Emma is here!

Okay, lots of important updates: Emmalyn Grace is finally here! Actually, she has been here for 3 weeks and 1 day! She was born on August 12th, 2012 at 10:13pm and weighed 8lbs 2oz and was 20.5 inches long. She is beautiful!

After we went home she climbed on the jaundice scale and had to spend a night under the biliruben light back at the hospital. It was so sad to see her under those lights but she was in good hands. We played Jim Brickman's piano lullabyes all night long and she snoozed. She really enjoyed the warmth of the lights and the soothing music! Since we've gotten her home we are just trying to get into a routine and start life together as a family of 3. Thankfully I have 8 weeks off work and Mike has been coming home earlier and spending lots of time on the weekends with us. In fact, today is Labor Day and he has spent almost the whole day snuggling on the couch with the little one! (And making her make funny faces)

 

 

Life with a baby is better than I ever expected... the transition can be hard and especially in the first two weeks I had a few good cries about how things have changed but I am in LOVE with Emma! Who knew you could instantly fall in love with someone? She has already changed SO much from her first days and she is growing too fast... I would love to keep her this little forever :)

It is storming like crazy here at the Vanderpool house. I have SO much work that needs done to make things ready for baby Emma but there is nothing quite like curling up on the couch while the storm is brewing outside :) I've been thinking about how I am going to get back to shape post-baby. My mom thinks it would be a good idea to join weight watchers, but I'm not really good at feeling like I can't eat something I want. I was also thinking that I may want to start running. I've never been a huge fan of running...I have done a half marathon and various 5k's but that is the extent of my running career. I've really enjoyed reading Runners World and reading about other people who can run... but it's never been something I loved. Maybe it is being pregnant...or being called waddles about ten times each day...but I am craving to let loose and run!! I guess I still have a few weeks to decide and I'm not entirely sure I will still feel like running once baby E gets here... We will see :)

I am going to get something to eat. Until next time!

Adjustments

I just got back from my first ever chiropractor visit - and I have to say, it was wonderful. Emmalyn is a breech baby right now. Unless we can get her to flip in the next week or two, my doc is giving the okay to schedule a C-section. I know csects are medically necessary for some people and in those cases I think they are great...but I would really like to know that I have done everything (that is safe) to flip my babe before giving into the surgery. If you don't know about the Webster Technique I suggest you google it... I decided to try this after my doctor told me that it would not hurt me or the baby but that "it probably wouldn't work". Can't a girl get a little hope?? After I found out insurance covers a percentage of the treatments I decided it was a go! After my first adjustment...I have to say... I'm not sure if she has flipped, but my lower back feels incredible. I was very tempted to ask him to adjust my whole back..and maybe I will at the next session! I won't go back to the doctor until next Wednesday but I'll let you know if these adjustments are flipping her. Now I figure at the very least I won't have to go the next few weeks in complete misery.

In other news, I'm trying desperately hard to want to nest. I went through a period of time where I just wanted to clean all the time but those days are long gone. There is SO much I want and need to get done before Emma gets here but where do you get the motivation to start??

Justifying decisions

There are all kinds of things that I find irritating while being pregnant.... like when people constantly talk about how big you have gotten, ask if you have twins in there, and tell you how extremely hot you will be going through the whole summer pregnant. Yes..thank you, I realize I have gotten big..there is a baby in there...no I promise there is only one... And it's a good thing women now have access to things like pools...and air conditioners..but you are certainly right, I should have planned a little better so I would not have to wait until the end of August to deliver.... unbelievable. Despite everyone feeling like they can say whatever they want to you - I can handle it! Everyone has an opinion and they do have the right to express that opinion. The thing that I can't really handle very well is when person after person tells me something I am doing wrong based on their opinion..not even based on science or statistics. It is frustrating because I am this little girl's mother...and you think that I am going to put myself or more importantly, HER in a situation that is dangerous or will cause her to get hurt? Come on. I knew the parenting tips would begin pretty soon considering my due date is less than 5 weeks away but I was not expecting to have to justify every decision I am already making. Things as simple as going to the gym are a hassle now... people look at me like I am crazy and am going to pop this child out in the middle of the floor. I promise....walking on a treadmill or taking a dance class (with lots of water breaks and break downs of choreography) is NOT going to be dangerous for Emmalyn. In fact, it's great for her! When mom is happy - baby is happy. When mom doesn't have significant weight issues during pregnancy, baby is less likely to grow up with significant weight issues. I can't apologize for doing things that I think will benefit my child in the long-term but it sure does get tiring having to explain yourself over and over again.

9 Weeks and Counting

Is there really only 9 weeks left? It feels like this pregnancy has FLOWN by and at the same time, I am ready for it to be over. I have had such an easy pregnancy. I haven't been sick, I haven't had (many) food aversions, I haven't even been that tired.... but I AM ready to have my body back to myself! There are a lot of things people don't tell you when you get pregnant..like after a while even if you are not a stomach sleeper - you will be dying to lay on your stomach. Among other things I want to be able to see when I'm shaving my legs, reach my feet to paint my toenails, and most of all I want to dance again! I am desperately missing Zumba.. I miss going to classes, I miss teaching it, I miss hearing the music and feeling in my element. As much as I adore this little girl growing in my belly... I am ready to meet her and find my waist line again!

So... Mike and I went and had maternity pictures done and LOVE them! Here are a few examples:

AND we are starting to get Emma's room ready:

It is all starting to get really real... :)



Pregnancy makes you do weird things

I am already slacking a little on the posts, I apologize :) Time has been flying by... I am officially in the 3rd trimester: complete with crazy hormones and the ability to cry at anything/everything in seconds. I am almost 29 weeks..and Emmalyn is making it impossible to breathe. I realize I am a short girl and there can't possibly be enough room for all of my organs AND a 2.5lb baby already (really..she's 2.5lbs how crazy is that?!). I get so winded doing the easiest things like..holding a conversation. Sometimes I have to physically stop and catch my breath! I have had such an easy pregnancy this whole time that I was bound to have a few pains..it's part of the "pregnancy right of passage" I suppose! I told Mike in 12 years when Emma is begging for something, or telling me I'm super uncool that I will hold this over her head "You know I spent the last 3 months of my pregnancy with you on the verge of collapsing from oxygen deprivation...".

In other news Mike officially painted the nursery "honeydew" green! It's so cute and I cant wait to get all of her things in there. I can't seem to get a good picture of the walls because everytime I remember it is dark, or I'm not home. I have even started to nest I think.... all I can think about is what needs cleaned and organized. Even when things are clean or organized...I find more that I can do, make a big mess getting everything out ready for organization..and then half way through lose my motivation - go lay on the couch with a tub of chocolate peanut butter ice cream and wait for tomorrow when I will feel the desire to begin again :) I've even started doing Mike's laundry.... for those of you who know Mike you know why I've never attempted doing his laundry. Mike...is a "labeler" as in..he labels his socks...R1 and L1...so that the same sock always goes with the same match..and onto the same foot. He also feels like if he does not get his clothes out of the dryer within seconds of the dryer going off that he is going to have to rewash/dry the whole thing. I've tried to explain that you can start the dryer for a few minutes to get the wrinkles out...or I'm sure we have an iron around here somewhere but there is no convincing this man! He likes his clothes folded like they fold in a department store, and his boxers "rolled". Pregnancy makes you do strange things.....cry at everything, AND attempt the impossible :)

It's a..... GIRL

It is official.... we are having a baby girl! Little Emmalyn Grace is absolutely perfect! She was squirming around for such a long time I was SO worried we were not going to get a good shot of her. After about 30 minutes the ultrasound tech said "Oh yeah...that's a girl!"As happy as I would have been with a little boy, I couldn't quite get the idea of big bows, frilly dresses and lots of dance classes out of my head! I also LOVE that she will have two older brothers to look after her :) Life could not get any more perfect than it is right now.