Everything has been great around our house! The first night was a little rough. Jaiden didn't want to sleep and would wake up about every 15-30 minutes. I finally just laid her on my chest and we slept for a little while. I am trying not to get into the habit of doing that but I will do what I have to do to get a little sleep. She has spent most of her days sleeping. She has a few hours of time where she is alert but most of the time if she is awake she is fussy. The last two nights she has cried for about 3 hours then slept for 5 hours. I can handle the 5 hours of sleep! She is really sweet and we fall in love with her more everyday!

Saturday Hannah went with Emily & Jared to the pumpkin patch. Josh went fishing with Casey so Jaiden & I went to Toys R' Us (there was a sale that Santa needed to get) and the new Target. We weren't gone for long but it was so nice to get out and about! I can't stand to stay in for too long. Then we all went to Ben & Rachel's house to eat dinner and carve pumpkins. We had a great time but didn't stay too long. Hannah & I were tired.

This morning we went to church. It was Jaiden's first time outside the womb to go to church. Of course everyone "oohed" and "aahed" over her. We went to eat with Ben & Rachel & Ryan & Jennifer. Then we went back to church tonight. So I am tired and need to go to bed.

This week has been so great. Jaiden really is a sweet baby and I am just trying to figure out her little cries and cues to know what she needs. It takes a few weeks to get it together. Hannah likes Jaiden being around. She has been a great big sister. She doesn't like her to sleep but she won't just wake her up. She usually asks if she can wake her up but when I tell her no she will go about her business. When we got in the car to leave for church tonight Jaiden was crying. Hannah said "I think she is sad because we don't have Pinocchio!" Hee-hee! I love that girl so much! I need to do a whole blog about the funny stuff she has said since Jaiden has been here. At dinner she prayed "Thank you for letting Jaiden come out of mommy's tummy." Even though I am running on little sleep and at times it is hard handling two kids (especially when one is screaming her head off), I am truly blessed! God has given me so much so I am trying to take it all in because I know she won't be this little for long! Anyway I am interested in seeing how this week goes! Hope yours is great!

Sleeping in her bed for the first time...



Hannah & Jaiden before church this morning (the only pic I took)...


Jaiden swinging for the first time (and Hannah dying to swing her higher!)...

Be Still My Heart...

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Jaiden's FINALLY here!!!

I am sure that all of you know that Jaiden Ashley has finally made her appearance!

Monday night I woke up around 11:45 and my water broke. My contractions started and were about 4 minutes apart so I woke Josh up. We called my mom, the doctor, and David & Susan. David & Susan came to stay with Hannah until we were certain they were going to keep me and when we knew how far I had already progressed. We wanted her to sleep as long as possible. We headed to the hospital. They gave me an epidural right away (I LOVED my nurse) but I think it slowed my labor down. We waited a while to be able to start pushing. Around 5:00 they gave me some Pitocin to speed things along (since my water had already broken). That did the trick! Around 6:30 am I started feeling some pressure. Luckily no pain becaues the anesthesiologist did a GREAT job!!! I couldn't feel my legs at all and couldn't control them either but I could still feel the pressure. (This is why I think people are crazy when they say that they don't want any medicine because they want to do all the work - believe me you do all the work and can still feel the contraction but not the pain!) Anyway my nurse started to get the room ready for the doctor. Then she told me that we were going to push through a contraction to test how well I pushed. Well that was a mistake because I almost had her on the table. They made me wait through two contractions for the doctor came in. This was the worst part of the whole experience. He finally ran in and after two pushes, delivered her around 7:16 am!

She is perfect!!! When the ultrasound tech told me she had hair, I had no idea how much! The pictures really don't do it justice. Hannah had hair but no where near this much! She has beautiful eyelashes and already has eyebrows! She weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and was 20 3/4 inches long. (smaller than Hannah!) I was surprised because I thought she would be at least 9 pounds. Jared said she was growing hair, not body :0) She has been the best baby - very laid back. She eats fairly well and slept a long time last night. She is so sweet and likes to be cuddled but also likes to look around and take things in. Hannah LOVES her! She hasn't been able to see her much because the hospital was a little overwhelming for her but she is excited. Amy is bringing her home in a little while and we are anxious to all be under the same roof again! David & Susan have pictures of Hannah holding her for the first time because Josh was trying to video everything. I will post more pictures later. There were so many! I appreciate all the well wishes and prayers. We are so blessed and thank God for our sweet little baby, Jaiden! More later, time for a shower and a nap!


Hannah & I waiting to hold Jaiden. Hannah is excited because she has on her "Big Sister" necklace!


Holding my sweet baby girl! I can't get enough of her (but I am trying to lay her down some so she doesn't get used to be held ALL the time)






Proud daddy! Josh is the best husband & father!


Sleeping peacefully!


Looking around and being beautiful

Josh & Hannah watching TV. Poor Josh slept in this chair for 3 nights!

Getting ready to come home!




In the car seat for the first time!


We can't get out of the hospital room fast enough! We are dying to see our Hannah-bug!

We went to my doctor's appointment today and all is well. I had an ultrasound to check her fluid levels and they look great! She is definitely head down and ready to go. We did see that she has hair! You could see a little peach fuzz sticking out. I thought it was so cute. :0) I also had a non-stress test and that was fine too. I had FINALLY made progress this time - YIPPEE! Now I am not so worried about being induced. I was more worried about a bad labor starting from nothing but since my body has begun the process I am okay with helping it out if need be. I will go in on Wednesday morning if she has not decided to arrive by then. I am still hopeful that she will come tonight or tomorrow.

I wanted to post a funny story about Hannah. Yesterday morning in church she was looking through Josh's Bible. He had made some notes and highlighted some passages. She looks up at him in the middle of the sermon with a terrible look on her face and says "Daddy, God did not tell you that you could write in your Bible! You are going to be in trouble!" I guess she has been listening in class when Emily & Rachel tell her that writing in her Bible is not the right thing to do. It made me laugh. She has been so bossy lately. I guess she is getting ready to be a big sister!

Still hanging on...

After hours of agonizing over the decision to be induced (and second guessing myself and crying all the way home from the doctor's office), I have decided to wait it out a few more days! I still haven't made any progress but I am still hoping and saying lots of prayers that she will come on her own. I read a lot about inducing last night and since my body is apparently not even close to being ready, I was really nervous that trying to induce would send me into a VERY long labor. From what I read all of the techniques are not a guarantee that your body will respond and go into labor, which will ultimately mean a c-section. I realize that this isn't a guarantee but it is a very real possibility. Since I don't have a crystal ball to predict the future, I just decided that I would wait it out. I am praying she will come on her own. I will give her until 41 weeks. I go back to the doctor on Monday and they will do some testing to make sure all of her fluid levels are okay. If she hasn't come by then, I will be induced on Tuesday. Of course the ideal situation would be for her to come on her own but we shall see. She seems to be comfortable and a little stubborn. I don't really care as long as she is healthy! Hannah may be right when she says that she isn't coming for two more years! HA! Either way, next week at this time I will be able to look at her - she will either be a few hours or a few days old!

New post, same story

Yes, I went to my doctor's appointment yesterday and STILL no progress. Jaiden must be really comfortable or she has heard us talking about trying to stay away from the swine flu and she is scared! Just kidding. I have been so paranoid this week. We have several people at church that have had the flu and Clay (my nephew) had a stomach bug. So everyone is afraid they will be sick and will not be able to come to the hospital. Luckily we haven't been exposed to the stomach bug and it seems that everyone is over that but the flu is still in question. Dr. Snowden said everyone has to be fever free for at least 48 hours before they can visit. I hope everyone gets well.

Even though nothing has changed, I am still measuring correctly, have good blood pressure, and her heart rate was 145. I had gained one pound. Dr. Snowden wants me to come back on Tuesday and depending on how things are looking she will more than likely admit me on Wednesday to be induced. Now I am not so sure that I want to be induced. I am a believer that the body knows what to do BUT I will be over due so I am not so sure. I have heard that inducing can lead to a long labor. I don't want to be in labor for hours on end when it seems (based on Hannah's birth) that once my body goes into labor it is a fast process. Of course, every birth is different but I am torn. I am praying that I won't have to make the decision and that she will come on her own this weekend. The day I had Hannah I went to the doctor with no progress for the week. Then I came home and my water broke. So I don't know what to do. I hate making decisions, especially ones like this!

So for now we are just waiting and waiting. Hannah told us yesterday that I was going to have Jaiden in two years! I told her there was no way that I was waiting two more years but I am sure to her it has felt that long. She loves to talk about how she is going to hold Jaiden and kiss her. However she told me this morning that she was going to swing her but I tried to explain that she would be too little. She also seems really excited about changing her diapers. I think that will get old fast.

In other news, it is not too late to walk the Alzheimer's Walk on Nov. 7th. If you want to join our team just let me know. If you are walking, please ask everyone you know for a donation (big or small). I have some envelopes if you want to mail to anyone who lives far away. I need to get busy and try to recruit some more people. Plus we still need a name for our team. Any suggestions? Think seriously about walking. It should be a fun day. Kids are welcome and if you participate in the "Good Samaritan" program for Lads to Leaders, this is a great way to earn some points. I am sure you will leave feeling good that you have helped many families who are struggling with this disease. If you don't want to walk, I will take your money!

Hopefully my next post will be about Jaiden's birth!

39 weeks!

Any day now...

I am READY right at this moment to have this baby! I go back and forth all the time wanting labor to begin & then wanting to stay pregnant a little longer. I am not really in a rush to be done with being pregnant but at the same time I want to hold her & see what she looks like! Right at this moment it is 4:45 am, I can't sleep because I have indigestion (I know TMI but it is the truth) & my hips hurt from laying on them all the time (no more sleeping on my belly which is my fav way to sleep and now no more on my back because I can't breath). I just want her to be here. I thought she was coming tonight at dinner. I had about 4 strong contractions while we were eating then we got in the car to come home and nothing! Oh well she will come when she is ready.

I went to the doctor on Wednesday and it was the same story - no progress and still a healthy pregnancy. We are just waiting on labor to begin. I am still feeling great. Although this week I have been told how heavy, pale, & tired I look. Maybe I am in denial but I think I look alright! hee-hee Most people have been positive but it is always hilarious to me to hear what people have to say and how they say it. Like "well you look a little pale but other than that you look great!" Are you supposed to say thank you after the comment?! LOL!

This week the weather has been great so Hannah & I have spent a lot of time outside. She loves to be outside and needed to run off some energy from being cooped up for the two weeks it rained. We have had a laid back week mainly staying close to home. I am trying not to spend money and rest up a little.

Yesterday Hannah went with Kim to the zoo (she had a BLAST!) so I went shopping with my sister, Amy. It was a nice break and I got a lot accomplished. Today Hannah & I are going shopping with Emily (my friend, not my niece) Do you see why I need to stay home? All of this shopping can get me in trouble! It should be a fun day. Plus I guarantee it will be a very interesting and hilarious story if I go into labor while I am with Emily! Her 30th birthday was yesterday and we "flamingoed" her yard Thursday night. I think she was surprised and hope she had a great day! Happy 30th Birthday, Emily!!! She is a great friend. Hannah adores her and I am glad that Hannah has a great role model to look up to. I think Hannah would live with her & Jared if we would let her!

I am actually sleepy now so maybe I will get a little bit of sleep before the day starts! Maybe this week we will have a baby!