Santa!

Riding the carousel after seeing Santa

David wasn't loving the carousel

Avery told Santa she wanted skates for Christmas. Then she thought she was going to get them right then. Told her she has to wait!

Baby David

Sometimes I just can't believe that we've been blessed with such a sweet baby. I was a little scared that since Avery was a good baby, there was no way David would be! He's so good.

The other day we had a Christmas party with my mom's group and he slept the whole time. When we got home, of course he woke up. We stayed up for another 2 hours and he was so happy. He never fussed; he was perfectly content just hanging out with me. When he's awake and content, he has a slight smile on his face. It was such a precious time with him.

Avery is wonderful with him. I knew she would be but wondered if it would wear off at some point but so far it hasn't. She gets this high pitched voice and will say "it's alright! It's ok!" She kisses on him constantly and when he cries she tries to give him a pacifier, which he doesn't take. Every morning she asks where he is.

Time for some pictures.

Excuse the spit up on his clothes :)

Someone got into mom's lotion...

I love this girl!

I love this boy!

It's so incredibly hard to get a decent picture of her.

Christmas party for the kids

Taking advantage of the warm day yesterday.

She loves her bruver.

The majority of the pictures I take of her look similar to this. I have a special knack for taking bad pictures.

Hopefully David's hair will grow in soon! He looks like Stanley Tucci! I guess we know what we'll look like when he's old ;)

We're a little late but today we're going to go see Santa. We went over the weekend and the line was so ridiculously long that we left. Avery wants to tell Santa that she wants skates for Christmas. Of course, Santa already knows that ;)

David Michael Irving

Born November 2, 2013 at 6:06 pm. Weighing 8 lbs 4 oz and 21.5 inches long.

Baby David was born 7.5 hours after my first contractions. I had gotten in the tub at home but knew fairly quickly that things were happening pretty fast. I told David that I thought we should go ahead and go to the hospital. He asked me if I was sure and I said yes. We finally got in the car to go and got to the hospital and checked in at 3:50.

They got me to labor and delivery and rushed to get my IV's in since I tested positive for Group B Strep. They checked me and I was 7 going on 8 centimeters dilated. They called the doctor.

What I love is that Dr. Lewis wasn't on call that weekend and she still came in to deliver our baby. She was very hands off. I loved it.

My water broke while pushing (Nikki was such a life saver during this labor. I highly recommend a doula!). As soon as I saw the color of it I knew there was meconium in it. They immediately called some team in and about 3 or 4 nurses came in and stood off to the side to help with that issue. Then I started bleeding more than I should so they had to work to get that stopped. That was HORRIBLE.

He's a lovely baby. He eats well. He rarely cries. We are very blessed. Avery adores him. It's precious.

Induction

On Halloween night, I got a call from my midwife stating that after consulting with a doctor, they both felt that due to high blood pressure it would be safest to deliver the baby. Avery went to stay with grandma and David and I headed to the hospital.

A doula/midwife assistant came and met us from our midwife's practice. Her name is Nikki and she was fabulous. That poor girl sat up all night with us at the hospital for an induction that didn't work.

For some reason my body didn't respond to the Pitocin that they had me on and I never went into labor. I had a fabulous doctor (Dr. Kayci Lewis D.O) and rather than continue to try to get me to go into labor, she let me go home. She said that my blood pressure was being controlled well with the medicine and that she believed I'd go into labor on my own since I had before. So we packed up after a night in the hospital and came home.

The next day I woke up feeling fine. No contractions at all. That changed close to 10:30. I started contracting regularly. They fizzled out for a while but started back up again and they hurt like a son of a gun. That crap hurts I tell ya.

To be continued...

38 weeks with Avery

38 weeks with David

I shot my first ever selfie in the bathroom mirror! My camera is broken so I can't use it and I always forget to have David take a picture of my belly so I had to do it this way.

I am so ready to have this baby! I can't wait to hold him and love on him! It's driving me nuts. Now, every pain I have, I hope it's the start of something. So far it hasn't been. I hurt all day yesterday pretty badly and nothing. Boo!

I'm really curious to see how big he's going to be.

Well, I have been having a hard time eating enough protein and drinking enough water. This past week I had to go to the midwife twice because the first time I was spilling too much protein in my urine and my blood pressure was high. This means my body was taking protein from my muscles which can lead to a lot of problems putting me in the hospital. No good. So I had to go back the next day and be tested again. My protein and blood pressure went down so that is good.  That's going to have to be my focus until this little guy is born: eating lots of protein and drinking lots of water.

All in all I have nothing to complain about. I'm tired of being pregnant but who isn't in the last few weeks?

Here's to being patient...

36 Weeks

Well, only 4 more weeks until our little boy is here. I'm hoping it will be earlier because I'm so over being pregnant!  After next week, he is free to come :)

We finally got most of our supplies ready. My birth kit came in and I got the pool rented. We got a new crib mattress and bought a new car seat. I think we're ready :0)

We've been very blessed in that we have been able to keep everything from Avery and I've been surrounded by mom's of little boys who have been very generous in giving us clothes.

On Oct 3 my stay at home mom's group gave me a diaper sprinkle. There were 7 of us there who are pregnant!

Here's some of the loot we got.

 

These ladies have been so great. They know that I've had issues with hurting and have been so kind to offer to watch Avery so I can rest. Thankfully it hasn't come to that but it's nice to know Avery has a friend's house to play at if needed.  I'm so thankful I found this group!

 

I am so thankful I am a part of this group. It has been so great to make new friends. Friends for Avery and I both. It's so full of generous women. A lot of them know that I've been having to take it easy because of

October!!!!

33 weeks with Avery

 

34 weeks 3 days with David.

Looking a little rough in this picture of me with David! The end of this pregnancy is not near as smooth as it was with Avery. I'm taking over 1000 mgs of calcium/magnesium supplements to keep my uterus relaxed. I still struggle with pain and contractions occasionally but the calcium has helped a lot. On the days that I'm particularly hurting I also take a homeopathic medicine which helps too. I just have to keep this little guy in for 2 more weeks. He can come any time after that!

I can't believe that it's October already and by the end of this month Avery will be 3 and I'll either have a baby or be really close to having one! Baby David is running out of room and his movements hurt. He likes to put pressure on my gallbladder which hurts pretty bad. It's amazing to see how distorted he makes my belly too. Still hard to believe there's a little person in there!

Avery is super awesome of course. She's getting more and more difficult as she's getting older but that's normal I know. We're trying to keep the upper hand...don't want to raise a brat! She's definitely changing a lot but she's still so sweet...most of the time :)

I can't wait to see her with Baby David. She calls Sophia next door "sweetie pie" now and it cracks me up! She loves babies and I know she'll be a wonderful sister.

Nothing else is new here. Same ol' same ol' with David. Same ol' same ol' with me...just doing the same as always with more aches ;0)

Contractions

Well, I need to snap a belly picture but I haven't. I'll have to get on that.

On Friday the 13th I went into the hospital to stop contractions. When I went to bed Thursday night I was hurting but thought it was because we had walked around the fair. I slept for maybe 2 hours and was up the rest of the night hurting. Bad. I couldn't hardly move the pain hurt so bad and it was constant. That's why I didn't think it was contractions. I tried drinking a calcium/magnesium drink to relax my uterus but it didn't help. Finally around 5 am I went back to bed and slept a little. I got up and was still hurting so around 9 I called the midwife on call and told her what was happening. She said I needed to go in and get checked.

I went to the hospital and baby was great. They tested my urine, said I had a UTI and then gave me a shot to stop the contractions. That stuff makes you feel weird. It stopped them for a bit but they came back and then those weren't picking up on the monitor anymore even though I was still hurting. They sent me home.

This pregnancy I have had the feeling he will come early. I thought though that once my antibiotics kicked in, that I would have no more problems and would be good to go. On Monday morning (Sunday night) I had more contractions. They never got consistent and faded out. Wednesday (yesterday) was the first day I finally felt good. Then today I started hurting again. I've been on the antibiotic for almost a week. I'm just wondering now if it's my uterus being irritable. I've got to keep this little guy in until I'm at least 37 weeks or else I can't have a homebirth.

I just hope he's not born on Avery's birthday.

I'm curious to see what is going to happen. I think he'll come early but just wait and see...he'll probably come late :0)

Ultrasound

I went and had my ultrasound today and found out my placenta has moved up and out of the way of my cervix. Yay!

Little man is growing right on track. His legs are measuring ahead so maybe we'll have another tall kiddo.

I got a good look at his face. I was impressed for just a 2D ultrasound. I was able to see his lips pretty clearly and also his nose. He wasn't cooperating too much though. He had his ankles crossed this time and last time too.  I got a picture of what looks like a thumbs up and his arm already looks chubby. I don't think it is though. I believe she said he weighs about 3.6 lbs but I know that u/s this late in the game aren't always accurate. I could also see his mouth opening and closing and his tongue moving. Pretty neat.

The lady tried to see if we could see hair but we couldn't.

I have a feeling he's going to come before Nov 5. I hope it's just not on Oct 28! Seems as though I may have a UTI so I've got to go get labs done. Bummer. Last night was a long night with a lot of pain. No fun.

Tomorrow I'll be 30 weeks! Not much longer until we meet our SON!!!

Dancing Queen

My girl loves to dance. If she would have been potty trained by this month, she could have started dance lessons but I guess we'll wait until next summer since we missed out on this fall. I love this picture of her. She's so happy.

If how much this baby moves in my uterus is any indication of how he's going to be outside of my uterus...we're going to have a wild child on our hands! I don't remember Avery moving this much.

I'm plugging along with my studying. Yesterday I got a big ol' lesson on the purpose of the foreskin :0) I did learn a lot though. Now I have to give pros and cons to circumcision. Ugh :(

I have an ultrasound on Monday to make sure my placenta has moved up. It was really low back in June. Hopefully it moved up. If it hasn't, I think that will mess up my homebirth. Hopefully I'll get a good report.

David's been working on the garage. Next project is completely redoing our shower/tub in the main bathroom. I can't wait. I've been waiting for this!!!

Today was the first day of school in Edmond. Fall is coming! Fall means new baby! I can't wait to see what this little guy is going to look like. I can't wait to see what his personality is going to be like. I feel blessed that we're getting to experience life with a daughter and a son. Now, if I had 2 more kids--another girl and boy, that'd be perfect!

27 Weeks

27 Weeks

Feeling good still! I'm very thankful for easy pregnancies once the nausea subsides. You know, when I was pregnant with Avery, I wasn't nervous about the whole laboring/birthing process too much. I didn't know what to expect. This time I do and am starting to dread what's ahead of me lol. I have always heard that the second birth is usually faster (I hope so) but that the second baby is usually bigger (I hope not!). More than labor though, I feel nervous about some things that happen after the birth. I won't say exactly to spare any males who read this! David kind of chuckled that I was more worried about those things than pushing a baby out with no meds :0)

I'm excited though. I was sad getting rid of Avery's cute little girly clothes but it's been exciting getting boy clothes.

A few weeks ago I experienced swelling, which I never had before and over the weekend I had HORRIBLE heartburn. Oh my goodness. I rarely had it with Avery and it wasn't anything bad. This started Friday night and was almost non stop until Sunday morning. Ugh. I'm thankful I don't get it often. I do feel more sensitive toward it though this pregnancy.

I was hoping to post a picture of me at 27 weeks with Avery but my pictures are from 25 weeks and then skipped to 31 weeks.

The other day we had our air off since David was painting the garage. It was hot so we went outside and had a carwash. Avery thought it was great. She was so excited over a bucket of soapy water! She washed her cars and bikes and the cement.

3 more months and our little man will be here. I can hardly believe it! Avery's going to be a great big sister. All of the mom's in my mom's group were going on the other day about how sweet and nurturing she is and agreed she'd be a great big sister. Proud mama here!

The Little Things

Tonight I was watching my stomach roll while little David was squirming around. I was thinking that there is nothing better than feeling/seeing your baby move while in utero. Then I started thinking that I say that now but the next thing will come along and I'll think there's nothing cooler than that.

I remember during different stages or phases with Avery thinking that this was my favorite. Then the next one would come and I'd think the same thing. Right now, I'm loving Avery's age. I'm really not much of a baby person so I'm really enjoying it now that she's getting older.

I love love love our evenings together. Every night before bed we wind down in mommy and daddy's bed. I love that she asks for it. Usually it's just Avery and me but sometimes David joins. Even when our evening is running late, she still requests laying in mommy's bed. 10 minutes is all she needs and she's good. I love that we have our special time. I can't wait to experience similar things with my son.

I'm so grateful that we are given special moments like that in the world we live in.

We have been blessed with the sweetest little girl. I can't wait to see what this little boy is going to be like.

Just a little update.

Avery went to the allergist this morning so we could get refills on her epi pens that were expired. We got new ones that actually talk you through what to do. It's pretty neat. She measured at 39.3 inches tall and is 35.5 lbs.

According to the internet, since I haven't taken her to the doctor in a million years, she is above the 95th percentile for height and between the 90th and 95th percentile for weight. That's pretty generic I guess since it's the internet. It does show that she's pretty big...which we already knew :0)

Avery is getting a blood test done which will give us an idea of whether she might outgrow the peanut allergy. This doctor said that it was a good sign that she had multiple exposures with only a mild reaction. Yay!

As for the baby goes...I will be 26 weeks tomorrow. A little reminder of what that means:
The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about 1 2/3 pounds and measures 14 inches (about the size of a scallion) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

On Saturday I experienced swelling for the first time. I never swelled with Avery. Saturday my feet were huge and my legs were aching. Thankfully I was able to come home and elevate my feet and drink some water. I haven't had any issues since. I had walked around a baby expo that day and Whole Foods then went and sat in a movie theater for a while.

David's been working hard on the garage. It's looking good. Nothing new with him really. I've been trying to get reading done for my certification. Which means I've been having to go to the library because I can't get it done at home. 9 books to go, 2 videos to watch and report on, 1 essay, observe and document a birth (2 but have already seen 1), compile a list of community resources, attend all workshops and finish my study guide...That's all that's left :)

23 weeks

Here I am at 23 weeks and 2 days with baby David.

Here I am at 23 weeks with Avery.

I can see I'm carrying David (that sounds so weird to say) higher than Avery. I'm wearing the same pants. I also love to wear tank tops!

We can't wait for our little man to get here!!!

 

Baby Boy

 

 

On Friday, June 14, we found out that we are having a little boy!

 

David got to hear the heart beat and see the baby so I think that made it more real for him, just as it did with Avery. They actually gave me a dvd of the whole ultrasound, not just still pictures.

 

I never wanted to say for sure but I kind of had a feeling this baby was a boy. I even referred to him as a "he" once and David gave me a questioning look and said "he??"

 

We are really excited to have a son.

 

I'm looking forward to all things boy :)

3 More Days

 

My Avery girl is going to be a good big sister.

 

Ever since I watched my neighbor's baby, Avery has been more interested in her dolls. She will hold them to her shoulder and pat their back and shhh them.

 

Occasionally, they poop and she has to change their diaper :)

 

Friday the 15th we find out whether she'll have a little sister or brother. Everyone says they think/hope/know it's a boy. We'll see!



Baby #2!!!

Avery is 30 months old. I can't believe she is almost 3!!!

She loves Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go!

She would live on pickles alone if I'd let her.

She loves salt and pepper on her food much to David's dismay. The other day we ran out of salt and he sliced up some cucumbers for her. I told him to just pretend like he put salt on them, so he did and handed her the plate. She took a bite of cucumber, stood there and looked at it and turned around to David and asked for salt. There was no tricking her. So he was able to get a tad bit out of an old shaker and put it on. She took a bite and it passed her inspection so off she went with her plate of cucumbers.

She absolutely adores playing outside with the neighbor kids and yells "friends!" when she sees them. She especially loves the 11 year old across the street, Kayla.

She's getting to be such a big girl and she just makes my heart want to burst!

In other news, March 1st we found out we are expecting another baby Irving! I am 13 weeks and 1 day. I was looking back at this blog and reading where I was at this time in my last pregnancy and it's pretty much the same.

I am only a few months behind Amy and found out that a high school friend is due Oct 24 and I'm due Nov 5th! Another high school friend is due in August I think. The girl across the street is pregnant and my neighbor has a 4 week old baby. Something is in the water I guess :0)

I'm super excited for Avery to be a big sister!

I had been trying to study for my certification to become a natural childbirth instructor but I've been too sick so thankfully they've let me change which workshop I'm attending to next February. First it was going to be in October but that was too close to my due date so they bumped me up to July. I just can't get everything done by then. I can't wait until I can start teaching classes!

I know that only about 3 people are going to read this. I took most everyone else off the list. That's ok. I want this part of life recorded for this baby too :)

26 Months

A few little tidbits about our girl.

She's almost 27 months.

She loves to eat. She asks to eat all day long. Here are some of her favorites:
-"ice cream" which is really frozen yogurt in a tube.
-still loves pickles.
-French's fried onions
-suckers
-corn on the cob
-cereal
-salad

She eats the best at breakfast.

She has moved on from Elmo. Her new TV favorites are Caillou, Blues Clues, The Backyardigans (Birds, she calls them) and Mickey Mouse (mouse she says).

She likes to wear hats.

She likes bust out in song. She likes for us to sing while she plays an instrument.

She has an obsession with sticking her hand in her diaper/pants.

She loves to take baths and asks to often.

Every day when her daddy comes home she repeatedly asks to jump (David throwing her on the bed) and play. REPEATEDLY!

She loves to paint and draw.

She can count to ten and literally wakes up counting. I even heard her count backwards: 3,2,1!