Family Photos

I'm so pleased with how these turned out. Ryan's amazing friend, Debbie, took these for us last Sunday. We've never had pictures taken with the kids, so it was a little stressful trying to get everyone ready. I was so nervous that someone was going to puke all over themselves or me that I didn't get the kids in their clothes until we were in the parking lot of the park. But it was totally worth it when I saw these yesterday. Now we're set on pictures for another year!

Gabriel's Welcome

The last part of pregnancy was crappy. It always is. I had a lot of contractions from about 33 weeks on, none painful, but I stopped working mid-July. That helped a lot with the contractions, but not so much with the weight gain :) I slept all day, rarely got out of my PJs, and made Ryan bring me Wendy's about 3 times a week after he got off work at 10pm. Yeah, the combination was not lovely to my waistline. I'm still working on about 15 more pounds until I'll feel really good about my weight again, but I have clothes that fit and that's what matters!

Gabriel was born on a Tuesday morning. The Sunday before, I was supposed to play the organ. We showed up to church, I practiced for a bit, then I got really sick. I was so hot, felt really faint and nauseous and couldn't even read my music! We told the bishop to find another plan (five minutes before sacrament started...poor guy.) and went home so I could rest. I drank a bunch of water and laid down the rest of the afternoon. My wonderful parents came and picked up Olivia to give me a break. Ryan went to work and I decided I felt good enough to get some tidying of the house done. I started having regular contractions, and these felt a little different than what I'd experienced before. They were getting closer together, about 5 minutes apart and lasting about 1 minute each. I even started keeping track on my trusty little contraction timer app. LOL. And then I went to bed. And they stopped. Ok, so if you've ever been to that point and had everything just quiet down, you get mad! I was so angry. I wanted this baby out so bad! I couldn't understand why I was almost 39 weeks and still pregnant. Everything hurt; I was out of breath all the time and I couldn't play with Olivia. I was just done!

I was still a little grumpy when I woke up Monday morning, but I took Ryan to work and took the car out to my mom's to do her hair instead of staying home and wallowing in self pity. I did her hair, it turned out great, I packed up Olivia and we headed back into Salt Lake to pick Ryan up from work. We went home, Ryan went to work at his second job and I got Olivia ready for bed. There were no more contractions. I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I would just have to wait until Friday morning to have this child (my c-section was scheduled for Friday, Aug. 19th). Ryan got home about 11pm and we got ready for bed. My back was killing me, so I took a shower. When I climbed into bed, I relaxed and then...for lack of a better term...felt like I wet my pants! I just love that feeling. LOL. I thought I knew what was happening. It happened with Olivia, but I couldn't quite remember exactly what it was like, and I kept second guessing myself. I waited about 1/2 hour, running to and from the bathroom, wondering if I should go in. I finally decided that it was probably a good idea to get checked out just in case, so I told Ryan to get ready. I dried my hair, but I didn't want to waste any time with the flat iron...which made for a lovely case of frizz-head that I had to live with for 2 and a half days. Pretty.
We got to the hospital, checked in, spent a little while in labor and delivery waiting for my doctor to show up, the usual. I was not progressing at all. Not even a little dilation 4 hours after my water broke. I was so antsy. And tired. I decided to have a c-section instead of trying VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and was so relieved when the decision was actually made. The nurse took some blood when she put in my IV and sent it to the lab. And then the lab called to say she had put stickers with the baby's name on the tubes instead of mine. Apparently they are very picky about these sort of things and wouldn't use the blood for testing, even if they changed the stickers. So I got poked. Again. And away went four more little vials of my blood. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to have any left!

The whole crew arrived shortly after that. We got all set up in the OR. I remember there were mirrors in the OR and I caught a glimpse of myself...not pretty. Hosptial gown+no hair+little makeup...I know I am vain, but I HATE how swollen I get at the end of pregnancy. Ryan was allowed in the room with me the whole time and I was so grateful. I was getting so nervous and started shaking pretty badly from being so tense, and he helped me relax. After the spinal block was done, it took a few minutes for me to get numb enough to start the procedure. The doctor kept pinching to check for feeling and I kept telling her to wait because I could still feel it. I was so scared to feel ANTYHING. There was one point during the procedure when I just about jumped off the table because the pressure was so intense, but overall it was comfortable. I got a massive migraine (I felt it coming on before we got to the hospital) while we were in the operating room and the anesthesiologist put an oxygen mask on me. It was amazing the effect of the pure oxygen on my headache. Headache gone. So fast. I need that at home. Gabriel was born at 3:59 AM, 3 seconds before 4. He started screaming right away.

It sounded just like Olivia's screams and that was the best sound ever :)

Hibernation

I've been in hibernation mode for almost two months now. And my blog has been suffering longer than that! LOL. I don't have much time...I'd rather be sleeping...so here's what's been going on with us:

Gabriel is growing so fast. He's up to 8 1/2 pounds from 5 1/4 when we left the hospital. He eats much more than Olivia did at his age, but he also sleeps much better and is just more content overall. He is such an easy baby, which I am so grateful for.

Olivia is going non-stop. She talks so much now and some of her favorite things to say are:

"What happened?"
"Oh NO! A baby!" Every time Gabriel makes a peep.
"Hi Mommy! How are you?" Holding phone up to her ear.
And I can always tell when she's getting tired, because she will lay down where ever she happens to be (stairs, porch, playhouse, kitchen floor) and say, "Night Night!"
She is such a good big sister and only tries to hurt Gabe ocassionally, when I'm not paying enough attention to her.

Ryan is just plugging along. He works like crazy plus he's taking two classes this semester. He's doing great, grades are excellent and I'm just so proud of him.

I started back to work a couple of weeks ago, and am working overnights at my group home. It is pretty simple most nights, just cleaning and checking on the girls. I'm only doing Sunday nights and filling in when the other two graveyard shifters have nights off. I really am a night owl, so it's no big deal. I do play sleep catch up the day after, but good thing Olivia doesn't mind a couple of movies and Gabe sleeps a lot :)

Happenings

I can't believe I am 26 weeks pregnant. Its starting to sink in a little bit, slowly. I have been a busy busy bee the past few months. I made Olivia a scrapbook for her first year milestones, went through all of the baby stuff to determine what was usable for a boy, painted Olivia's room, made graduation announcements for my brother, Chris, made a missionary scrapbook for my brother Alex, and organized everything in sight. Whew! All that is DONE! Which is good, because I have no energy left. Nothing. I feel like I'm starting all over with those first trimester blahs. All that I have left to do is collect boy things as I find sales and cook this baby!

Olivia and I have been having fun with her new stroller. There have been a handful of decent weather days that we've gone for walks and we were able to hit the zoo with Ryan a few weekends ago.

Olivia is so fun and learning so much. She says things like "Dadda, Wh'are You?", "Teef", "Bye Bye", "Where is it?", "Elmo", "Drink", "Its OK", "Good Job!", and her personal favorite, "Bobba". She knows lots of body parts and has this fascination with taking things out of drawers, containers, bags, etc., and then putting them back. OCD? Probably. Must get it from her dad. On a daily basis, I find her clothes stuffed in the bathroom drawers and all of her washcloths in the bathtub. This makes keeping things neat pretty much impossible, but I'm learning to childproof just as fast as she learns how to open and close EVERYTHING. For example: I like to shower in the morning, but I also treasure every minute of sleep before Olivia wakes up. Solution: Take her in the bathroom while I shower. So she usually sits in her bumbo on the bathroom floor and eats a snack while I take a 3 minute power shower! The other day she decided to take the tray off her chair, open the bathroom door and head out into the hallway while I was totally soaped up! This would not normally be an issue, but I live in the basement of my in-laws house, and Olivia makes a beeline for upstairs every time she's set free! So I jumped out of the shower and threw on my robe in time to catch her halfway up the stairs and everyone having quite a nice laugh at my expense. Locking bathroom door from now on. I just can't believe she can open doors. Not even 18 months. I'm so in trouble.

Baby boy (still nameless. LOL) is doing so good. He is quite a mover and hardly ever stops when I am sitting still. Ryan teases me that I should be exercising at night time to teach him how to sleep at the right time. I don't feel huge yet, but breathing is definitely becoming a chore and I have this permanent charlie horse in my right back thigh. I can only assume that is sciatic nerve related and will hopefully go away after delivery. This pregnancy is very different from my last one, but with one definite similarity: My nose is congested ALL the time. It sounds like a small thing, but 6 months of not being able to breath through my nose while I'm sitting or laying down is no good. But, I've had such easy pregnancies that I can't even complain. Minor things. Can't wait to meet this baby!

Ryan and I are enjoying our new jobs. His new job is in addition to his day job. He's such a trooper. We are trying to get ahead in preparation for this fall when we'll have a new baby, and Ryan will be starting a full-time semester at the college. I will admit I may have pushed him a bit to get things going with school, but we definitely both agree that now is the time to take advantage of someone else being willing to pay his tuition!

A post of pictures to come soon! I need a new belly one anyway...I'll get on that!

Oh...PS JAMIE NICOLE JOHANSEN: if you are reading this...You have a post on your blog entitled "WHOA BABY" but I can't open it, and I want to know if this little bundle of joy has made his/her appearance! Let me know! Hope you are well! Love ya girl!

21 weeks

I probably shouldn't be 'nesting' quite yet, but I definitely feel like I'm getting ready for this baby! I've been trying to clean things out like crazy (like, borderline OCD crazy), organize and take inventory of what we need for a baby boy! No name picked out yet. But we're getting closer, I think. Right now I'm working on the babies' scrapbooks and after those are done, I'm going to paint olivias room (again). What can I say? I'm not in love with how the last paint job turned out, so I'm starting from scratch. Luckily my husband works at a paint store :) And has the patience with me to just let me do my thing when it comes to the decorating!

Our ultrasound was the longest thing EVER! I think I was on that table well over 45 minutes. I ate and drank a lot right before in hopes of getting the baby to wiggle and ensure I would be able to tell the gender! Well, he was sure a wiggly little thing. The gender was quite obvious, but other, more complicated things like heart chambers and spine measurements were nearly impossible to get with him all over the place! We'll be going in for another ultrasound around 30 weeks just to double check where the placenta and cord are in relation to my incision. Good news: my doctor said if I decide to have another c-section, we can schedule it for 39 weeks, if I haven't gone into labor by then. Hey, every week counts at the end!

19 weeks!

Babies have taken over my mind. I'm sure everyone else can relate! LOL. Sometimes I just sit back and wonder when the exact moment was that my entire life became centered on things like when to take away the bottle, how long to let her cry, how to convince myself that I'm not being entirely neglectful if I do let her cry. Sheesh. And the contents of my purse. When did hairbows, bottle parts and odd socks make their way in there? Hahaha. Just making sure I'm normal here. Motherhood seems so glamorous when I see other people doing it with their perfect kids, but the thought of being mom to two scares me to death just about every time I think of it. I am truly excited, but mostly afraid :) On that note, ultrasound Wednesday! Yay! On the first ultrasound at 8 weeks, little baby looked just like a bean. Hoping to see fingers and toes this time (and a few other things! I really want to know the gender so Ryan and I can start fighting about a name...I mean, picking a name. Hehe)

We've had a little bit of sickness through our house the past few weeks and I'd like to think I handled it pretty well. I haven't really had to deal with a lot of that with Olivia before, but I really didn't mind the sleepless nights like I thought I would...probably due to all of the cuddling! She's never been a cuddly baby, and I can't even remember the last time she actually fell asleep in my arms. So, it was totally worth it. But we're all feeling much better now!

Here's a shot I took yesterday. Bump getting bigger.

It Was Probably Nothing...

So I had a little bit of a freaky moment today! I got up, went to the store, came home and then went out again to go see Ryan for lunch and a quick Costco trip. When I left the house the second time I was thinking, "Hmmmm....kinda feels like Braxton Hicks contractions. Should I be having them this early?" I had them a LOT with Olivia, but I couldn't remember when I started having them with her (I'm 15 weeks). So I freaked out and called my doctor on the way home from Costco, and was reassured that as long as I wasn't feeling pain, cramping or bleeding, it was probably just from dehydration and stress, and maybe a little something brought on by the UTI that is clearing up. The nurse told me to 'put my feet up and take it easy'. She doesn't know my child. LOL. So, basically, I should be drinking more water to cure EVERYTHING that is wrong with me! I hate plain water. I'll have to figure that out. :) I read on one website later today that the B.H. contractions can actually start in your first trimester, but usually they aren't noticable until late in the second. Moral of the story: I've never been one to call the doctor about every little thing, but when it comes to my babies, I'd rather feel silly for being too concerned than feel sorry if something really is wrong!

Heartbeat

Just a quick update today. We went to the doctor this morning and got to hear our baby's heartbeat. It was great. I could really hear it this time. With Olivia I just heard the whooshing and kept waiting for something that sounded like a heartbeat. And, I have another UTI. I had one last month when we went in for the first time, and didn't have any symptoms then, either. It's kind of scary to me that I can have an infection and not even know, but I'll just know to keep a closer eye on it now. I was starting to have a little back pain this time, so I kind of knew something was up. Another round of the horse pills for this momma. And I see lots of cranberry juice in my future. :)

13 weeks

Well, I had energy for exactly one day and ever since the last time I posted, things have pretty much gone downhill. Luckily, my husband makes sure Olivia at least gets dinner every night, even if I am completely ready to crash by the time he gets home from work. I just can't snap out of it! I am exhausted all the time and not quite sure how I am going to figure out having another one! But I just keep telling myself (and this is completely derogatory...just so that you're warned.) that dumber people have done this. LOL. It's silly, but I feel like I'm a relatively smart person with a brain (when I'm not pregnant) and I will work it out eventually. Hopefully, the second trimester treats me better. And I feel like if I can figure out a way to motivate myself to excercise I will feel better, too. And that motivation will probably go something like this: Jayelle to self: "If you excercise for 30 minutes, you can have a slurpee." So that will be super-productive. :)

I have been having some crazy dreams as of late! It's really quite funny. I had to share this one, because it is just so out there!

So my brother is getting married (in real life). They had some issues when they tried to pick up the dress the other day. I dreamed that I was the one that had to go pick up the dress this time. So, naturally, I wore my wedding dress to go pick it up (?). And it was hideous (Shareese, if you're reading this, which I don't think you are, I'm sure you're dress is gorgeous.)! It was burgundy underneath with a peach-colored overlay of lace and sequins and oh...just awful. LOL.

I also dreamed that I went to the store and bought bologna for Ryan's step-dad. I should start writing these down, because I know there are more good ones to come. :)

Totally unrelated note: I have a job interview next week to work in a group home with autistic adults. I hope it goes well. Because this salon is just not for me. At all. It will be part-time and sounds like it will work well with our family's schedule. Wish me luck!

Double Digits

Wahoo! I am still alive at ten weeks. I am feeling a ton better this week, even though I'm still pretty picky about what I'll eat (nothing sounds good). And all the onion lovers in this house are going to be the death of me. I walked into my closet this morning and all I could smell was dinner from last night. I knew what I had been wearing, but I swear that one sweater made all the clothes in the closet smell! Since I'm not in the mood to wash everything I own, I'll just have to live with it until this ridiculous sense of smell wears off. It's my superpower, for now.

I'm pretty proud of all the things I've gotten accomplished this week. I don't know why I am not satisfied with myself unless I'm running around all day like a crazy person, but I guess if that's what it takes to make me feel good...LOL. After all, can the bathrooms ever get cleaned too often? And can I ever be far enough ahead that I won't be drowning in my to-do lists once I have TWO kids? Better keep it up, I guess.

I've been recruited by our ward choir and these guys are INTENSE. We have a lot of musical talent in our ward and the choir director pushes us hard. She asked me to accompany a few of the upcoming Easter numbers. I've been practicing about an hour every day (more than I've practiced...probably EVER. LOL) while Olivia plays or watches a movie and I'm finally making progress on the music. It's been awhile since I've had a challenge like this musically and I'm kind of enjoying the 'me' time.

I haven't gained any weight, thus far, but that's not saying much. I didn't start gaining with Olivia until about 20 weeks and I still managed to put on 40 pounds. It came off easy enough, but I'd still rather keep it around 25 if I can help it. Good thing I'm still craving green apples :)

This pregnancy was dated by ultrasound, since I didn't know my date of ovulation, and I do trust the doctor's judgement, but I SWEAR I've felt this little one a couple of times. It's way too early for that at 10 weeks, right? Or maybe my tummy is just extra gurgl-y?

This picture was taken a few days after I found out I was pregnant (7 weeks)

News

So, my good friend Brittney posted a picture of her positive pregnancy test on her blog to announce. Yay for her having twins (Sorry, Brit! I can't help myself...)! I thought it was a cute idea. But if I were going to do that, I'd want to post a pic of all five of the ones I took before I believed it. LOL. We are excited to announce that baby Hegewald #2 will be joining our family sometime in mid-August. My official due date is the 24th (my parent's anniversary) but I'm hoping if I choose to have another c-section that I will have the option to deliver at 39 weeks. We shall see! For now, here are some....thoughts....in bullet point form. Because I can't conjure up a complete sentence these days.

The morning sickness is an all day event, but it's not as bad when I'm at work because I'm distracted. The other days are killer and I think I'm wearing a permanant spot in my mattress from spending as much time as possible on it. Terrible taste in mouth is back (We will forever be bonded, Laura. LOL) as well as a ton of excess stomach acid that makes my belly gurgle all day long.

Cravings so far include: Sour cream and cheddar Ruffles chips, black forest cake, cinnamon rolls, Wendy's chili, and green apples.

Olivia has decided to start waking up three times a night again after two heavenly weeks of sleeping for about 10 hours at a time (those weeks were the best Christmas present ever). Perfect timing. Getting me back into the newborn routine I suppose.

I found an amazing doctor. So grateful for that. Olivia came to our first visit and wasn't the happiest (nap time), but the doctor didn't seem irritated in the least and made things as quick and painless as possible. We had a quick ultrasound to confirm due date. Heartbeat present.

All good things. So fun.

I have so many things to do in the next 7 months. It's in my head. I should write it down, and then maybe it won't feel like so much!

In case you're doing math, my children will be 20. Months. Apart. But I like the idea of them being close in school.

Ryan thinks boy. I think girl. Last time, he was right. We'll see :)

Walkin' the Walk!

So Olivia's been walking for a couple of weeks now!

Once she got the hang of it, she just kept getting better and better.

Still a little wobbly at times (like right after she wakes up. LOL) but it's so fun to see her progress from day to day! The bumps and bruises are at a minimum now that she's fairly steady. :)