New Beginnings

I realized that I need to start blogging again and decided that it is time for a fresh start with a new blog. I gotta keep everyone updated and what it going on with me and my cute little babes! I am going to make it private to if you wanna be able to read it please send me your email address!

http://brittanyandbabies.blogspot.com/

Sophia Lynn Baker

After 27 hours of labor including 5 hours of pushing Sophie was born at 6:46 on August 30, 2010. Weighing 8 lb 1 oz and 21 1/2 inches long!

It has been forever since I posted but I figured a beautiful baby girl is a better reason than any!

The past few days have been the longest, most painful and most AMAZING days of my life. I have my little girl and little boy and I could not ask for anything more!

So at 41 weeks I was supposed to be induced but there was no room at the inn. They had me come down to the hospital for a post date non stress test and ultrasound to make she everything was going good but every bed was taken and there were women in triage in active labor so they had to send me home to come back Sunday morning. I had to call at 5 am Sunday morning to see if there was a bed available and the said yes! Me and Robert got here and 7 am and got all checked in and settled.

Since I was doing a VBAC I could not have any of the cervix ripening medications (increases the risk of a uterine rupture) so they put in a folly catheter. I had never heard of that before but it was pretty cool. It is a small balloon filled with fluid attached to a small catheter and it would run against the cervix and irritate it to release the chemicals that get labor going. I had that in for 12 hours and it only got me to a 3 but from no labor at all to 3 with no pitocin was good for me! After that 12 hours (11:45 pm on Sunday) they took it out and got the pitocin going. They had the pitocin on a very slow drip. They didn't wanna push it too much again because of the risk of a uterine rupture. After a while the pain was getting really bad so they gave me fentinol because I wanted to hold off on the epidural as long as I could to prevent slowing labor down. The fentinol really did not help much at all it just made me feel loopy and tired so I didn't get anymore of that! At about 2 am they checked me and I was at 5 cm and they decided to break my water. At this point I had the epidural so I made sure to get as much rest of possible through the night so I would have the energy to push.

They checked me again in the morning and I was only at a 6 so they started to push a little more pitocin and a couple hours later I was at an 8. At about 1:45 pm I was FINALLY at 10 cm and it was time to start pushing. I was very lucky to have 3 of the most important people in my life in the delivery room to help me: Robert, my mom, and Meagan. I do not know what I would have done without these three people there! Meagan and my mom each had a leg and Robert held my hand and helped me pull my head up to try and push her out while I was pushing. Even with the epidural that was the most intense thing I can ever imagine doing. They had to keep adding more medicine everyone in a while because the pain would get so bad and I just could not push anymore. Once the meds kicked into gear and was pushing great and had to much energy till the wore off again lol. I really got to a point that I really did not think it was going to happen. Pushing for 5 hours is a very long time and the nurses told me I was very lucky to have the doctor that was on duty because she is the most patient and most the other doctors would have pushed for the csection after that long of pushing. I tried many different positions to try to figure out what was best but being on my right side was the easiest for me. Right at the end we decided to use the vacuum because I had her right there and just could not get her out. They had the team in there ready to go and were getting the vacuum ready to go and moved me to my back and right before she was about to use it she had me do another push and she said oh no vacuum this baby is coming! It took about 3 more pushes and her head was out! A few more pushes and my baby girl was born! Rob, my mom, Meagan and Nana got to see little (or actually big) Sophia be born and there was a lot of crying going on in there! There was merconium in the fluid so as soon as she came out they did lay her on my chest while the suctioned anything she had swallowed out and I got to hold her for a little while! Then they took her over to the table to get her cleaned up and weighed and all that before letting me and Rob get a chance to hold her again before taking her up to the NICU.

During labor I had a fever that would not go down so as a precaution she has to stay in the NICU for 48 hours to make sure everything is ok with her. She looks great and scored a 9 on her apgar test but to be safe they gotta keep a close eye on her. It is so hard to have my baby away from me but I would rather her be safe and taken care of. Plus I can go spend as much time with her as I want and whenever I want so it's not too bad.

Cousin Love

Great Weekend

Me and Aidan have had a really great weekend! The sun being out has been a great addition!!!

Friday Night I went and met Meagan, Olga, Lindsay, Katrina, and Kristen down at the movies to see Sex and The City 2. It was a really good movie. There were some parts that were a little much but overall it was good.

Saturday morning we got up and headed out to Tracy to spend time with Meagan and Rowan. We hung out at the house for a while and had grilled cheese sandwiches. We then headed off to get some yummy frozen yogurt. This place was amazing it had like 12 flavors of fro yo, over 100 toppings plus sauces. When then went to the farmer's market they have down there then off to the park. After that we went through the Sonic drive through for some yummy drinks (sparkling strawberry lemonade= amazing). Then Saturday night was church!

Sunday me and Aidan had a very relaxing day. We just stayed home and played in the backyard and soaked in the sun.

Teacup Story

There was a couple who loved to visit England and shop in the beautiful stores. They both liked antiques and pottery, especially tea cups. One day in a tiny shop they saw an exquisite tea cup. "Oh! May we look at that one?" they asked. "We've never seen one quiet that beautiful." As they lady handed it to them, suddenly the tea cup spoke.

"I haven't always been a tea cup, you know. There was a time when I was raw, ugly clay. But my master picked me up, molding me and squeezed me over and over until I cried out 'Let me alone!' But he only smiled 'Not yet.'

"Then he placed me on a wheel," the tea cup continued, "and suddenly I was spun around and around 'Stop it! I'm getting dizzy!' I screamed. But the master said, 'Not yet.'

"Next he put me in the oven. I never imagined such heat. I wondered why he wanted to incinerate me and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the window and I could read his lips as he shook his head, 'Not yet.'

"Finally the door opened. He took me out of the oven and put me onto the shelf to cool. 'There, that's better," I breathed. But my relief didn't last very long, because the next thing I knew, he was brushing me and painting me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Stop it stop it,' I begged. He only nodded, 'Not yet.'

"Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, but this was much worse than the first time. This time the oven was twice as hot and I know that I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening shaking his head saying, 'Not yet.'

"Then I realized there was no hope, I would never make it. I was ready to give up. At that moment, the door finally opened and he took me out and set me gently on the shelf. Then, an hour later he handed me a mirror and said, 'Now look at yourself.'

"Curiously I peered into the mirror gasped at my reflection, 'That's not me!' I exclaimed. 'It can't be me! It's beautiful!' 'I want you to understand,' he said, 'that I know how much it hurt to be molded and shaped, but if I had stopped you would have dried into an ugly lump of clay. I know that is made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I stopped you would have crumbled. I know that it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there you would have had no strength. I know that the fumes were terrible when I brushed and painted you, but if I hadn't done that you would not have reached your potential, nor would you have developed your own beautiful character. And if I hadn't put you back into the oven the second time, you would have eventually leaked and your color would have faded away. But now you are strong, beautiful teacup fir for use at the finest table."

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

1 Peter 4:12-13

Prayer Request

Well our MOPS coordinator is not doing it next year and she is looking for someone to take her place. Basically if nobody steps up to do it there will be no MOPS and it is a really great thing especially here in a military community. ALL of my friends are people I have met through MOPS so it would make me really sad for it not to continue. Well, nobody has showed any interest in doing it. I have been kinda thinking about it but not really sure if I want to take on any responsibilities. Yesterday at Sunday school we were talking about basically you can not do EVERYTHING just because you can. You need to do the things that God is calling you to do. If you are doing 5 different things then not a single one of them is getting the best of you so the things that God is calling you to do suffer because you are doing a million other things. So basically it got me thinking I need to stop thinking about if it is something that I want to do and figure out if it is something that God is calling me to do. It is hard for me to know when God is telling me something or my own mind is telling me so just pray for guidance for me and figuring out what God wants me to do.

My crazy silly boy...

Man Aidan just cracks me up sometimes with some of the things he does...

So some kids have a special stuffed animal they have to have to go to sleep with, well Aidan just has to have something, it does not matter what it is. Usually when I am getting him to sleep he just grabs the nearest toy and his milk/water cup but last night there was nothing around except the box of wipes so he grabbed that and hugged it for dear life. I could not get it away from him until he was completely passed out.

Just a few minutes ago I decided I needed to go check on Aidan because it was VERY quiet and he was in the den. There is nothing in the den really yet so I was just letting him hang out in there and play figuring that he couldn't get hurt and I was enjoying a few minutes of quiet. Well when I decided that it was a little TOO quiet I went in there and him and Beau were having quite some fun... He got a bottle of syrup from the fridge and was pouring it onto this little table in there and Beau was licking it up. At least Beau did most of the cleaning it up!

Sophia Lynn Baker

I am so excited! It took a little while for it to actually set in... Im getting my daughter!!! It worked out so perfectly I really wanted to have a boy and girl and I would not have had it any other way. It is so odd that with Aidan I was POSITIVE he was going to be a girl and this time I was POSITIVE that I was going to have a boy. Apparently I do not have the best intuition haha. The one drawback.... I think I am going to go bankrupt! I have spent so much time "window" shopping online its ridiculous. There are just so many cute outfits for baby girls! I let myself buy one little dress and pair of shoes but I keep telling myself I can't buy anything else until after my baby shower because I know I will get more than enough little outfits to last her a while.... It isn't too hard to stop myself from shopping now since all we have here is Walmart but once I get to CA this summer it is going to be HARD!

It's a....

GIRL!!!!!!!

Park Pictures

Aidan Update

Yesterday at school Aidan was running around in the gym and not watching where he was running and ran smack into something :( Poor baby! They said he only cried for less than a minute and was up and running again... such a boy!

There is so much to talk about that I don't even know what to say. He is doing great at "school" and learning so much. Lately he has been OBSESSED with cows, it is so funny. He walks around yelling "COW!" and he pulls a chair over to the window and looks into the backyard yelling cow. He knows the two places we drive past that cows are usually out and if there are not out he says Cow, cow, where are you?"

Also he is doing great with colors and shapes. He knows circle, star, diamond, and he sometimes knows triangle but other times he just calls it a star lol. Oh yes and he also knows moon shapes. Colors he knows are: blue, green, yellow, purple, pink, we are working on the rest still. Also he knows most of his body parts. He knows: head, eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, knees, toes and ears.

One thing he is not doing to great on is the potty training. He was doing amazing at first and is going downhill. He has also become very clingy to me when I take him to school. He is fine once I am gone but he hold onto me for dear life and tries to climb me when I drop him off. I think maybe he is starting to understand about the baby coming more than I thought.

OB Appointment

I am 16 weeks and 2 days! Here is what a baby looks like at this stage. It obviously is not my baby, I wish I could see a pic like this of my baby!!!

So I had my second OB appointment today and Aidan and Rob actually got to come and hear the babies heartbeat too! I was happily surprised that I have only gained 2 lbs so far so I am right on track for weight. I was really worried I had gained more because I feel SUPER fat right now. I can not wait till it looks like a baby belly and not a beer belly so I can post pictures!!!

My ultrasound that I did a few weeks ago verified my due date of August 22. And I got to schedule my next one (the gender one) for April 8. I can't wait!!! I am so excited because my mom and Rob and Aidan will all get to be there when we find out the sex!!!! I am be so happy either way as long as the baby is healthy but I really just want to know what I am having right now!!!! I hate calling the baby "it" and I want to be able to say "he" or "she" or even pick a name!!!

When the doctor was listening for the heartbeat we could hear the baby kick over and over and over again. It was so cool to hear it even though I can't feel it yet. It made me really anxious to be able to feel it though but it seemed like this baby is very active so I might be regretting that when the babies action is keeping me awake all night!

Baby Names

Picking out baby names is so stressful! I mean the kid has to live with this name forever...

I am not going to post any of my ideas so nobody can steal them cause I do plan on having a third someday but man I am having a hard time. I have a girl name already that I love love love but I am struggling with a boy name. I have it narrowed down to about 8 I like but there is no certain name that is jumping out at my that I love like I do with the girls name. I need to pay attention to the meanings too lol. Aidan means fiery spirit and boy does he have a fiery spirit. Is there a name that means calm?

Baby Baker

Racetrack

Grandma got him this racetrack for Christmas and Mommy FINALLY got batteries for it...

He likes to put not only the cars on in but random stuff too. Last night he had the guys going around without their cars and then I saw him put his bread on there lol.

GODZILLA!!!!

Mommy's Little Helper

Aidan is such a little helper. He loves to help me clean and do housework. Whenever I am trying to sweep/mop/vacuum I have to fight him for it! He loves throwing things away for me too. He is going to be such a big help when the baby comes!

After I finished cleaning the kitchen I was sitting in the living room and he was being really quiet in the kitchen so I went in there and he was scrubbing the floor! I swear I did not make him do this lol. He has learned to move a chair over to the counter to get things he wants off of it and he got the sponge down and got to scrubbing!

Potty Boy

Aidan has been doing so good with potty training! I was literally dreading this part of parenting since I was pregnant. I have heard horror stories about how difficult boy can be to potty train and I have friends with kids a little older than Aidan that are terrified of the potty but it has been smooth sailing for us so far. He isn't 100% yet about telling me before hand that he has to go but he will most of the time. He doesn't know the difference between pee and poop though so it is always "I poop" and we run into the bathroom. He loves using the potty and he really loves getting to flush the toilet, wave bye bye, and then wash his hands. He just loves the whole process!!! He has only actually gone #2 in the toilet once but he pees in there about 85% of the time and we have only been working on it for about a week or so. We used the last of the diapers today so it's onto pull ups now! I can't wait till its all undies! But then the new baby will be here and be in diapers for 2 more years so it is on going. He even went a school for the first time on Thursday and got a sticker!

Pregnancy Diet

So I am determined not to gain a million pounds this pregnancy but that is really hard for me! I really want to focus on eating healthier so I am on a mission to find recipes for delicious but healthy meals for our family. Send me some ideas!!!

Appointments

So I am really excited I just scheduled my first OB appointment and my first ultrasound. My first appt. is January 25 so I will be at 10 weeks and then my ultrasound is February 8 and I will be 12 weeks then. I am so excited to see my little growing baby!!!

Also I am really excited that they will do a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After C-section) here! A lot of doctors will not do a VBAC because of the risks and potential lawsuits. It is do redicuouls though because I have done tons of research and the only time it is really risky is if you have the old type of incision. With my type of incision, which is a low transverse (pretty much what everyone does not) it is actually safer to do the VBAC than to put yourself through major surgery. All the research I have done shows that a VBAC is a really good option for me I just pray now that my body cooperates. It is about a 75-85% chance of a successful VBAC so about 15-25% chance I will end up with another C-Section but I am excited to at least get to try for a natural birth. I when I say natural I mean NATURAL.... Induction and epidural higher the chances of ending up in another C-Sections so it is all natural for me ek!!!

Crazy Pregnancy Thoughts...

So most pregnant people worry about birth defects or health issues but I never worried about any of with Aidan and so far have not with this pregnancy either. But for some odd reason I have this erratic fear that I am going to have twins. I am not sure why because twins do not run in my family and I do not think they do in Robert's either, and I'm young and did not have any fertility so it is not likely that I would have twins but I am so scared that I will! Last night I was laying there trying to go to sleep and I was thinking about being pregnant with twins and not being able to sleep at night because they were having crazy ninja fights in my stomach. Wow I am weird. I need to get in for my ultrasound to reassure myself that there is only one baby in there!!!