Playing catch up!

Ok, it is been way too long since I've written. I guess I've been sort of busy...

Julia is now 2.5 months old! We cannot believe how fast she is growing. Fun new things include: big smiles in the morning, laughing at Daddy when he does goofy things, sleeping longer periods of time at night (yay!) recognizing the faces on her animals and smiling at them, grabbing and reaching for her binky, toys, or animals and lots of awake time during the daytime. We are having so much fun playing with Julia and watching her develop new skills everyday.

Here she is at 2 months, weighing 10 pounds 2 ounces.

Brian started taking some classes at Miami. We realized that he was able to take some classes for free since having Julia. He is now a "non-traditional" student due to his age and having a child. Unfortunatley, the government will only give him money for school for one semester, so he is just taking a few classes for fun. Then he will graduate with his history degree and be done with college. He is taking digital photography, an appalachian music course, a course about national parks and a history course. I think that he will have a lot of fun in his classes. I'll admit that I'm kind of jealous of him. (not the studying and homework part though!)

I'm starting to work more in the next few weeks. I've only worked two days since Julia was born. In September I think I am working about 6 days. I have 3 days lined up for October so far. I'm so glad that I don't have to leave Julia every day! I missed her terribly the last time that I worked. While it is fun to be around adults and do something that I love, it is still so hard to be away from Julia. I don't know how full time working moms do it-I guess they do it because they have to. I'm so very thankful for my wonderfully flexible job!

Well, hopefully I'll be able to keep up with my blog a little bit better in the next few weeks.

One Month

Dear Julia,

Mommy and Daddy cannot believe that you have been on the outside for one month already! We are so thankful for you and want you to know that we love you everyday. Watching you grow and change has been so amazing. You are getting so strong and developing such a sweet personality. You love to cuddle with Mommy and sleep on Daddy's chest. We often find you sleeping on your left side-just like Mommy sleeps! You like to hear Daddy sing and play guitar and you love the music from your mobile.

You are sleeping 3 hours at a time during the night. You eat 3 ounces of formula every two to three hours. You are sure to let us know when you are hungry by forcefully ejecting your binky from your mouth and letting out a wail! Thankfully Mommy is always ready with a bottle close by. We wouldn't want you to cry more than necessary. We are looking forward to watching you grow and know that you have a lot in store for us.

We are so glad that God gave us you. We love you everyday Little Panda Bear.

-Mommy and Daddy

You weigh 7 pounds today

Wordless Wednesday

Birth Story

Baby Julia is here! Here are the details on the birth of our precious baby girl:

I went into the hospital on Monday, June 8th to start the induction process. We arrived at 7 and it took about an hour to get fully checked in. We got to our room and got all cozy thinking that we would be there for the night before getting the pitocin drip in the morning. After getting my cervix checked (0 dialation) and getting my IV started I got the cervadil placed inside of me. This was about 9:30 pm.

Brian pulled out his little couch bed and set it all up beside the hospital bed. We turned the tv on and starting watching a home show on PBS. At about midnight I starting having really painful contractions. My entire body was shaking with each one, I thought for sure that I was going to vomit and that all the bones in my pelvis were breaking. We started to get kind of worried since we had 12 hours of this. My nurse came in to give me some medication for the nausea and decided that she should check my cervix. At this point I 5 cm dialated. I had gone from 0-5 in about 2 hours. The nurses started to freak out a little bit and decided to take the cervidil out and let us wait it out.

They went to call my midwife to let her know that it was about time and that I was progressing quickly. By that time I had another horrendous contraction, they checked me again-I was at 7 cm. dialation. Then the next contraction came-9cm dialated!

The room filled with residents, the nurses were all scrambling around. I could hear them on the phone with my midwife-she was on her way, she was rushing. I had to push-I told the nurse I couldn't stop it. The resident scrubbed down and set everything up at the foot of my bed. My body starting to push on it's on. Brian and the nurses started coaching me through the pushes. The nurse from family beginnings came in and she was right up in my face telling me what to do.

After I did one set of pushes my Midwife Margie showed up. I was relieved to see her, but at that point it didn't matter-the room was filled with nurses and residents, the NICU team and students. I didn't care who was in that room by this time, I was going to have my baby!

Brian held my leg and gave me the play by play, he kept telling me that I was doing it and that Julia would be here soon. At 3:05 am the nurse looked at the clock and asked me what time we thought our baby would arrive. She guessed 3:12, I thought she was joking. I said, "You are just saying that to make me feel better!"

Well after another sets of pushes her head was out, one more push and her body was out-She was here! Brian cut the cord and Margie put her up on my chest, she was beautiful. Her eyes were open and she was looking all around at everything. Brian and I were still in shock that we actually had our baby in our arms.

They quickly took her over to the side to do all of her tests. The NICU team wanted to take her away but Brian protested telling them that they could do all of her testing in our room with us. Of course they were able to do that, we had been told that we would never have to be separated from our baby. The tests seemed to take forever, she was screaming the entire time!

During all of this Brian was standing over by Julia while Margie and I were waiting for my placenta. I felt like I was gushing a ton of liquid all over the place. I'm sure that I was. Margie pressed on my abdomen and with a tiny push the placenta came out. It was as big as Julia! She put it in a pan and we looked at it. Pretty gross but still pretty cool.

The nurse got me up and we went to the bathroom. I was surprised that I was able to urinate right away-so happy that I didn't have to get a catheter. I got all cleaned up, we got back into bed and held our little girl. They brought me a boxed lunch and I was able to eat and enjoy Julia. After a few hours they moved us to a much smaller room where we stayed until Thursday.

Julia is just perfect. The nurses were all amazed that I was able to deliver her without any medications, I don't think anybody thought that I had it in me. But we did it, and now we have this precious baby girl.

Brian and I thank the Lord for blessing us with this little miracle. There is nothing like sharing her with the man that I love so much-she is ours and she is perfect.

First family picture, minutes after birth

Julia Claire Eversole June 9th, 2009

3:22 am 4 pounds 14 ounces 18.5 inches long

39 weeks

More 39 week photo's here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2309916&id=7721117&ref=mf

Question time!

How far along?  37.5 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 18 pounds

How much does baby weigh? 4 pounds last time they measured, we should get an updated weight this Friday.

Stretch Marks? None really

Sleep?  Much better since we moved the dogs to the guest room, still waking to pee several times during the night.

Best moment this week: Ok, I have two. #1: Going to an Aveda salon and getting my hair cut, complete with head massage and a mini-facial. #2: Going to Taylorsville Metropark with Brian, seeing a huge woodpecker and relaxing in the park, finishing the day off with a nice meal at Brio.

Movement:  All the time. She likes to dance when music is playing and she really likes it when I eat!

Food Cravings? Nothing really

Labor signs? Some random contractions here and there, can also feel that she is getting much lower.

Belly button in or out?   My turkey timer has popped!

What I miss? Clothing that doesn't involve a huge piece of stretchy fabric over my stomach.

What I'm looking forward to? Holding my baby girl!

Milestone: We are so lucky that we get to go to the midwives office 2 times a week now! I'm really getting to know those folks!

Julia update...

Brian and I spent the entire day at the hospital yesterday, it was pretty exhausting. I had my regularly scheduled appointment with Dr.Guy (who I love!) I have gained 1 pound, my blood pressure is still low and Julia's heartbeat sounds great. He talked a little bit about possibly inducing me at 38 weeks, due to my belly not growing as much as they would like. Apparently there was no change in my belly measurements from my last appointment.

After that we were sent to Perinatal Partners to get another growth scan ultrasound. We found out that Julia has her head down near my right hip and is facing my back. The tech measured all of her little bones and listened to the blood flow through the umbilical cord. She was also able to show us that Julia has hair on her head! She left and went to show Dr.McKenna the results, he came back in and said that he would like me to immediately go next door to get a non-stress test. The NST measures Julia's activity and heart rate and how the correspond. It was fun watching her heart rate jump every time she moved. The tech said that I had a "wild child", which I have been saying all along. She must like to dance! During the NST Brian had to run home to take care of Bella and make sure that she had her medicine, since we weren't planning on being gone that long we hadn't arranged for anyone to stop by and take care of her. I ate at the hospital and waited for him to return for our birth class.

We had a fun time at the class this week. The focus was on relaxation and breathing. We got to sit on yoga balls, get massages, smell some wonderful essential oils and lay on bean bag chairs. Kim did some fun exercises with us and really got us in the mindset of working together with our husbands or coaches. Needless to say we were relaxed and ready for bed by the time we left.

The fun doesn't stop there...this morning one of my midwives called and said that they had all reviewed my ultrasound and NST. The results show that my amniotic fluid is low, so I'll have to get a test every week to measure that.

So this means every week I'll be going to my regular midwife appointment, visiting perinatal partners to  get a growth ultrasound, getting my amniotic fluid measured (called an "AFI") and going in twice a week for the non-stress test. I'm thinking that I might as well just pack my sleeping bag and spend the night there! 

This is going to be a long few weeks...and baby Julia may just want to arrive early. All of this on top of Bella's recovery and trying to work a few more days is making things quite chaotic. But I guess I better get used to chaos, life as we know it is about to change! Looking forward to my 2nd baby shower this weekend, then Brian and I will know what else we need to get to better prepare for our little Panda Bear. 

35 weeks and 2 days pregnant, 33 days to go. (could be even less, eek!)

Woah!

With all the trauma that we've had this week with Bella, I haven't been able to post an updated Belly photo. I promise to post one on Sunday! 

I just wanted to say-OMGoodness! I am 34 1/2 weeks pregnant-only 37 days till my due date. How did that happen?!!

Bella news: We are hoping for surgery tomorrow on her leg and that she will be back home with us this weekend. I'm used to her going to bed early with me every night so sleep this week has been much harder, plus all the worrying that I've been doing about her hasn't helped either. The house isn't the same without her-can't wait to get her in my arms!

So blessed...

We had our baby shower today and had so much fun! My family as well as some of my friends were there to celebrate with me. We ended up with some awesome gifts and tons of super cute clothes. Julia is going to be one stylin little girl! Here are some pictures from the day...Thank you everyone for your generosity-Brian and I are overwhelmed with joy!

This last picture shows her presents all laid out in her room. Among the adorable clothing she received a bobby play gym, monitors, crib sheets, blankets, books, 2 cloth diapers, a picture frame, organizers, a bottle and a sippy cup and several gift cards. 

Updates

I saw this format on another blog and thought that I would steal it for something different, enjoy!

Far along?: 32 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain: 11.5 pounds
How much does baby weigh?: close to 3 pounds
Maternity clothes?: Kind of. maternity jeans are super comfy, shirts aren't too much of a big deal-I can wear both maternity and non. I also wear my belly band with my regular pants.
Stretch marks?: Nope!
Sleep?: Very random these days. I tend to sleep better on the couch. I wake up every time I have to move positions, which is very often.
Best moment this week?: Seeing Brian's face when Julia moves so much!
Movement?:  She's a crazy lil girl! Always jumping around-especially when there is music playing or Daddy is talking to her.
Food cravings?: Not many cravings these days, but I do love me some ice cream with peanut butter and chocolate!
Labor signs?: Thankfully, no.
Belly button in or out?: neither, just even with my belly.
What I miss: Having enough energy to clean my house without taking a hundred breaks.
What I'm looking forward to: Getting her room all put together, and of course her arrival!
Milestone: By the end of the week I'll only have 50 days until her due date, yikes! 

Cloth diaper stash!

I think I finally have everything that I need for Julia's little bum when she arrives. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't love more-the fluff is just too cute! But here is what I have...

4 Swaddlebees fitted diapers with snaps, 2 thirsties fitted diapers with velcro. These types of diapers require an additional water-proof cover to be put over top of them. The beauty is that you don't have to change the cover with each diaper change. Just rotate two throughout the day-letting the one not in use air out in between uses. 

2 Bum Genius all in ones-the light pink ones. These have a super absorbent core with a waterproof outer layer. They function just like a disposable-the only downside is that they take forever to dry! Next are the covers that form a leak proof barrier over the fitted or prefold diapers. I have 3 XS thirties covers and 1 newborn cover made by Bummis.

Pictured here are 14 infant size prefolds and 4 preemie sized prefolds. These are the "old fashioned" type of diapers or "burp cloths". Pins are no longer used to fasten the diapers, I'll be using a little stretchy thing called a snappi. It has plastic teeth on three ends much like an ace bandage fastener. The snappi is the little green thing on top of the stack of prefolds. Basically, you fold the diaper, snappi it shut, and put one of the covers over it. Easy-peasy! 

The panda bear that you see is a pair of wool shorties-you would use this like any of the other covers, doubling as super cute little shorts! I also have 26 cloth wipes-good for all sorts of messes, 1 wet bag and 1 pail liner. The wet bag is the pink and green flowered bag in the picture. It is made from a waterproof material, so when out and about you can throw dirty diapers and wet clothes in it. The pail liner is the same concept, only used to line your diaper pail in the nursery. 

30 weeks!

Yesterday marked 30 weeks into my pregnancy! Brian and I still cannot believe how fast my pregnancy has gone. Besides a little heartburn or a few random aches and pains, everything has been pretty normal. I am very grateful for that! I do feel like my belly is growing more and more as each week goes by. We love watching Julia move around, she is getting so big and strong. We can now see and feel her moving on both sides of my stomach at the same time, signs that she is getting longer. I'm still betting on a small little panda bear, my guess is around 6 pounds.

Well, if anyone is wondering about Daisy, we have found her a new home. At the Eversole house! We just couldn't resist her squishy hersey chocolate face. We took her to the vet and got all her shots and had the dr. check her out, he says that she is in perfect health and is very happy to that she is in good hands. Bella is having a blast playing with her and of course, being a bit of a bully. We are certain that Daisy will become a great member of our family, she has already brought us so much love.

Today I am 30 weeks, 1 day pregnant. 68 days to go...

27 weeks, 3rd trimester!

Holy Cow! Brian and I cannot believe that I have just entered my third trimester! Time is flying by us, as we have both been busy with work and projects around the house. Brian has built up quite the wood pile for next year's winter. He has managed to find enough people that need trees taken down that won't use the wood. This will save us so much money next winter, I'm proud of my lumberjack husband! We also have been busy working on Julia's nursery! The crib arrived last week while I was in Kentucky for work. Brian had it all put together and in place by the time I got home. It looks great in the room. All of the furniture is in place, now we are just waiting on accessories, and the baby!

Julia is moving around like crazy. Last night I was laying on my back on the couch when all of the sudden my stomach got really tight and a big bulge formed to the right of my belly button. I thought that my belly was going to pop, we were totally freaked out by it! It had to have been her head or butt, it was very hard and big...eek!

In other news we started our seedlings last week. Brian and I are really excited to get in the garden. We both learned so much last year and now we are ready to go! Brian built a raised bed and we are going to try our hand at square foot gardening. From the research that we've done we think that this type of gardening will produce more yield and be less abrasive to the Earth. It also takes up less space, and is much easier to harvest compared to regular row gardening. Come planting time I'll have to share some pictures-it can't get here soon enough.

I am 27 weeks and 2 days pregnant, 89 days to go!

Nursery

Brian and I have finally started on Julia's room! (Thanks Mom and Dad!) Her room is painted a light green color, with white trim and crown molding, and the original wood flooring. I really want her room to be soothing and peaceful. I think that we will all enjoy spending time in there.

The first picture is of a bedding set that I really like. It is made from organic cotton and is called "Bunny Meadow".  I know that it isn't very practical. Babies can't really use blankets while they sleep and the doctors recommend not using those super cute bumper pads due to increased SIDS risk, but it is so precious. I added it on my registry at babies r' us-one can dream!

The second picture is of the crib that we ordered yesterday. It has a drop side rail, which I think will make it easier for me to get her in and out of her bed. It also converts into a super cute toddler bed. The front piece comes off and it is much like a miniature day bed. 

The third picture is off the glider and ottoman that we got for Christmas from Mom and Dad. I was really surprised when we opened this gift. I really wanted a comfy chair to rock and nurse Julia in. This is by far the most comfy seat in the house. The fabric is a micro-suede that is so soft and cozy. Brian and I might end up fighting over rocking her at night! 

I bought white sheer curtains that Brian gets to hang for me-he is thrilled about this! haha He thinks curtains are only good for collecting dust.  He will also be getting the closet organization system into place soon. I'm so jealous of her closet, it is twice the size of mine-and I have to share with Brian.  The only other main thing that we need is a dresser. We might end up moving ours to her room and getting a new one for us. Ours would fit perfectly in her room and it is long enough that we could put a changing station on top of it. We've been scouring craigslist adds for the last few days, I'm sure if we don't find anything there that we will find something at the good ol' Trenton Yard Sales. If you have an old dresser or chest of drawers laying around, let me know!

I am 25 weeks and 2 days pregnant, 103 days until we meet our little panda bear :)

Growing bigger

Here I am at 8, 16, and now 24 weeks. Time is flying by! I can't believe how flat my stomach was in the beginning.
Click the picture to see it larger :)

Girl Power!

Bella has been so in-tune with my pregnancy, it is amazing really. I'm sure that she knew something was up before we even found out that we were expecting our baby girl. She has always been a super lovey dog-she thinks that she is a lap dog and of course sleeps right in the middle of Brian and I every night. I wouldn't change a thing about our first baby and I certainly couldn't imagine my home without her.
Any time we put her paw on my belly her eyes get really big and she looks right into my eyes. She is very aware of what is going on. I really hope that she is good with the baby and doesn't get too jealous. She is the jealous type. Anytime I'm sitting on Brian's lap she comes and jumps right in the middle of us, she can't stand not getting any attention.

In other news- I'm 21 weeks along! We are having an orientation and hospital tour tomorrow night, which I'm sure will make everything seem even more real. Current symptoms include: Awful heartburn- no matter what I eat or what time of the day. It is pretty constant. Sore legs-this is a new one this week. My legs hurt from about knee down, I hope that they don't end up swollen and yucky. They just plain hurt!

Mom took me shopping yesterday and bought me some really cute shirts. (Thanks Mom!) I thought that since being pregnant I would be over my normal shopping dilemma of not fitting into anything. I was wrong! We picked out so many cute shirts, and still only a handful of them fit. It is kind of nice to be limited to a few stores though, and the maternity styles are actually cute now! I'm excited to have a little bit of a belly to show off in my new clothes. Pretty soon I'm going to have to retire my tummy sleeve and get some maternity pants. For now, the stretchy tube of fabric is working out great.

The last thing to share is that we have decided on a name for our little panda bear. She will be Julia Claire Eversole. Stay tuned for a video of Brian playing her a special song with her name in it!

Baby Girl!

Brian and I had an ultrasound today and got to see our little Panda Bear. It was a very exciting experience. The tech measured all of her organs, we got to see her heart beating away and all her little limbs wiggling around. Then we got the view, The Panda Bear is definitely a girl! I was pretty shocked, as I had been thinking that she was a boy. My Mom and Grandma guessed it right though. 

After the ultrasound we went out for breakfast to talk about our little girl. Then we headed over to Babies r Us, which has every baby necessity and then some. We had fun scanning things onto our registry. I'm sure that we will change and update it throughout the next few months, but it was fun to pick out cute things for our little girl.  

That's all I've got for tonight, I have to get up super early for work.

Panda Bear Fact- Did you know that baby panda's have to be cuddled or they will die?! When Brian and I started dating he starting calling me his panda bear since I loved to cuddle. We have now passed on the name our baby girl. 

Panda Bear update

Yesterday we had our monthly appointment with our Midwife. Brian was taking bets on how much weight I gained in the last month. He was off by 3 pounds! Although I feel like I've gained a ton, I only gained 3.5 pounds this month. That means that I've gained 7 pounds so far. I'm pretty happy with that. I basically eat all day long.
Cat showed me where my uterus is and how to feel it. It is right under my belly button and will continue to move up as the months pass. We also were able to hear The Panda Bear's heartbeat! It was beating away at 150 bpm. I love that sound!
After that excitement we discussed the glucose tolerance test and my thoughts on it. We decided that before next months appointment I'll check my blood sugar at home twice. One fasting and one after a big meal. If all is well I won't have to drink 50 grams of pure glucose, labeled "glucola." YUCK!

In other good news The Panda Bear has been kicking me non-stop. The most predictable time to be able to feel some swift kicks is after dinner. Usually around 6:30. Brian was even able to feel some kicks, I think he was surprised at how strong they were.

Last good thing to report: We scored an excellent deal on an Arm's Reach co-sleeper on craigslist. It is a bassinet that can be used up to 24 pounds. The cool thing about the co-sleeper is that one side comes down and attaches to your bed. I think that I'll like being able to reach over and touch/see the Panda Bear in those early months. I'm hoping that it will make night time nursing that much easier as well. Brian and I are pretty set about keeping the baby in our room as long as possible, I guess we'll find out once he/she gets here!

6 more days and we'll know if we have a boy panda or girl panda growing inside of me-we can't wait!!!

Cloth Diapers

One thing that Brian and I decided long before we were expecting The Panda Bear was that we were going to use cloth diapers. Besides being incredibly cute here are some cold hard facts for ya:

-It takes one disposable diaper up to 500 years to decompose. These diapers leave behind an average of 2.7 tons of waste per child.

-Disposable diapers are filled with a gel substance, chemicals and dioxins. YUCK! 

-Encasing your baby's bum in a plastic, gel filled diaper is a breeding ground for rash and infection. OUCH! 

-Cloth diapers save you a ton of money, YAY! We are spending about $250 to get started. This means that we will break even in 3.85 months (compared to buying store brand sposies')  We will save $809.00 in one year (pending we don't buy any more diapers)

-They are so adorably soft and cuddly. You won't believe it until you feel one for yourself.

Our Stash:

24 prefold diapers. We'll be getting 12 newborn orange edge and 12 infant yellow edge to start with.  Green Mountain Diapers 

4 Newborn Organic Velour fitteds made by Swaddlebees

4 One size Organic Velour fitteds made by Swaddlebees

4 covers from Thirsties

4 covers made by Bummis

The 8 covers and 8 fitted diapers I have gotten on deep sales, not the prices listed in the links. Of course there are some accessories that come along with Cloth Diapering, you can really spend as much as you'd like in this market. 

Brian and I understand that this may not be a good choice for everyone, but for us it is. With our schedules one of us will most likely always be home with The Panda Bear, making cloth diapering much easier. We are both willing to take the extra time to diaper our baby in cloth and do what is best for our family. If you have any questions on cloth diapering don't hesitate to ask. I've done a lot of research! 

Evolution of a baby belly!

Brian and I cannot express how happy we are to welcome the Panda Bear into our lives. We certainly weren't expecting this, but we are beyond thankful.
On November 6th, 2008 I woke up as usual and went on with my morning. I made a cup of hot chocolate, then sat at the computer to read my emails before getting ready for work that afternoon. Not long after I had finished the cup of cocoa, I knew it was coming back up.
Now, I cannot remember the last time that I have thrown up-but I do remember that it is not fun. I ran towards the bathroom crying and screaming at Brian to "Come quick, I'm getting sick!" He jumped out of the bedroom and into the bathroom just in time to see me toss my cookies, or cocoa rather, into the bathroom sink. Such a trooper he held my hair back and splashed cold water on my face.
I took it easy the rest of the day, getting someone to take my shift at work, and resting in front of the television. Later that day it sorta dawned on Brian. I had felt fine after my morning sickness and all I could think about was a butterfinger. We went to CVS, picked up a butterfinger and a pregnancy test and rushed home. I ripped open the little stick, promptly read the instructions and peed on the thing. Before I could even get up it had a huge plus sign on it. Brian was waiting near by and as soon as I said his name in a wobbly voice he came in. We looked at the stick in shock, then to the instruction booklet. Back and forth, trying to take it all in. The plus sign was certainly there.
We both started crying and hugged each other for what felt like days. "Wow, we are going to have a baby. We are going to be parents. Are we ready for this? How in world are we going to afford a child? What will our parents think?" With these kind of thoughts running through our heads you would think that we were un-wed teenage lovers, when in fact we had just celebrated our first wedding anniversary. Brian will be 28 and I'll be 25 when the Panda Bear arrives. We have a great house with a huge backyard and plenty of room for children to play.
We can say with confidence that we cannot wait to add to our family. Seventeen weeks into the pregnancy and I cannot imagine it any other way. Brian talks to the Panda Bear every day, singing songs and teaching him/her all about life in the outside world. I couldn't imagine a better husband or father. We are very blessed.