one week old

I love this one, even if my feet are in it, she's just so darn cute!!
Ok, I think this is the funniest picture ever!!


little miss smiley, yes she's really smiling, and she's been doing it since day 3

looking at her plant

brother and sister

4 days old

checking out her brother

yawning, or trying to nurse on him

Aiden loves to give her kisses

So week has gone by and my mom has headed home after spending the last week here with us. It was so nice to have her here to help Aiden with the transition and to feed us wonderful meals every night. I know she enjoyed spending Natalie's first week with her too. Well we sure got lucky with this little girl. She is a very easy keeper, super mellow and only does a little cry when she's hungry, but mostly we are able to catch her cues before we get to that point. She's sleeping with us so that helps with night feedings, but she's sleeping through the night with us, waking up to nurse 2 or 3 times but she always goes right back to sleep. She only had her days and nights mixed up for the first two nights we were home. She has 3 longer awake periods right now and she spends them smiling at us and looking at the plants and lights. She is such a smiler, when she wakes up and you are there she gives you a giant gummy grin, and it's not gas or anything else, she looks right into your eyes and smiles at you. If you smile back she keeps smiling. She is such a joy. Aiden still loves her and tells her all day long that she's kinda cute, and he gives her lots of kisses. She left the hospital with a bit of jaundice but she's got it out of her system now and as of Friday she was only 3 oz off her birth weight, not surprising considering she nurse all the time. Tomorrow will be the first day off me home alone with the kids, Loren back to work and myself back to work so we'll see how things go. I think that this will be a hard week for Aiden and I to re-establish our routine and our roles. Wish me luck.

Some real pictures for you!

Home sweet Home

Well we are home, I haven't had the chance to up-load pics but here is a link to the hospital page with her information. http://www.newbabynews.net/hospitals/sh7/public/showBaby.pl?babyID=h7-18678&r=0&st= . Aiden is doing great with her, and just LOVES her, so do we. We are all tired and ready for a good nights sleep at home, in a bed that's long enough for me, and a real bed for Loren!

Natalie Cecelia has arrived!!

Ok so I wasn't going to post in active labor. I started active labor at about 11, stayed at 1 cm for the first few hours at 2 they checked me and I went from 1 to 4 while they were checking. I hit transition at about 430 or 5. I started pushing at 515 and she was born at 545. 7 lbs 3.4 oz (my guess was 7, 3 do I know my kid or what?) I had hemorraging (why I haven't had a chance to write and all the bonding) Loren caught her, I delivered on hands and knees and despite saying I couldn't do it a number of times during transition (thank you mom, Loren, Roxanne, Patrica (mid-wife) and Meghan (nurse)) I did it all natural. I tore some as she came out with both hands by her face, but not too bad. They got the hemorraging under control by 7, I did loose a lot of blood but they think we're in the clear. Loren is holding her now watching the blazers game. Thank you for all your support and I'll put up pics tomorrow when I get home. Love to all-

Danielle, Loren, Aiden and Baby Natalie

Hospital Up-date #2

6:36- Well after some orange sherbet and apple juice, Loren and I tried to get some sleep around mid-night. Loren passed right out but I think nerves were getting the better of me. My mid-wife (Patrica) got me a mild sleeping pill and that took the edge off just enough to allow for some sleep. At 4 am they started turning the pitosin up at 15 minute increments, I was able to get another 2 hours of sleep and at 6 my water broke and I passed my plug. So now we are up, the contractions are getting stronger and we are waiting on the birth ball to do some bouncing to help bring her down and then maybe a walk and a bath.

So far so good!!

Hospital Up-date#1

11:15
So we got here about 8:20, checked in up front, Sat by the huge fire place while we waited for our room to be ready and got up-stairs about 8:30. Answered a trillion questions and the pitosin was started about 9. Before we got here we went to Outback for dinner just like we did before Aiden was born. So now my pitosin is at 4 I'm having some crampy feelings but nothing bad. I have a beautiful view of the Coburg hills (when it's not dark) and the room is quite large and comfy. Aiden headed home with my mom at 9:30 and right now Loren and I are watching Good Eats on food network (I sure miss this show) and Loren is painting my toe nails. Yeah, you read that right, I'm getting a pedicure, working on my laptop and watching Good Eats all while being slowly pushed into labor. Not to shabby. So the mid-wife was in here earlier and we are hoping to still use the foli bulb once my cervix has dilated a bit to get off the pitosin as much as possible but we'll play that by ear. So that's your first up-date.

have a good night everyone!!

I think I might go sit in the jetted tub in a bit!

Induction Timeline

So we check into the hospital at 8 tonight. At this time they will start a very low dose pitosin to get my cervix softened and ready for labor. At 4 or 5 tomorrow morning they will pump up the pitosin and start labor. So that's the plan as it stands. I will up-date as I can.

The long awaited birth of Natalie

So since we will be 41 weeks on Saturday (the magic cut off for attempted natural birth after a c-section) we will be checking into the hospital tomorrow night to start induction, with birth assumed to occur on Saturday. You know I had this whole idea of how nice a natural birth would be, and how I'd labor at home, maybe go for a walk out at the ranch or just in the back yard with all the fruit trees in bloom and surrounded by my family. Then I'd head to the hospital as late as possible so I would be there as little as possible but you know, sometimes babies have their own way of doing things. I should have learned that lesson fairly well after Aiden decided to arive 3 weeks early by C-section. On the other hand at least I have a doctor working with my mid-wives who is willing to induce me, and allow me to attempt a natural drug (other then pitosin) free birth. Many are not so lucky. So I'll labor at the hospital, inside hooked up to an IV I assume, under constant fetal monitoring on what is going to be one of the nicest weekends of the year. But I'll get to meet my little girl finally, and I can see the light at the end of the heartburn tunnel! Who knows maybe I'll go into labor on my own in the next 24 hours and get the birth I had envisioned. I will keep you all posted as to the latest info. Now go outside and enjoy this beautiful weather!!

Happy Easter!!

Good Monday Morning Everyone, and I hope you all had a very happy Easter. We had a great one, aside from the fact that Loren had to work most of the day. My mom came down to celebrate with us and to help with the traditional Easter Brunch. On Saturday we colored eggs, and stuffed Easter eggs. Aiden didn't even make too much of a mess, and seemed to enjoy the process. On Sunday we had some friends over for an Easter egg hunt in the back yard. True to last year Aiden was Mr. focused when it came to finding eggs. I think one kid got 5 another got 8 and Aiden got the rest. He made a very organized circuit of the back yard to make sure he didn't miss one. Then he tried to grab from his friends basket. After the hunt we had a nice brunch together, the kids lasted maybe 10 minutes but the adults had a good time! After Nonna left Loren came home and we all had a nice long nap. It couldn't have been a better day, oh except if I had Natalie, or gone into labor or had her on her due date which has come and gone now. Oh well, I've resigned myself to being pregnant for another week or so. I guess it must be nice in there.

I hope you all had a wonderful day surrounded by good friends and family.

A little taste of summer

So maybe I'm not as good with a blog as I had hoped. I blame it on still being pregnant and just a little bit cranky about it. So yeah, still preggo. I know I'm not due until Saturday but seriously, this kid has been in here 3 weeks longer then her brother, what does she think this is an extended stay suite?? I guess I was lucky not to have the achy hips, sore back, inability to sleep and general "fullness" with Aiden. I'm just getting it all and then some with Natalie.

On the bright side we had a few days of absolutely beautiful weather. Two days of 70 + degrees!! Aiden spent all his time outside barefoot and in nothing but a diaper (I wish I could say underwear, but that's whole blog in it's self, I've just given up until after things settle down with Natalie). So I did some yard work, was I hoping it would put me into labor? yes, but even if that didn't happen I did get some lettuce and spinach planted, the raspberries weeded out, and even some shelling peas planted. My baby lettuce that I planted from seed a month ago is finally making an appearance and the spring bulbs are looking beautiful.

I may still be pregnant but at least I got a few days in the sun (even got a little tan) enjoyed the grass in it's prime and even got a few loads dried on the line. I love clothes that smell fresh, you just can't buy a dryer sheet that smells like fresh grass, and flowers. We hope everyone got to have a little fun in the sun, and I hope to be posting soon about a new baby.

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!

My first Blog

OK, so I decided to start a blog. I have been so bad about keeping up with my Aiden Jeremiah fan club and I thought this might be an easier way to get the same information out to everyone. Plus I was inspired by my sister-in-law who is always full of good ideas, and if she can keep one up with 3 kids, well I think maybe I can do alright with 2.

So here goes nothing! On this beautiful Sunday morning with Toy Story playing in the background (or dominating the whole house, as is the case in such a small house) I am dreaming of the summer to come. The sun is out, the weather man said it was going to hit 70 today (and we know they never lie) and I wish I could be out planting my garden. But instead I sit here on the couch waiting for this movie to get over so I can gather the family and head out to the arboretum for a nice long walk. Maybe this walk will be the one that sends me into labor. I am done being pregnant. That's it, I've hit the mark and ready to meet Natalie. I have scoured the Internet for all the natural labor inducing wives tales. So we had eggplant Parmesan for the last two nights. I've been eating fresh pineapple like it's going out of style (great for the heartburn, let me tell you). I started taking evening primrose and I've been walking, and walking and going up and down stairs and walking some more. Then there is the visualization, at this point I'm up for anything!

And yet I am still pregnant. Any suggestions?? (yes I know, "just wait, it will happen when she's ready")

Well I hope all is well with everyone. I hope everyone goes outside to enjoy this beautiful weather today, and I hope hope HOPE that today is the day I go into labor.

Aiden said Sunday or Monday, and we all know he knows what he's talking about, right?