Happy Birthday, Mikey!

I went in Tuesday am for my 36 week apt. My BP was up and baby was very inactive so Macie sent me over to L&D just to monitor me for a bit. After an hour the nurse was ready to send me on my way b/c my BP was good and baby was doing great. However, I was plotting contractions on the monitor every 3 minutes, so I asked her to check me, better safe than sorry. She checks me and says "looks like we're having a baby today, you're 5cm". And so the whirlwind begins. I had to have my antibiotics for at least 4 hours, so we were in no hurry. After my first 4 hour dose, we were ready. Got my epi and my water broke around 6pm and we just waited. They gave me some pitocin around 8pm b/c he wasn't descending and I was dilating so slowly. Around 9pm I was 9cm and waiting on that last cm seemed like forever. This was my longest labor ever, yet it was my easiest. I felt NOTHING until it was time to push. I was almost complete so Macie had me push to see if he was going to come down with the pushes, immediately she tells me to stop and starts getting her drape and gloves on. It takes all I have not to push and I tell her "Macie he's coming!!!!" She looks down and tells Chris and the nurse "grab her legs!!!" She barely snaps the 2nd glove on and out comes half his head, one more little push and out pops his beautiful little face. I was in a position so I could see this all, even though it was my fourth it was the first time I'd seen it all with my own eyes. A third push and there's his body! It was amazing. I truly believe no matter how many times you experience the miracle of birth it never become any less amazing or special! He came out SCREAMING, which was a beautiful sound after what we'd been through with Zach. Mom and Dad brought the boys in and we had some family bonding time. Then off they took him to the nursery. He gave us a little scare, turning blue the next morning for no apparent reason. He has extra blood that his body has to work on balancing out, and he's a little jaundice. He latches like a champ, now if only my milk will gush in we'll be in business. He sleeps like an angel, this has truly been and EASY few days - I told Chris we were sure to pay for this in a few weeks. The boys ADORE him, and Daddy is smitten. I myself, can't get enough snuggle time with the little guy. There is just something so life affirming about a newborn baby. Here are a few pics, and a link to the full album that will be updated as more pics come in from various cameras. Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?Uc=oqmc03y.6hchtrbm&Uy=nyxz36&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&mode=fromshare&conn_speed=1

about to freak out!!! - very scattered preggo brain ramblings

about to freak out. i had my shower yesterday and looks like we're pretty much set there. it was kind of embarassing though, i had one friend there (who helped host it), everyone else was a friend of my mom, a few aunts, and my grandma. but alas, this is my 4th, and my bucket of friends isn't that full (not of local gals anyway). i still made out like a bandit, still need a few things, but nothing i can't pick up here and there. so i finally feel like "quatro" can come home now since i did finally get my carseat/stroller. but...............i spent an hour last night struggling to get the damn thing in the car tight - NOPE. it would just flop up in the front and that just can't be right. then the freakin' stroller wouldn't fit in the back of the Denali. WTF??? i finally gave up, assuming i'd have to settle for another travel system i didn't like as much. i seriously even thought i might have to *gasp* go back to driving a minivan!!!!!! go ahead chelley, say "i told you so" of course that is until tonight, when my heros, Chris and Neal, averted both the carseat and the stroller/Denali crisis. so i'm fighting with the carseat and noodles, some brilliant idea i got off the web to make the base fit better, and Chris takes over. he gets the carseat base tight enough that it doesn't move - without noodles. i just wasn't getting it tight, even with all my weight and might. crisis one averted. so then i tell him about the stroller and he gives it a try. he's brainstorming and looking at the options and neal's in the backseat trying to help and says "if only you could take the wheels off"........ding ding ding ding. i tell chris we can do that, it's easy, and sure enough, even in the dark, we popped them suckers right off and voila! he even gave me a cargo net thing he had in his jeep so i don't have to worry about it falling or shifting when opening the back. crisis two averted. those two totally rock tonight! and i'm telling you once again, that husband of mine just keeps making my heart flutter, i fall in love with him more every day.

let's see what else can i bore you with???
this morning, i woke up at 4am and my mind is racing with things i need to do (yeah the whole Denali/carseat/stroller thing was what got my mind reeling). then i started thinking about money. you know how it is, you start with one simple thing and toss and turn trying to fall back asleep and before you know it your mind is going 90 mph. grrrrr. i finally got up an hour later. i was working at the breast cancer office today and couldn't force myself back to sleep for an hour or so, i just got on up. anyway, one thing that i'm freaking out over big time is losing my little income for a couple of months. i know it's crazy, but those two days a week really make a difference in our budget (splurge money) and money is the one thing that i can never seem to not stress over. and i thought about what if he comes early and i don't make this month what i'm hoping for then that puts even more pressure on. this just put me in all around panic mode - this baby is coming and i'm not ready!!!!!

Chris is off tomorrow so i can go to my 34 week dr appt. our evenings are sooooo crazy once he gets home, i'm really looking forward to just hanging out with him and the kids tomorrow afternoon.

oh and did i mention the whole not having a baby name is REALLY bugging me. never did before but some how this time it is. i've tossed out a few ideas, chris hates them. he's tossed out a few, i hate them. agh! i give up. quatro it is. of course jacob want's to name him vomit. and zach likes zachary alexander.....hmmmmmmm.

then let's add to this list of "i'm 'bout to freak out" today's trip to L&D! i was at work and got some really intense contrax. so i headed home to lay down. but before i hit c'ville i knew it was something i should have checked out. sure enough, there they were on the little monitor, one right after the next, and what do ya know, i'm 1cm. i know it's my FOURTH and 1cm isn't necessarily bad at 34 weeks, but i also know i shouldn't have had such unrealistic goals of having a 38-40 weeker with my history, but i refuse to give up hope - i want my 6 more weeks of a full nights sleep and no diapers damnit! not to mention we still have yet to rearrange the bedrooms to "make room for baby". i have my appt tomorrow so hopefully there won't be any further changes and i can continue to hope for at least 36-37 weeks.

ok, i think i've rambled about everything i had to ramble about, i'll leave you with some pics from the shower.....
it was given by my mom and my friend, mylinda. mylinda and i have been bestfriends since 6th grade, she and chelley are truly the best friends i have ever had, they'll finally get to meet in january. just want to take the opportunity to tell you two how much i appreciate all the support, some days i think i'd bury my head in the sand if it wasn't for them. now if only chelley didn't live in indy-freakin-ana!!!!
ok anyway pics....

Tidbits & Ramblings

i've been scarce, sorry. life is just busy these days. is it time for school to start back yet??? lol they start aug 8th, i'm hoping i go at least that long, i really want them in school before "Quatro" comes. let's see, what's going on????

my shower is sunday. i'm really excited. i'm hoping this helps me get and feel a little more prepared for this guy. i am going to start working on packing my bag today and finally finished the boys "big brother" shirts. zach was born at 33w4d - so i'm praying that this one beats the odds and stays cooking until 37+ weeks, i'm 33w1d today. however, i'm truly ready to not be pregnant. i've been day dreaming about working out again and resuming great sex with that never more sexy husband of mine. speaking of him, the roles have really reversed in our house. he has become the "better" parent. he's so good with the boys and does stuff with them, i'm the one who yells and just can't wait for a chance to escape to my bedroom. it really bothers me, i even told myself this morning before coming out "i am going to be a good mom today". it's true, i have only yelled once, because neal hit zach who called him a "shithead". and i made their shirts, and put them on some tattoos, and let them empty the dishwasher (bwahaha they think it's a privledge). but other than that they've played outside and upstairs while i've started trying to accomplish things on my "to do" list - that i was writing at 4am the other night b/c i couldn't sleep. ahhh sleep, it's that thing that i vaguely remember and long for the day (months from now) when i may actually get a feeling of what it is. my teeth hurt from dental work i had done - which i'm going to try to find a new dentist to correct, but haven't b/c i'm lazy and unfocused. i pee every hour at night. i can't get comfortable on my sides and can't breathe on my back. i have crazy dreams that leave me exhausted and my mind rambling. and for some reason, if i lay on my left ear it starts to hurt, not inside but outside. ok, what else can i waste your time with???? oh i put my license on "inactive" status for now. the market is soooooooo bad, and the fees are so much, that i was paying out the wazoo to keep active and making NO MONEY. so we took our house off the market until after school starts back. we'll re-evaluate the market then and decide whether to relist and if i am going to re-activate my license or hold off until spring - when "they" are saying the market is due for an up-swing. i am still working (sometimes) 2 days a week in rome with the breast cancer program. you know i make more doing that than i did full time at my last job, truly sad huh? ok, i'm off to work on this list, that seems to grow 2 for every 1 thing i mark off. i leave you with a pic of the boys, tan and smug, in their "big brother" shirts.