. By 14 months she already had 16 teeth(a full set for baby teeth is 20). The last couple weeks she's been super fussy and honestly a bit of a nightmare, especially with sleeping. I noticed one night while brushing her teeth that she had a molar on the bottom sticking halfway out and it looked like the other bottom one was going to poke out soon. I felt bad because I have no clue how long she'd been working on that one or that is why she was so fussy-she was in pain!. Well it wasn't getting a whole lot better and two nights ago we were playing in the shower and she'd opened her mouth really wide and I saw a molar on the top sticking halfway through! The other top gums were pretty swollen too. So it looks like she's going to have a full set of teeth here pretty soon. Over achiever ;)
With this baby I am going to try delivering her naturally. I love my epidural with Riley but had a hard time that I was stuck in a bed when I first got there and it didn't wear off for 11 hours after I had her. At our hospital they have a natural side to the labor and delivery unit that allows the moms to use the tub. That is a huge motivating factor for me! I've been trying to educate myself as much as possible by reading and exercising. I've talked to one of my girlfriends a lot about it and reading about the Bradley method primarily. I've also looked into Spinning Babies and am impressed with them. I've been trying to do yoga nightly to help open my pelvis and prepare my body. I have also been working on squatting-that one I'm still far from where I'd like to be. I'm not opposed to an epidural but if I feel like I can make it through without I would really like to

23 week bump pic

23 Weeks

How far along? 22 weeks 6 days, so basically 23 weeks 

Size of baby? The size of a papaya-11 inches, 1 lb

Total weight gain: According to my scale 5-6 lbs but according to the dr's today 11 lbs. I don't like the dr's scale. I'm going to average and say 8.5 lbs ha

Stretch marks? None from this pregnancy

Sleep: Excellent, minus getting woken up so much from Riley the last little bit

Best moment this past week: Last night Riley was really cute. She gives baby sister kisses every night and last night when she did it she kept her lips right there and said "aw baby"-it was adorable!

Miss Anything? Not really anything.

Movement: I feel her a lot. She has been more active which is fun and Tony has been able to feel her more.

Food cravings: Strawberries! I have seriously had SO many the past week

Gender: Baby girl :)

Labor Signs: Nope. When I was doing cardio I'd start getting cramps so I am doing yoga instead of cardio. My dr said today to stick to strength and yoga

Symptoms: None

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy. I did have a moment on Saturday when Tony left for his second baseball game of the day that I just started crying ha 

Looking forward to: Seeing Riley with her baby sister :)

NOT Looking forward to: My glucose test next month

The last few weeks have been pretty good. I seem to be past the morning sickness and haven't had to take my pills anymore which I've been happy about. I'm still trying to work out every day, some days it gets too late after grocery shopping and dinner or my body just wants me to take it easy. I've been trying to do more yoga and squats to get my body ready for July. 

Riley has been so funny recently. Tiring but funny. I found out Saturday that she has a molar that's half way in, which may explain why she's had such a rough time sleeping recently. She was taking over an hour to go to sleep and she'd freak out anytime Tony and I would try to leave the side of the bed. She'd just lay in bed wide awake. I finally got to the point that I couldn't do it anymore and became the mean mom that just let her cry as much as she wanted until she fell asleep. A couple nights that meant she'd fall asleep in front of the door and Tony would put her in her bed before we went to sleep. She did good this weekend, then Sunday night hit and she woke up at 3:30 and wouldn't go to sleep. I ended up in the guest bed with her because I needed my sleep and it took her another who knows how long for her to fall asleep, and it definitely wasn't restful for either of us. Last night she was SO worn out after spending the afternoon at the pool with Aunt Toni that she wouldn't even move to get her water that was 3 feet away. I thought she'd go to sleep SO easy and it took my letting her cry and Tony laying with her for awhile to get her to sleep. Then he got up with her twice last night and ended up in the other room with her. It's getting ridiculous. I can't keep doing it

I sure do love watching Riley learn and grow. She picks up on so much and her vocabulary really is expanding! It's so cute seeing her figure something out and be so proud of herself. She has taken to growling at things when she's unhappy. The funniest two have been Tony put the chips away and she said "rrr Tony" and then the next morning she asked me where daddy was and I told her at baseball "rrr baseball" haha. She's also calling Tony by his name instead of Daddy. It is so cute that I can't help laughing but I know Tony wants her to call him Daddy. I love their relationship :)