Up 10, Down 20!

I consistently joked throughout our pregnancy that being pregnant is a great weight-loss plan, at least in our case. However, I don't recommend trying it at home. :)

As most of you know, I was extremely sick until I was 21 weeks pregnant and I ended up losing an estimated 13 pounds. I finally started to gain some weight (and lose some more) during our third trimester. On the day I went into labor, I was up 10 pounds total! :)

The other day I got on the scale and I am now down 20 pounds - the 10 I gained, and 10 additional! I could not contain my excitement. I actually weigh less today than I did on our wedding day, 10 months ago. I am hoping that this continues and I can start exercising more and get rid of this baby belly pouch that I am currently sporting (got to love stretched out skin).

Not only is the weight lose a cool thing; but the other day, I put on and wore my regular pre-pregnancy jeans! It was an amazing feeling! :) Maybe I will be able to get some of those cool golf shorts that I saw at the store and wear them this summer after all.

Just for fun, here is the evolution of Sierra in my womb...
(click on image for larger view)

2 Week Check-up & Footprints on a Wall

Sierra went for her 2 week check-up on Thursday! She is doing wonderfully!!! Everything checked out great and when we put her on the scale, we discovered that she had gained 1 pound in 1 week! :) She is now 8 pounds, 6 ounces. I could tell she was feeling heavier and I know that she is a great eater, but I didn't think she would weigh that much already. Looks like her mommy's milk is pretty good stuff! :) She is so cute and wonderful! Of course, we think she is simply perfect! :)

After her check-up, we went to the midwifery center for my 2 week check-up. Just like Sierra, I am doing great and healing wonderfully. Our midwife said she could tell that I have been taking good care of myself. Much thanks for that goes to my husband who won't let me do that much and makes sure to let me know when he thinks I am over doing it. At our appointment though, I was given the "ok" to start walking more and to start doing sit-ups. Hopefully I can get my belly muscles back in shape (ready for the next time I need to push out another baby). :) Not that I had a six-pack before I got pregnant, but getting rid of this little belly pouch would be nice.

Also while we were at the midwifery center, Sierra got her footprints painted on the wall! :) It is a tradition at the center to place the footprints of all the babies born in the center on the walls. Even though we had to "risk out" of the center because my labor was not progressing, they still consider Sierra a "Midwifery Center baby" and her life is celebrated by placing her feet on the wall. Her feet are so perfect and cute and surprisingly rather small looking compared to other feet on the wall. After we put her footprints on the wall, Nell, our midwife, said that she thinks Sierra's feet are the most perfect feet she has ever put on the wall. Of course, we agree. :) I took pictures of the event...Enjoy!

Playing Dress up!

Daddy gave Sierra a bath yesterday and picked out a cute outfit for her! :) It is so fun to play dress up and she certainly has enough clothes to do it with!

Nap Time

Nap time is always more fun with a buddy; especially when your buddy is Daddy! :)

1st Bath at home!

Sierra got her first bath at home last week! (Sorry I have been slow to post these pictures & video).

Daddy got pee'd on in the process, but she seems to love bathtime! :)

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Lots of Visitors!

Sierra has had many visitors in her first 12 days of life. She is so loved and we feel so blessed.
I have tried to make sure to get a picture of all her visitors, I know I haven't been completely successful at this task. Hopefully those that aren't pictured will come back soon and we can grab a snap shot of you! :)

Here are some pictures though of Sierra's Uncle Mike and Aunt Blakely, Mimi & Papa Stank, Aunt Mary Gregory, Aunt Chris Gregory, Granny Doris Gregory, Great Aunt Julie & Great Uncle Rick, Cousins Rachel and Nicholas, Aunt Kirsten & Uncle Keith, Aunt Katie, and cousin Pierce.

We love all our visitors, but it was especially sweet to see Pierce meet Sierra and hold her and kiss her for the first time. :) I am so excited for them to be close friends and playmates.

Enjoy the pictures and videos!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Precious...

We are in love!!!


JUST THINK...

You are here not by chance but by
God's own choosing. His hand formed you
and made you the person you are

You are one of a kind
You lack nothing that His grace can't
give you.

He has allowed you to be
here in this time in history to fulfill
His special purpose for this generation.

© Roy Lessin

Sierra's first 5 days of life

Enjoy this slide show of Sierra's first 5 days of life!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

1st Check-Up

Sierra went for her first check-up today since being discharged from the hospital on Sunday evening.

We already knew our little girl is perfect in every way, but now it has been confirmed by the Pediatrician! (In case anyone needed confirmation) :)

There were some things the doctor at the hospital discussed with us upon discharge that were worrisome; but today at the doctors, all worried hearts were calmed and we were given an excellent bill of health; especially considering her entrance into this world.

She does still have the bruising and blood under the skin on the top of her skull, it makes for an oddly shaped head, but we are told it will go down in time. Also, she lost 5 ounces off her birth weight (which is normal), and today had only lost an additional 1/2 an ounce. She is a great eater and a great sleeper! :) We go back in 1 week for another follow-up and we are confident that she will only continue to do well!


PS - The doctor today said she thinks Sierra looks just like her daddy. Her features are starting to come out more and she definitely has his nose!

Pictures!!! (5 days old)

FUN PICTURES!!!!

Daddy does a great job changing Sierra!

Check out my cute ducky sleeper - Thanks for sharing, Pierce!Sierra meets Neko - Up Close and Personal! :)

Lots of dirty diapers need changing!

Never too early for "tummy time" - Sierra is soooo strong!
Brian also believes it isn't too early to start teaching her how to walk! :)

All that "walking" can tire a girl out!

Play time with Daddy!
I think someone has had enough fun for one day!

Thanks Cousin Pierce!

After our baby shower, my mother and I decided that many newborn size clothes were not necessary. The newborn size is so very small and if you have an 8 pound baby, your child essentially is already grown out of them by a couple weeks. So, we took back many items and exchanged them for size 3 months or larger. After bringing Sierra home though, we have realized that newborn size isn't that small after all and size 3 months is huge on the little girl!

Thankfully, my sister came with a box of Pierce's 0-3 month size clothes a few weeks before she was born (mostly sleepers, which are THE BEST)!!! So, here's a big thank you going out to Pierce for sharing his sleeper outfits and 0-3 month clothes with his baby cousin! Sierra loves them and they fit so nice and perfectly right now! :)

Snug As A Bug

Sierra loves to be swaddled. I am so glad I went to Babies R Us and picked up some swaddle sacks a week before she arrived. Blankets work good, but these sacks are amazing and so easy. Brian is a champ swaddling with a blanket; but for me, I need Velcro and straps! :)

I thought maybe with the treatments she had to receive following her birth and not being swaddled right away, that she was going to be a little one that didn't care to be swaddled. I was wrong, she loves it and sleeps so peacefully and securely when she is all wrapped up; Plus she looks totally adorable! :)

"Baby Blues" Are For Real...

I have known many women that have battled the "baby blues" following pregnancy and being the girl that I am, I really thought I could avoid it.

Not saying that I am better than anyone else, but honestly I thought it just wouldn't happen to me, and even if it did, I would be really good at hiding it. I am not one that likes to cry around others, or even by myself. I have always thought that the only thing crying accomplishes is that it makes your nose run and your face look red and horrible.

However, yesterday afternoon, it hit me! Like a ton of bricks. I cried for about an hour by myself (Brian was napping) and then cried again on his shoulder for another 30 minutes. I can't explain why the crying is occurring, I am sure hormones have a lot to do with it; but also I am still battling so many emotions about what happened over the past week of my life.

Many people have asked how and what happened during our labor and delivery and honestly, I do plan to write Sierra's Birth Story, I just can't bring myself to getting it out yet. Every time I even start to think about writing it, I break down. I am afraid when I do get around to writing it, the post is going to be very "raw".

Please continue to pray for us. Don't get me wrong though, among the feelings of disappointment, wishing I was still pregnant and could go back and do something differently, and feeling like I let Brian and Sierra down; I am also over joyed and totally in love with my little package that arrived exactly how God planned, even if I don't understand it all here on this earth. I promise, her amazing birth story, which demonstrates how much God is ALWAYS in control will soon make its way to this blog soon.

Homecoming!!!

Praise God! Sierra Rein came home on Sunday Night! We are still settling in and getting used to being at home with our little girl. We could not be happier or more blessed. I have been out of touch with the "real" world for the past 5 days (plus), but I wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for your constant, continued prayers. Once again in my life, I am overwhelmed by the power of prayer and the number of people that love me and my family so dearly. Thank you!

Here are some pictures of Sierra's homecoming (click on image for bigger picture). I will be posting more once we get settled, I catch up on school stuff, and I get some sleep...well...okay, maybe not the last one...but I promise to write more soon. :)




So glad to be home!



I love hanging out with Daddy!




All ready to go home...





A head of hair only a mother can love (and understand)!




Grandma (Mimi) gets Sierra ready to go home...



I really was happy to go home, I promise!

Stand-By

Quick update....

We have been in active labor since 4:30 am this morning! Praise God!!! I woke up to strong contractions that were consistently 10 minutes apart and more bloody discharge. I waited it out till about 5:30 am and then decided to call Brian and ask him to come home a few minutes early (his shift ends at 6 am normally).

Since then, my contractions have been any where from 5 minutes to 12 minutes apart (depends on my position). I have been feeling exhausted and when I lay down and sleep between contractions they seem to come further apart; although that stinks, the "shut-eye" between contractions is wonderful!

We talked to our midwife around 7:30 am and she said that this stage of labor could last all day (fun fun fun!) and that we are to call back when the contractions are 5 minutes apart for 2 straight hours. She said we most likely will not need to come to the birthing center until I am contracting every 3 minutes.

Brian is asleep right now and has been since about 9am - Thankfully!!! He worked a 12 hour shift last night and I know he is exhausted. As my labor coach, I am really going to need him later in labor, so I wanted him to get as much rest as possible. I am so very thankful for the free online Contraction Timer - I can easily keep track of the contractions, frequency and duration, without having to look at a watch or write anything down. This allows me to focus on my relaxation techniques and work through the contractions.

I can't guarantee that we will write another update before we leave for the hospital, but hopefully we will have real baby news in the next 24 hours!!!

Please keep praying for a safe and speedy delivery! Love to all!

***You can always check my sister's blogs, they may have more updates this evening - Kirsten or Katie

Show Time?

I know everyone is waiting and checking, and waiting and checking....trust me, we are waiting too!

I certainly can't complain though, it seems as though my body (and baby) are doing exactly what God naturally intended for it to do, I am just finding out that it isn't much fun to have a slow start to your labor; However, this beats induction or a need for intervention any day, in my opinion.

I will give you the update, but I will warn you first, for those that are extremely modest or have never given birth, this might be a little too much information and you might want to stop reading. :)

For the past 29 hours now I have had a continuous bloody discharge; every time I use the restroom I am seeing a mucus discharge that is tinged with blood, both on the toilet paper and in the toilet bowl. (Click on the words "bloody discharge" for more information). Apparently, this is a GREAT sign! A sign that fooled me into thinking yesterday was going to be THE day, but a sign none-the-less. Last night I was experiencing contractions (finally, I thought) - real contractions this time, exactly how they were explained to me. They were coming about 15 - 20 minutes apart; but I was feeling so extremely tired, I decided to go to bed.

I awoke every hour to use the restroom, which is not abnormal at this stage in my pregnancy, and was still having contractions at those times as well; however, I am not sure if the contractions were waking me up or if the full bladder was causing it. Now that I have been up for today, I am still having contractions about one every hour, nothing too exciting though. For some reason I have been feeling super exhausted and have been trying to rest; at some points, it is hard for me to even keep my eyes open. I read that some women get a burst of energy and some women are fatigued during early labor, guess I am the latter.

That is about all we have to report at this time. I will try to continue to keep you all updated. I am definitely in Pre-Labor; but when will active labor actually start...only God knows! :)

Thanks for the continued prayers. :)
Be sure to also check out Brian's Blog to read his cute little poem about how we are "patiently waiting".

Birthday Blog Hiatus

I know I didn't write yesterday and that may have made some of you think that this baby finally arrived....well, unfortunately she didn't arrive yet! :)

Maybe today will be the day? Only God knows!

Yesterday was a wonderful day though! It was a perfect 28th birthday! Dad headed out early to the bowling alley, while Mom, Brian, and I were lazy and hung out here till about 2pm - taking our time getting ready, eating breakfast, etc. Then we headed to the bowling alley to see my dad for a little while. Then we decided we were going to try and walk this baby right out of the womb, so we went shopping! :) We went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Michael's, and Target. It was so much fun and we stocked up on some needed items just in case she does arrive and I don't get a chance to get to the store in the next few days / weeks. :)

We arrived back home to meet up with my dad and headed out to a wonderful birthday dinner at The Cheesecake Factory! Boy was it good!!! I had the Petite Filet and it was simply delicious! Also, Mom told the waiter that it was my birthday, so after dinner this wonderful server came over to the table with a tiny plate of ice cream (Brian had made me a birthday cake at home so they didn't want to overdo it at the restaurant) and he sang happy birthday to me. It was really special, it wasn't over the top like they usually do, just one guy singing and he had an amazing voice!

We headed home after that, sang happy birthday (didn't take any pictures - sorry), ate Brian's wonderfully delicious cake, and then mom and I did some last minute preparations in the nursery while the guys watched basketball. After such a full day and so much walking, I was beat and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow!

It was such a great day; even if Sierra didn't arrive, I know that I am blessed to have a family that loves and cherishes me. I am so excited about my birthday gift too! More to share on that in a later post!

Thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes!
Keep praying that this little one makes a healthy entrance soon! :)

Pineapple? Who Knew?

Supposedly, if you eat pineapple you will go into labor. Who knew?

I never knew or even thought that pineapple would be a natural labor inducer, but apparently it is. However, the pineapple has to be fresh, not canned. I have been eating canned pineapple my entire pregnancy and fresh pineapple when it is around (like at showers on fruit trays and stuff). "They" also say that pineapple can cause miscarriages...like I said, I have been eating pineapple my entire pregnancy, so I am not sure about the research on that one.

But I also have been eating deli meat, changing the litter box, drinking caffeine, and eating hot dogs for the past 9 months as well. So I am just passing along the pineapple insight, as with anything, I recommend doing your own research! :) There are so many things that are listed as "No-No's" in pregnancy; but when you research it, you find out that you have to actually eat 7 whole fresh pineapples just to "maybe" start labor (for example)! :)

I find our society and culture these days to be so humorous!

40 Weeks!

40 Weeks and still no baby. I can almost hear the resounding sighs all around...trust me, your disappointment is shared by many, especially me! :) I am trying to wait patiently though and enjoy the last few moments of being able to see and feel her move around in my belly. That has been my favorite thing about being pregnant. It is a true miracle from God, especially to think that I am carrying a real baby human and that Brian and I created her together - from just a tiny cell - AMAZING!!!

Not much to report. I am tired, did not sleep well last night and then when Brian got home and got into bed at 7 am, I woke up super hungry and had to get up and eat breakfast. I took about an hour nap on the couch after eating breakfast and still want to stay laying down but I have A LOT of school work I should be tackling!

Whether the baby blesses us with her arrival this weekend or not, I am really looking forward to the weekend. My mom and dad are coming into town tonight because my dad is participating in a bowling tournament in Norfolk. They are going to be staying with us and I am excited about sharing meals with them and hanging out, maybe going to the mall with my mom and walking around, etc. It will be a nice break from just hanging out here waiting for something to happen. :) Also, we haven't seen my parents since early March, so we are excited to see them!

Tomorrow is my 28th birthday and Brian's birthday was Tuesday, so it will be nice to celebrate our birthdays with them as well. Who knows, maybe Sierra will join us! When I was born, my parents say that I interrupted the bowling tournament that my father was trying to watch on TV. Maybe Sierra will be just like her mommy and interrupt this bowling tournament as well! :) Like mother, like daughter?

We will keep you updated! Keep praying! :)

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea

At the recommendation of our Birth Instructor, Claudia and our Midwives, we have had a 1 ounce bag of Red Raspberry Leaf in our refrigerator for a while now.

Claudia recommends to her students that at the onset of labor, the mother-to-be should drink about a 1/2 gallon of the tea (over a period of time) to help the uterus prepare for delivery.

Even though labor and delivery could still be days away for us, I decided to go ahead and prepare our tea tonight; and it was a real production in the kitchen! I had at least 4 pots steeping the tea for 30 minutes, then had to strain it, and put it in containers with lemon and sugar (supposedly Red Raspberry Tea is very bitter, so adding sugar is suggested). I did try a little sip, but I like my tea cold and the water was still warm after steeping; however, it seemed to taste pretty good with the sugar and lemon added. I am looking forward to drinking it when it is (finally) time. :)

If you are interested in more information on Red Raspberry Leaf Tea you can simply do a Google search; But I have also included some info about the herb and the use of it below...(from wikipedia.com - Not my favorite web site and I am sure my Research Librarian brother-in-law, Keith, would be disappointed in my (lack of) research...but it gets the point across):

"The Red raspberry leaf contains many essential minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, and an easily assimilated form of calcium. An increased availability of calcium is necessary in controlling nerve response to pain during childbirth and in aiding bone development in the fetus. It also contains fragrine, an alkaloid which help tone the muscles of the pelvic region including the uterus. This allows the uterus to contract more powerfully and effectively during labor. Also, many midwives report that it aids in focusing the pre-labor contractions that help a woman’s uterus to prepare for delivery. The high vitamin and mineral content help replace those lost via blood loss during delivery. Also, the alkaloids will continue toning the uterus as it returns to its usual size. In some women, the high mineral content may even help their milk to come in."

Here are some pictures of the Red Raspberry Tea Production. Unfortunately, I didn't grab the camera until after the steeping process, but here I am in the middle of straining and preparing (and Mannix supervising, in true Mannix Style)...