Friday, May 27, 2011

Her first few weeks and how big brother is doing....

I have a post written below and I just decided to post all these pics first. Its just easier this way.

Coming home from the hospital

Just got home





Cooper's friend Landon came over to play last weekend. They both had their back packs. SO CUTE.

Daddy and Blakely time.

Haha, can you imagine if these were all her kids. CRAZY!!!
Here are some pics of the cousins first time together. Samantha and Blake will be such great friends. I'm so excited for them.





This is my best friends little girl Bella with Coop and Blake. They will also be such great friends I just know it.




Well for starters our little man is 20 months old :) The day after he became a big brother he also turned 20 months. He's growing so fast. Saying SO SO much. He looks like he aged about 3-4 months in the two days we were in the hospital. Bringing home our little Blake made Cooper seem so much older so suddenly.
He been doing an amazing job with adjusting. He absolutely loves his baby sister.
In the hospital my mom brought gifts each individually wrapped for Cooper. Each day he came to the hospital he would get a present "from his baby". We would set it on her lap and say "Your baby got a gift for you". He loved that! I think it helped him see her in a good way rather than, why are you all loving on this new stranger.

Blake has been doing so good. She's growing great and sleeping ok. I've had a few stressful sleepless nights, but its getting better. I've only cried once since I had her almost two weeks ago. I get so tired from lack of sleep and usually break into tears because of it. However with this baby I seem to be handling the adjustment so much better. We now have our little miss on a strict eating schedule. She wasn't sleeping at night without a schedule. She was mixed up on nights and days for the first week or so and then decided she wanted to eat each hour which I'm so not having!!! That is exhausting and my sweet little girl is healthy so a schedule won't hurt her or our sleep.
She eats every 3 hours 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 all day each day. In hopes that at night she will sleep longer and we can slowly stretch those feedings and she will start sleeping through the night. I know, I know, she's only just about 2 weeks old. But trust me for us and our kids schedules work the best so we are beginning one right now due to the exhaustion I started to feel.
Last night she slept for 5 hours from 12:00 to 5:00 and I fed her. Now yes we are off on our schedule but she slept her next stretch until about 8:40 and pretty much filled in the gap we missed during that sleep time. So we are pretty much back on schedule now. Its working so far, I hope it lasts.

My mom has been in town this week. We have had fun bonding with the two kids together. My mom is such an angel. She is so wonderful and helpful.
Cooper has just loved having her hear with him. He absolutely loves his grandma.
First trip to the park with both kids





Life is going good. God has blessed us with health and happiness. I am truly thankful for these gifts he gives to my life.

Birth Story


May 15th, 2011

We woke up and got ready to go. I felt great (uncomfortable due to my rib pain and aches from trying to sleep but nothing out of the ordinary). We loaded Cooper in the car and headed to my best friends house, they watched Cooper for us. We dropped Coop off... I almost cried when we left I can't really explain why but I got emotional at the thought of leaving him that day. We got to the hospital at around 7:15 and were checked in and waiting for the nurse to call us back by 7:30.

We were called back by 7:45 and they immediately got to business. I was hooked to my I.V. which if you remember my birth story from Cooper's birth the I.V. was absolutely horrible. However this time the nurse quickly put the I.V in and everything went just perfectly. They started the pitocin and the nurse was asking us all sorts of questions. By this time its about 8:45 and I'm feeling some really uncomfortable tightening feelings but no pain.
At about this time the nurse in her random question asking says to me. "How many centimeters were you dilated at your last appointment? Or did he check"? I told her yes, that at my last appointment I was dilated to a 4. She stops in her tracks and says "Oh I need to check you really quick than". She goes on ahead and calls my doctor in, he was already at the hospital because of a few other girls that were delivering. He came in and checked me and I was now at a 5. He asked me if I would be ok with them giving me my epidural before they broke my water. That he was concerned I would progress too quickly and that if I wanted an epidural, Which I made it very clear I did :) That we would need to possibly do it before they broke my water. So I agree'd. I am not one of those women who want to experience the pain. I experienced an hour or so of that lovely pain when I had Cooper and that was enough for me.
They got the anesthesiologist up there and gave me my epidural. Then right after they broke my water. It was about 10:00 when this all took place. I started to feel very light headed, my breathing was getting harder. I felt like I couldn't catch my breath. I asked the nurse why I was feeling this way. Extremely groggy and short of breath. The nurse immediately said that my blood pressure plummeted and was extremely low due to the medicine in the epidural. She said it was a side effect. They gave me some meds in my I.V. and it cleared up and got better in about 20 minutes or so. However I ended up being extremely tired after wards no matter what I did. By 11:00-11:30 I was feeling some major pressure but of course no pain. I was blessed to not feel hardly any pain this delivery.
I told my mom that I was feeling lots of pressure and when I had Cooper that was exactly what I felt when I was ready to push. I also mentioned it to my husband but there were so many people in the room that they both heard me but neither really went to get the doctor right away. I was very relaxed about it so in there defense it didn't really seem like I needed immediate help.
I waited about 10 minutes or so and then told them again. One of them wen to get the doctor to come and check me.
They came about 10 minutes later to check me and the nurse immediately said "Yep your ready". I was like "Oh my gosh, I'm ready to push already"?????
It was only a little bit before 12:00 at this point. We had all of our friends and family there and we were getting so excited. They went and paged my doctor.
My nurse asked me if we could try a practice push to see how easily she might come out. So we went ahead and tried one. Halfway through my practice push she asked me to stop. She told me that she wanted my doctor to be presant for the birth :) Very nice of her. Ha.
Basically she acted like the baby was going to just fly out if I kept pushing.

My doctor came in shortly after and we started pushing. Mom and Julian stayed in the room with us. I did 3 rounds of pretty intense pushing and nothing was happening. The nurses and doctor acted as if every time I pushed she was about to come out and then they would almost get discouraged when nothing happened. I was starting to wonder why it was so hard to push her out. The baby was fine and so was I but for whatever reason she just wasn't budging.
Finally my doctor did one more round of pushes (this was after he had to do some cutting). I had to have this with Cooper as well and as unpleasant as it is trust me when I say that it was an absolute must with this baby.
On my last round of pushing we really gave it the all systems go. I was going to get this baby out dangit!
She finally came out and immediatly the doctor and nurses said, "wow, she's a big baby" . I looked down and could see her entire body and wow were they right. She made Cooper look so so small compared to her newborn baby self. That's why she was having a hard time coming out. Now it all made sense. This was why my ribs were killing me.
They placed her on my chest and I got to see her extremely cute and chubby little cheeks! Oh how in love I was immediatley.

She wasn't crying and I noticed a nurse hanging over me as I held her for the first time. The nurse was starting to look panicky and I started to get worried. I could see Blake was breathing she just wasn't crying. The nurse suddenly reaches over me and grabs the baby and says quickly "I have to take her". I stared wide eyed and freaked out and was like "IS SHE OK!!!". My doctor looked at me and relaxed sounding said, "Oh yah she's fine, she just has some fluid in her lungs".
They were over there with my little girl darn near roughing her up to make her cry. My husband and mom said it was a little concerning to see them being that way with her but that its there job to make her cry and clear those lungs. Needless to say she was fine, started crying and everything was great. I was fine and baby was healthy.
8 lbs 5 oz's and 21 inches long. Wow was she a big baby for me. I never in a million years imagined I would have a baby that big.
She was healthy and beautiful though. :)

Our family and friends came in and checked her out. What a beautiful baby girl she is. Her big brother was so sweet and was so good with her. He even kissed her. What a sweet boy he is.

My cousin came and took professional pictures of her and did such an amazing job.

This past week has been wonderful. I can't believe how much easier it was to adjust to the new baby this time. The stresses of being a new parent aren't there like last time. I'm so much more confident and happy and I'm enjoying her more than I did the first time around because I was so worried and scared with Cooper. We have been doing a good job as far as getting situated as a family of 4.
The nights have been sleepless and the days long but truly things are going really good. My husband has been AMAZING. We have really helped each other to take care of both kids this time.

Well that's pretty much the birth story, I know there are so many other little stories I could share from this first week but that would take all day. So I will leave you with lots of pictures from this past week.
Here she is. Our little Blakely!


This is our favorite doctor! Dr. Nilson. He delivered both of my little loves, and took care of us :)

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

I have a long post written out with the birth story

Until I finish the picture part of the post I wanted to share this slide show of our little love that my cousin Caroline put together for us. Please go check it out. She really captured our little girls special day so well.

http://www.carolinerentzelblog.com/slideshow/#/page/69f8/blakely-ann/

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Blakely Ann

Our beautiful Blakely is here. Sorry it took so long to tell.
We are home as of yesterday and everyone is getting settled in. I will do a post in the next day or so with lots of pictures.

Here are her stats...
Blakely Ann Case
8 lbs 5 oz's 21" lg
Born at 12:27 P.M. on Sunday May 15th 2011

She has blonde hair and big huge puffy cheeks. She is wonderful and perfect. We could not be more excited to have our baby girl here.

Friday, May 13, 2011

I'm mad at blogger

I spent forever putting together two last posts before our little girl arrives this past week. They were on here for about 1 day and I even got some comments. Now they are gone!
Completely wiped out gone.

I'm mad because I don't have time to do that again GRRRRR.

Blogger, I am not happy with you right now.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

38 weeks! By this Sunday we will have our baby girl in our arms

Yep its true. Tomorrow I have an appointment. My very last before we induce. Our induction date is set for Sunday May 15th, I'm supposed to be at the hospital at 7:30 am. I can't wait to meet our angel daughter. What a beautiful day it will be for us.

My 38 week picture I took Yesterday. Technically I'm not 38 weeks yet but will be tomorrow.
I'm getting swollen EVERYWHERE. Seriously. My ankles looked so bad even my doctor gasped when he saw them, the calves and knee's aren't much better and just the past few weeks I've noticed my face swelling a little. I think its definitely time for her to come on out!

I just posted my 37 week post telling all of you about my appointment last week and what our doctor told us and how dilated I was. So if you missed it or are confused you can answer your questions there.

The past week has been good. Not much to report. I tried to walk the baby out a few times. Nothing happened. So far its looking like being induced will be happening. I was induced with Cooper so it doesn't bother me at all. I'm used to it if that's what we end up doing.

Ok so this post is going to be a random blurp of the past 2-3 weeks. I haven't posted anything about Easter yet. Wow I'm that far behind!

Dying our eggs

That same night we went to visit my friend Shannon and sweet baby Bella. This was the first time Cooper got to meet her. He really liked her :)

Easter morning Cooper hunted for the eggs that the bunny hid :) He did such a good job and was so happy and proud of himself. He kept shouting out happy noises every time he found an egg. I just love him to pieces. Seriously it was adorable.



Our Easter family pic

Last weekend my cousin was confirmed in the Catholic church. It was a special night for him and my husband was his sponsor so my entire family was there to support. I have pics from that night as well.
Julian, Cooper and Nick

Cooper and GrandmaOne night early family mothers day pic.

Cooper, Papa, and Daddy, Cooper is wearing daddy's tie.
Then my cousin Ashleigh and her two boys were here visiting for mothers day and our three boys had a blast making plaster mothers day hand prints outside and making a huge mess. They were covered in mud and playing in the muddy water from the hose :) I have all sorts of pictures to share so I'm just going to throw them all in here.
One messy little Cooper!
You probably can't see this but his bottom is completely covered in mud.
Making mommy's stone.
Cooper and Jack. Getting more dirty!
Owen


Rub a dub dub, three boys in a tub.

Plus a few random last belly shots of me. I can't believe I'm about to have baby number two.
37 weeks

37-1/2 weeks
My bags are packed!

I just want to thank God so much for blessing my life. I want to pray for all the women out there struggling, that you help them to have miracle babies in there lives as well.
Please help our sweet Blakely to come safely into our lives and help Blake and I both to be alive and well when we go into labor and recover.

What a blessing, I can't wait to share pics of our little girl.