January 28, 2011 - So I don't forget....

January 28, 2011
I do this blog for me. I am not much of a "journaler", but I love that I have a picture record of our lives. I don't often write down my feelings about things, but I've got the photos and the memories. It has now been over a month since our sweet Siri was born and I want to be sure to get all of those memories written down so I don't forget over the years.

December 25, 2010
I woke up Christmas morning about 4:00 am having "feelings" every 8-10 minutes. I layed in bed for almost an hour, trying to go back to sleep, but I realized that these "feelings" kept returning at equal intervals. I finally decided to just get up at 5:00 am and be productive. In addition to my "feelings", I was honestly super excited for Christmas! I can honestly say this was by far the best, most fun Christmas I have ever had! I have wonderful childhood memories of Christmas, but it is so much more fun anticipating the excitement of your own children as they open their gifts and experience the magic of Christmas.

Anyhow, I got up at 5:00 am and started cooking our Christmas breakfast. While slowly cooking the bacon (I had the time), muffins, and cinnamon rolls, I put on "While you were sleeping", my favorite movie (especially at Christmas time) of all time. Although I didn't want to say that my "feelings" were indeed contractions, I thought this movie was more than appropriate to watch because this is what we watched while I was in labor with Aniston. By watching this movie I was willing these "feelings" to be contractions. I got through the movie, breakfast was ready, and it was almost time for the girls to be waking up.

The girls got up around 7:30 am, but we had to wait another 15 minutes until my parents arrived. The "feelings" kept coming about every 7-8 minutes. We had a great time watching the girls open gifts. They were SHOCKED to go down stairs and find a gigantic trampoline set up and ready for jumping. I had purchased the tramp in August and left it covered in the garage. We told the girls that they giant box was a surprise (which we so lovingly named Mr. Poop) and they never looked under the blanket all those months. The biggest hit of Christmas morning, however, was the Rapunzel dolls and castle. We had a relaxed Christmas morning opening and playing with gifts, eating breakfast, and finally getting ready for the day.

Leading up to Christmas I kept telling people that I wanted to make it through 11:00 am on Christmas and then our little Siri could come whenever. Well, 11:00 am came and went, but the contractions were still there. I still didn't call them contractions, but the idea that she may be coming within the next 24 hours was becoming more real to me. We made it to the Sorensen's around 2:00 pm for the remaining Christmas festivities. I remember sitting on the floor watching people take turns opening gifts and just closing my eyes, quietly breathing through contractions. They were coming at a steady 7-8 minutes and were getting a little stronger, but still not crazy painful. I took a nap around 5:00 pm and thought that perhaps the contractions were lessening. After getting up about an hour later I walked on the treadmill for 30-40 minutes. As we were preparing to leave the Sorensens around 8:30 pm Annie asked if we wanted to leave the girls. I didn't feel like I was close enough to warrant leaving the girls with them, so we went home.

We made it home around 9:00 pm and the contractions started to really kick in! It was funny how quickly things change. Each time a contraction came (harder than the last), I would get up and walk through it. Sheesh! I was finally willing to admit that this little bug of ours was on her way. I didn't want to say that I was really in labor all day because I didn't want to be disappointed if I wasn't. Well, it was real labor, she was on her way, and we couldn't wait! About 9:15 pm I asked Austin to call his parents to see if they could come to stay with the girls. Although contractions are super painful, it was so fun to have this wonderful, exciting event happen....and on Christmas! We made it to the hospital a little after 10:00 pm. Although the contractions were intense they were still only 6-8 minutes apart and they weren't lasting very long. I was a little afraid we would have to go back home if I was still at a 1.

Our sweet nurse Kim (who I would have set up with a single brother/brother-in-law if I had one...she was that great) checked me and I was at a 4! For me, this was huge! When I was admitted with Aniston I was barely a 2. When I was admitted with Tylar, even though it was for a scheduled c-section I had gone into labor before getting to the hospital, I was a 3. So me being at a 4 all on my own...hooray! I swear the moment we got into the hospital Siri could tell so all of the sudden the contractions were suddenly 3 minutes apart and they were INTENSE and SUPER PAINFUL. It is a good thing they make the rails on the hospital beds sturdy because I could have pulled it right off. Kim, our nurse, asked if I wanted the epidural first or if I wanted to be admitted first. I thought, "Let's see how this really feels for a bit," so I opted to be admitted first. As soon as all the questions were done, it was now around 11:00/11:20 pm, and yes indeed I was ready for that epidural. After I received it it took quite a bit longer to take affect than it did with Aniston. Needless to say, once the pain finally subsided, I was so grateful for the epidural!

December 26, 2010
Because this was a VBAC, they don't want to give you pitocin to avoid a rupture or the like. We rested/slept for a couple of hours. Periodically the nurse came back to check me. By about 2:30 am or so I had only gotten to a 5. She got the okay from the doctor to give me the very lowest dose of pitocin to see what that would do. I got the pitocin around 2:40 am or so and by 3:00 am I was fully dialted and ready to go!

The doctor (Dr. Froer delivered Siri because my doctor, Dr. Irion was in Germany) was super laid back and told me to push when I was ready. Although I had the epidural, I could still feel pressure (I guess that is what I felt, now that I am trying to remember as I write this I'm not sure if that was it). Anyhow, I pushed through 2 contractions and my sweet Siri bug was born at 3:24 am at 8 pounds 2 ounces, 20 inches long! I feel so blessed to be called a mother. Not just any mom, but the mom of these wonderful, beautiful girls! It is truly amazing the love you feel for these precious daughters of our Heavenly Father! I remember with Aniston after she was born they gave her to me and I felt like it was someone else's baby. How could I be her mother. Of course, that feeling lasted for maybe a minute, before I was absolutely connected and in love! Now, on number three, I am a mom and the love and connection was immediate!

While we were waiting for our little Siri to arrive, Austin had been sleeping on the couch which was right next to the window and it was freezing. Everything happened so fast when I was finally ready to push and she was born. After a long Christmas day and then almost being startled awake, I think that Austin's body was a bit exhausted and got a bit woosy after Siri was born. He didn't do it with the other two so I think it caught us both by surprise. Immediately after she was born I looked over at him and he was as white as a ghost. The nurse told him to sit down, but he said he was fine. She said, "No, I've seen that look before, sit down." He was fine and we now were a family of five!

I was able to just hold her for quite some time and was immediately in love! She was a champion eater right away! Everything about her birth was absolutely perfect...and so fun! She was an amazing sleeper and pooper during her stay at the hospital. Aniston and Tylar met Siri on Sunday afternoon after church. Aniston was excited to have a new baby sister, but was timid about holding or touching her. Tylar on the other hand was beside herself with excitement that she was now a big sister! She loved her little Siri and wanted to love and hold her!

February 18, 2011
Now that I am writing this almost two months later, Siri has been nothing but an absolute joy! Everything about baby #3 has been absolutely wonderful! She is a very easy going baby and only cries when she is tired, hungry, or messy. She does have a fussy time at night from about 6-8, but other than that she is so mellow and pleasant. She is s super eater and great sleeper. During the past week (week 7) she has started to sleep for 5 hours during the night. I have only had one, maybe two night when I was so exhausted I felt like crying, but other than that it has been great! I have felt wonderful, of course I was sore for a couple of weeks, but good heavens, I just pushed out a baby! Aniston has been super emotional and would cry that she missed mommy at preschool and tumbling. I think now, however, she has gotten over that a bit. Tylar has been a super sister and has loved having a baby sister!

I love my girls and I am so blessed to be their mom! I love being a mom! I have never fit so well in my skin....I love what I am blessed to do! I am so grateful for my Aussie! It is hard to imagine that we will be celebrating our 7th anniversary in the next couple of weeks. I know that he and I are two seperate people, but the longer you are with someone, the more you really do become one. We are a team and we make a great team! I am so grateful that we have been blessed with another little girl and I can't begin to thank my Heavenly Father enough for all that He has given us!