Our Brand New Baby Girl

After 40 weeks of pregnancy and two long days and sleepless nights of labor our baby girl has finally arrived!

Joanna Elise
Born 1:07 PM Thursday August 6, 2009
6 lbs 6 ounces, 19.5 inches

Getting weighed. She's such a tiny little peanut.

Spending some quality time with her daddy.
She already has him wrapped around her tiny little finger.

Getting some snuggles from mommy.

Now we're a family of three. Don't we look happy?

Granny Dixie meeting her very first Granddaughter.

Getting all checked out before her bath.

Look how alert she is less than an hour after birth.

Such a happy, pretty baby.

So curious.

The arrival of our little girl has been a long awaited event and we feel so blessed to finally have her join our family. She's such a pretty little baby, and already so full of personality. She's very curious, very cuddly, and melts her mommy's heart every time she refuses to calm down until mommy holds and snuggles her. She was very alert for the first several hours after birth, but now that she is catching on to nursing she is sleeping for big stretches and trying to recover from birth. I'm trying to recover from her birth also so she's spending a lot of time in the nursery with the other babies. Some time soon I'll type out my experience with her birth for those of you who like all the gory details, but right now I need to rest and it's quite the story. It was a very long labor with my contractions starting in earnest at about 5pm on Tuesday August 4th (I did get a little break thanks to some pain meds on Wednesday morning, but more details later) and not ending until she was delivered at 1:07 PM on Thursday August 6th. In spite of a perfectly complication free pregnancy we had a pretty tough labor with a few touch and go moments and a few big scares, but she's here now, happy and very healthy.

I have wanted to be a mother since I was a very, very tiny little girl and Joanna is an answer to my prayers and dreams. Joanna means "God is gracious" and it perfectly describes the way we've felt about her from the time the pregnancy test came back positive. She's a little miracle and proof positive to me that our Heavenly Father loves us. I feel incredibly blessed to be entrusted with raising such a precious daughter of our Father in Heaven. I can't wait to watch her grow and learn and become the little person she is destined to be. She's such a blessing in our lives and we already love her more than I thought it was ever possible to love someone you just met.

Carseat adventures and 37 week update.

With my due date only three weeks away I decided it was time to figure out the carseat and get it installed in my car. It took me a little while to figure out the instructions and to figure out where the LATCH anchors were located in my car, but eventually I figured it out. The hardest part was getting the straps attached to the LATCH anchors because they are located behind the seat and I had a difficult time getting my hand in there. After some struggling I think I got the base installed correctly and the carseat hooked in, but just in case I am going to call the Utah County Health Department and see about having them do a carseat check in the next week or so.

In other news, I had my 37 week OB check-up today. Everything still looks great, though I've hit the 35 pound mark for weight gain and I'm starting to get a little nervous about taking it off after the baby is born. I was a little dissapointed that I'm only 1 1/2 cm dilated, but I am 70% effaced and the baby is head down and low in my pelvis, so I'm making slow progress. He also estimated that she weights about 7 pounds, which I have to admit makes me a little nervous since she could still grow for another three weeks and I am just one tiny woman. The doctor just laughed at my concerns and said he didn't anticipate I'd have any problems delivering a 7 to 8 1/2 pound baby... I guess we'll see. :-)

36 week update

For those of you who aren't counting down as much as I am (which is inevitably all of you), I hit the 36 week mark on Tuesday. I can't tell you how good it feels to have 8 months of my pregnancy safely behind me. With every milestone I've hit I've done a little celebration that I've made it "so far". This pregnancy has almost seemed unreal to me, mostly because it's been so NORMAL and HEALTHY. I kept expecting something to go wrong, but everything has been perfect so far and being on the home stretch feels REALLY GOOD!

Here's what I look like now:


I feel like I've gotten HUGE, but according to pretty much everyone I've asked I look tiny for 8 months... I guess I'm happy about that. :-)

The baby preparations are pretty much done now. My biggest worry had been where the baby was going to sleep for the first month or so after we brought her home, but my mom solved that by getting us a moses basket. Here's what it looks like:



I put it on a little table next to our bed, and just to make sure it was nice and sturdy I put Tieg in it and let her give it a try. Don't worry though, she absolutely hated it, so I think we're safe that she won't try to climb in with baby. :-)



We also had a tour of the hospital, which served to alleviate a lot of my other anxieties. It was nice to see where we're going to be, and have the nurse explain pretty much what would happen after the delivery. I'm geting super excited, and anxious for the pregnant part to be over and the Mom part to start. :-) At least I don't have too long to wait!

1 cm dilated and 50% effaced

This isn't a particularly exciting post, but I did have my "36 week" appointment today, even though I'm just over 35 weeks since my doctor will be out of town next week. Nothing has really changed since the last appointment- bp is still good, belly still measures well, I'm still gaining weight appropriately and although my rings don't fit my swelling in minimal. I did have my strep B test today, but I won't find out the results for another week and a half. He also checked me for dilation and effacement, and much to my surprise I'm already dilate a centimeter and half way thinned out. I guess that means we're on our way, but there's no predicting when I'll go into labor. 4 1/2 weeks until D-day.

We're getting anxious and excited for this baby's arrival, and hopefully she won't keep us waiting for too long (the thought of this pregnancy going to 42 weeks... don't want to think about it). I'm getting a little stir crazy hanging out at home, and with being so very pregnant I'm having a hard time getting out to do things. It's getting harder to move and breathe and since we don't want to spend a ton of money our options are limited. I'm also getting a little nervous about Christian being gone at Scout camp at the end of July. He'll be gone the 20th through the 24th, and I'm paranoid I'll go into labor during that week. I guess we'll wait and see.

Six weeks and counting...

I love tuesdays because it means the beginning of another week pregnancy wise. This week I hit the 34 week mark, and I have to tell you- it feels good! I had my 34 week appointment today, which went really well. Even though I constantly get told that I look really good for 34 weeks (or in other words: you look too small to be that pregnant) my measurements are right on. I have a lot to say, but rather than try to list it all out paragraph style, why don't I just make a list? Here are my thoughts at this point in my pregnancy.

• Prenatal appointments have gotten kind of boring. This visit Christian came along and we actually waited twice as long (or more) to see the doctor as my actual appointment took. I had my weight checked (more on that later), my blood pressure checked (it's still in normal ranges, but seems to be a little higher each time... 125/62 today- but the Doc says that looks good), had my urine checked (numbers look good there too) and had my tummy measured (33 cm- just fine for 34 weeks). We did get to listen to baby's heartbeat again, which is holding steady at around 150-160 bpm. We did have a little scheduling issue at the end of the appointment (I blame the fact that Dr Watabe's regular receptionist is out for a few weeks). He will be out of town for my 36 week appointment an at first the fill-in-receptionist just wanted to schedule me 3 weeks out. Armed with my paperwork that says that I need to be seen at 36 weeks I informed her that waiting until 37 weeks would mean missing a whole appointment and asked her to check with the nurse if this would be ok. I was glad the nurse said "absolutely not, three weeks at this point is way too long", and I'll be seeing my doctor at the end of my 35th week for my "36 week" appointment. This appointment promises to be a little more exciting. I get to have my GBS screening (should be interesting if I'm strep-B positive, since I'm allergic to pretty much every antibiotic under the sun...). I also get to be pre-registered for the hospital, and he said we would talk about induction (whether or not I want to be induced at some point, and when, etc...).
• The hardest part about these prenatal appointments is the part where I have to step on the scale. I've already gained 30 pounds, and 10 of that came on between weeks 28 and 32 . Even though I KNOW that gaining weight is a healthy part of pregnancy and I KNEW going into this that I would be putting on a significant amount of weight, watching the numbers go up has been a little tough. The fact that it bothers me a little surprises me, but I keep reminding myself that my putting on weight means that the baby is growing. Even though I'm having a slightly difficult time watching the scale creep up past 140 pounds (save your comments... I know I'm being silly, but like I said, I've been REALLY LUCKY to have stayed much lighter for a long time) my doctor is very pleased with my overall weight gain.
• My back hurts CONSTANTLY! And my pelvis, and my legs, and my feet.... and it's getting increasingly harder to move. Poor Christian and Tieg, taking walks to the part take about three times as long these days. One thing I'm definetly looking forward to after delivery is getting back to walking at human speed.
• My fingers are swollen and my wedding rings don't fit any more. Since I'm not a ring person in general I don't have a ring that fits my ring finger and thus I walk around feeling naked most of the time. Oh well.
• Picking a pediatrician is overwhelming. I have plenty of recommendations and I've narrowed it down to two doctors. My insurance won't cover a consultation before the baby is born, so I guess I'll just have to pick one and hope for the best! Perhaps I'll write both names on slips of paper, put one in each hand and tell Christian to pick a hand. Both doctors come VERY HIGHLY recommended, so I guess there is no going wrong here.
• I have no idea when I'm supposed to pack my hosptial bag. Every book, magazine and internet article I have read had a differet opinion on timing. Plus- I only have a limited number of things that fit and I know I'm supposed to pack maternity clothes to wear home... any thoughts?
• I also have very little idea of exactly what to pack in this hospital bag. There are countless lists out there, but what's really important. Advice from those of you who have been through this before would be greatly appreciated!
• My nesting instinct has kicked into overdrive. I have been in the process of deep cleaning the house, organizing and reorganizing every room in the house, and folding and refolding baby clothes a milion times. Sometimes the urge strikes in the morning, but strangely enough the urge often strikes at 11:30 pm and suddenly the doors to the closet just HAVE to be wiped down and the sock drawer has to be reorganized. I can't explain it any other way but nesting.

Baby's room

With all the time it took us to have a successful pregnancy and how excited I finally was to start preparations for our little girl, it should come as no surprise that with only just over 7 weeks to go I basically have the baby's room ready.

Our shower gift from my mom and dad was the money to pay for our crib. We ordered it a few weeks ago and this past Monday we finally went and picked it up. Thursday we got it put together, which wasn't super difficult, but putting the drop side on and getting the base for the mattress attached was a little frustrating.

Here's what it looks like in her room (and of course Tieg had to get in the picture too).

The dresser/changing table.

A closer look at the shelves next to the window and changing area.

Lace curtains- and yes, I made them.

The rocking chair and bookcase.

There are still a few finishing touches to add in (a hamper, a diaper pail, supplies to actually change the baby, baskets for the book shelf to organize her toys...), but I'm really pleased with the way it has turned out. :-)

8 weeks and counting

It's hard to believe, but I've already made it to the 32 week mark! Only 8 weeks to go! We've been kind of lazy about picture taking, but we did finally remember to take one last night to document how big I'm getting with only 2 months to go

Christian and I both alternate between feeling really excited for this baby to come, and feeling really nervous about having to be her parents. I hear that's normal though, so that's comforting. We're in good shape as far as the nursery goes. Told you I'd get in done by 32 weeks, didn't I? For my birthday Christian bought me the glider rocker and ottoman I wanted. And we went and picked up the crib on Monday, so once that's put together the room is basically finished. Once we get the crib together I'll post some pictures of her room. It actually turned out pretty cute!
When we were down in San Diego Christian's parents bought us a stroller (it's the Maclaren Techno XLR if you're interesting), and we bought the car seat a few weeks ago with the money my aunt and uncle gave us at my Michigan baby shower. We still have to get the car seat installed in the car, but I figure that can probably wait a few weeks. No use doing everything at once right? :-)

Baby Shower Part 1

I flew to Michigan on Thursday to visit family, attend a flag corps show at my old high school and have a baby shower my mom, aunt and sister threw for me. They did a beautiful job. I didn't get a picture on my camera, but my Aunt decorate her basement all in pink with flower and candles. She also used some adorable stuffed animals on the table that I got to bring home to put in baby's nursery. We also played a few fun games. We played BABYO (bingo, with nursery rymes) and a game where you had to guess the amount of money it would cost for a basket of baby items my mom purchased. Best of all, I got to take the basket of stuff home! There's a box of baby wipes, a bottle, a jar of baby food, pacifiers, a cooler bag for bottles, finger nail clippers and a hat and bootie set. I feel so blessed to have so many wonderful people who love me and Christian and are excited about our coming addition. We received lots of adorable baby clothes, a good start to baby Burrell's stuffed animal collection, and a generous amount of money and gift cards to get some needed baby gear. I'll admit, I'm excited to go do some serious baby shopping and to put all the cute clothes away in her closet and dresser. Here are just a few pictures of today festivities.

The cake my sister made.

A beautiful crochet blanket and pillow from Audrey (one of my closest friends, and my oldest friend- we met in preschool!).

A few of the baby clothes (these are from my mom). My favorite of all the little clothes is the yellow shirt on the right. It says "pint sized peanut" which my Mom got for us because we call our little one peanut. That's my cousin Kim's little girl Ryleigh next to me. She was so excited to help me open my presents. She was really cute when she said goodbye to me- she wished me "good luck in getting that baby out of my tummy".... if only she knew! :-)

Another hand made gift from my shower. My mom and Aunt's found a white apron in my grandmother's house when they were cleaning it a few weeks ago that my greatgrandmother made for my grandmother. My Aunt Kathy turned it into this gorgeous baby bonnet. I can't wait to see it on my sweet little baby girl. It matches my christening gown (which my grandma Luckhardt made for my dad and then I wore) that we will use when baby Burrell is blessed.

My favorite part of the day was everyone's reaction to my round belly. I get lots of comments that I don't look big for (almost) six months and that I look really great. It's nice to hear. Of course my brother and my Aunt were teasing me that they look more pregnant than I do, so we took a picture to compare. Isn't this great?

It's been a really great day. It was so nice to see everyone. I even got to spend some time with my niece and nephew. I can't wait until they can play with their little cousin too.

Receiving Blanket part 2 and other random updates

So about 30 minutes after the last post I decided I really didn't want to leave the yellow receiving blanket like it was. I pulled out all the stitching and re-did the top-stiching on the entire blanket. I used the zig-zag stitch instead of a straight stitch. I also didn't try to turn the corners this time. I am still a pretty novice seamstress and just getting a straight line is difficult for me. I think it turned out a bit better than my first attempt. It's still not perfect, as you can probably see from the pictures ... but I've been told this sewing thing gets easier with practice.

In other news, I also went and finished my baby registry at Target tonight. This registry trip was much better. I don't know if it's the obvious bump, or if people at Target are just nicer, but I had a much better time registering tonight than I did at BRU. My mom should be happy now though- she was on my case tonight to get the registry finished since the invitations to my baby shower (on May 9th) are going in the mail on Saturday.

I also had my 24 week appointment today. Even though Christian would rather see her on another ultrasound it was still nice for both of us to get to hear our baby girl's heart beat again. She's so cute, she kept moving out of the way of the doppler--- apparently she didn't like being squished in there. They also measured my bump for the first time today. I'm measuring 23 centimeters, which is apparently just right for 24 weeks (Dr Watabe told me I should be within 2 cm of how many weeks I am). It was a relief to know that I'm measuring just right, even though I still think I look pretty tiny. Everything with my pregnancy looks absolutely perfect and I'm officially considered very low risk. YAY! I do still have to have a glucose tolerance test, but apparently this test is routine for anyone. I'm not looking forward to drinking the bottle of orange stuff in my fridge, but hopefully the results of that test will come back normal. :-) I also found out from my doctor that he will schedule an induction for 1 week past my due date, which means that in 17 weeks we will definetly have a baby. It's crazy to think that I'm only 16 weeks away from my due date today... this last half of my pregnancy has definetly been going by much more quickly than the first half. Let's hope it keeps up this way!

Finally!

At 21 weeks I think I finally look pregnant! Even a few friends at the gym made the comment that I'm finally looking pregnant, and not just fat (ok, I added the "not just fat" part). This isn't the greatest picture of me (I need to stop taking them right when we get home from the gym... how about when I've actually done my hair and makeup?)

Unfortunately I've also reached the milestone where I have little to wear. I have a few prepregnancy stops that look ok and one pair of jeans I'm still trying to convince myself fit. I guess it means I'll be going shopping this weekend. Anyone want to come along? :-)

More baby fun

I got Christian to agree to go to Babies R Us with me tonight and while I had him there we decided to set up our baby registry. I was worried it was a little early, but my Mom and a few others have been asking me about it and encouraging me to go register, so I did. The girl at the counter was really helpful and reassured us that we could register whenever we wanted (and that a lot of people come register right after they find out what they're having). I've been on their website almost constantly the past few months looking at stuff and pretty much knew what I wanted anyway, so I figured "why not". It was pretty fun until the very end. We were looking at gliders and one of the sales associates came over to ask us if we had any questions. And then he had the gall to take one look at me, give me a dirty look, and tell me that it was "WAY too early for me to register". I said something to the effect of "I don't think so", which prompted him to ask my due date and then insist AGAIN that we were jumping the gun. I didn't feel like arguing with someone who was supposedly there to help so I semi-politely thanked him for his opinion (I think I actually said "thanks for your opinion, but I could have done without it"...) and walked back up to the registry counter to return my clicker. It shouldn't have upset me. It's my baby, my pregnancy, and my business what I do, but I ended up bursting into tears in the parking lot and crying the entire drive home. I'm chalking my emotions up to pregnancy hormones, but seriously, where do people I don't even know get off passing judgement on me? What could make a sales associate think they could tell a customer that they should't do something? I'm still a little peeved about it to be honest... as if you couldn't tell from the rambling blog post. But seriously- I just don't understand some people! It's bad enough that everyone who finds out I'm pregnant comments about how tiny I still am (as if I'm lying about how far along I am? I don't get it). Ok Sarah, deep breath and relax.

At any rate, we're registered (thankfully his comment came after I had clicked every thing I wanted)....

Daddy's little girl

I'm amazed at how much seeing our little girl at my ultrasound has changed Christian and my perception of her. She finally seems real, like a real little person who will be joining our family. We pulled out the ultrasound pictures from my 6 and 7 week appointments last night, and were amazed at how much she's grown in 13 weeks. We also put in the DVD from my ultrasound last night. It's only about 2 minutes (they only record the highlights), but it was awesome to be able to see her stretch and kick and make faces at us. Christian kept restarting it and when I asked him about it he said, "I just can't stop looking at her". I know he's as nervous about being a father and I am about being a mother, but I also can tell that he already loves his little girl so much. She's really lucky to have him as her daddy. Actually, she's just such an incredibly lucky girl. That's more and more apparent to me as I realize how many people already love her and can't wait to meet her.

Speaking of little girls, when Christian's cousin Chris found out we were having a girl he told Christian to "get used to the color pink". I was orginally planing to do her nursery in more neutral tones so that if she has a little brother before we move into a bigger house I won't have to completely change the nursery. That was me being practical, but I've decided practicality must go and that I'm doing the nursery in pink with yellow accents. Why not I say- besides, there's a 50% chance she'll have a little sister in a few years too. :-)

Why I love Ikea.

Christian and I just got our tax refund and we're planning to use some of the mone to buy a new couch for our front room. I was online Sunday night looking at Ikea's couches and came across their Presidents day sale. The dresser I wanted for the baby's room was on sale, Monday only, for $39.99! (It's normally $79.99). So I got in my car Monday morning and braved the madness. I got there at about 11am, and it actually wasn't too bad. The only confusing part was that you had to go upstairs to get a ticket for your dresser and then go stand in line and no one told me when I first walked in the door. Oh well. After about 15 minutes I figured it out and it only took about 20 minutes to get my dresser, including time to walk upstairs for my ticket and wait in what seemed like a very long line.

I decided to set it up when I got home and the set up was pretty easy. We have the larger 6 drawer version in dark brown in our room, and setting that up wasn't too bad. This 3 drawer version was even easier. It took about 30 minutes total. It's surprisingly heavy for being made of particle board and at $40 if it lasts until our son or daughter is in kindergarten I'll be happy. Here's a picture!

The stuffed animals are mostly mine; a few favorites from childhood I brought with me when I moved to Utah, and a few that Christian has gotten me over the years. A few are actually the baby's. They won't end up on the dresser ultimately, thought I don't know where I'm going to put them, but for now they look cute. Eventually I think I'm going to turn the top of the dresser into a changing table, but I havn't decided. I've got almost 6 months to make up my mind any way. Well- 24 weeks. :-)

Baby poll

My mom gave me the inspiration for the new poll on my blog (see top right). She's been convinced since I found out I was pregnant that we're having a boy. The other day she posted a comment on my facebook saying as much and that she wanted to know what other people thought... so voila, blog poll. I thought it might be fun to see what people think. :-)

I'm in "super excited about baby" mode today thanks to a package that arrived an hour ago from my mother-in-law containing some absolutely adorable baby clothes. I'm getting anxious to buy stuff and start setting up the nursery, but it's probably a little early still. ::sigh:: Any idea when it's no longer too early to buy stuff? Everyone says that my pregnancy will go by really fast and I'll wonder where the time went. I sure hope so, but so far it feels really slow.

12 Weeks

I went to see Dr Watabe this afternoon for much anticipated 12 week appointment. I was SO nervous. Fortunately I'm blessed with an amazing obstetrician with about the best bedside manner ever. THe first thing he did when he walked in the room was use the doppler to find baby's heart beat. He said once we heard that he knew I'd breath easier and boy was he right. It took him a minute to find the heart beat, but as he was looking he reassured me that it usually takes a little bit. Once he found it and I heard that "thump, thump, thump" fill the room I felt my whole body completely relax. I've never heard such a beautiful sound and he let us sit there and listen to it for several minutes. I did have to chuckle a little bit because apparently our baby is already quite active and he kept having to deposition the doppler to find baby again. Must be our child, I don't think Christian or I is capable of sitting still for very long.

He also did a physical exam today and reassured me that everything looks and feels completely normal for 12 weeks. He also said that he anticipates a healthy, uncomplicated pregnancy. I do get to see him again in two weeks, mostly to reassure me that everything is going well (with a patient with my history of miscarriage this is common for him to do). I also go off the heparin and progesterone at 14 weeks as well, so again it's to reassure me that everything is going well.
Although I'm rapidly falling out of the high risk category and into the normal pregnancy category he will still continue to monitor my pregnancy closely for awhile.

He eased another worry of mine: back pain. I've been spiking pains in my upper and lower back for a few weeks now and have been paranoid that this is a warning sign. I mentioned it to the nurse (well, medical assistant actually) on Monday and she said it was much too early for this symptom. Dr Watabe wasn't thrilled when I told him this, and told me that back pain is a part of pregnancy and is perfectly normal for the first trimest. Unfortunately he also told me that it will most likely continue for the duration of my pregnancy so lucky me.

I'm actually starting to let myself get excited about being pregnant now. I'll probably wait awhile to do any shopping, but I'm getting excited to buy baby stuff and maternity clothes! But for now, I'm off to take a warm shower and then bed. :-) It's been an exciting day!

11 weeks, 3 days and counting

News flash; I'm pregnant. I've been trying to wait until after my 12 week appointment to post about this pregnancy, but I have time today and a ton on my mind. Actually, Christian and I have been "trying" to wait until I am 12 weeks along to tell "a lot" of people, but we've failed miserably at this for the third pregnancy in a row.

I've been understandably nervous about this pregnancy from the very beginning. When I took the pregnancy test at the end of November I expected a negative result. After all, it took us 8 months the first time around and 15 months the second time around and we'd only been trying again for 4 months. With my history of miscarriage I've been a little hesitant to get excited or attached to this baby, but I think my efforts were pretty futile... it's impossible not to get attached. After I got the positive result I made an immediate call to my doctor who ordered several blood tests (to confirm pregnancy and check progesterone levels) and two prescriptions. I'm taking progesterone daily, and also have to give myself heparin shots twice a day in my stomach. These shots are NOT fun, and they hurt! I'd post a picture of my bruised belly, but it's not a pretty sight. The heparin is a precautionary measure that goes back to the blood test I had after my last miscarriage that showed a clotting factor abnormality. Basically they think my blood is clotting too easily. Heparin is an anticoagulant that slows the clotting process, lowering my chances that I'll form a small clot, too small to harm me, but big enough to stop baby's blood supply.

I did start to feel a little less nervous at my 7 week ultra sound when we heard baby's heartbeat. and I felt even better when the nurse called to tell me that I didn't have to come back in until my 12 week appointment. This is a MAJOR milestone for me since with both previous pregnancies the 7 week ultrasound showed no heartbeat. Somehow in the last 4 weeks I've gotten really nervous again about how baby is doing. I see the doctor on Wednesday for my 12 week and hopefully that eases my nerves a little. The biggest question on my mind though is "when will I STOP worrying about baby?" Will I ever?

The other question constantly on my mind is "when will I actually LOOK pregnant"? To the average observer I probably still look as trim as ever. I notice a few physical changes, but to most people I don't look anything close to pregnant. In fact, someone actually stopped me at church on sunday (who by the way didn't know about the pregnancy) and asked me how I stay so thin. My immediate thought? You try being so constantly nauseous that you can hardly eat and throw up any substantial amount of food you manage to get down.

Anyway, this is turning out to be a VERY LONG post.... stay tuned for more.