Precious Moments

So since my last blog entry I have found out that Chance does have colic...yay! He has been getting fussy a lot in the evening hours, but I can honestly say I don't think it is that bad. Don't get me wrong, there has been moments were I wished I was hard of hearing, but moments like these are were you have to find the good in the bad. The other night when he started crying like crazy I picked him up and held him tight against me, started swaying him back and forth and started humming Phantom of the Opera (of all songs lol) and he slowly started to calm down. When you can look down at your child and know that just being held and loved is what is calming to them, those colic moments aren't all that bad.

A couple days after my last blog entry I knew I wanted to name this one Precious Moments because of a milestone (in my eyes) that I had with Chance one morning. It was the first time that I was playing with him that he smiled when I tickled his face, and for y'alls benefit I was able to capture the moment with a picture. Isn't he just so darn cute!! Another thing is that Chance has been talking up a storm recently..okay well really not talking but he babbles and coo's a lot, especially in the morning after I feed him and put him in his crib for the last time before we get up for the day. That's another thing that I am going to start focusing on a little more is slowing start moving him to his crib. He has been sleeping in his pack n' play next to my bed since we got home. I don't think that I am completely ready to start moving him to his crib but I do need to start putting him in it more while he naps to start getting him use to it. He seems to like it though so I hope we won't have a hard time with that transition.
Chance's had his one month check up and of course he passed with flying colors. The nurse did mess up his PKU test the first time around and so we had to redo that test, it was so easy the first time, Chance did amazing and didn't cry at all but the second time....not so much. Although, I wouldn't be to happy either people poking my heel and squeezing blood out of it.
Oh and before I forget, we received his newborn photos in the mail. Here are a few of my favorites.

Enjoy!

Merry (Belated) Christmas and Happy (Belated) New Year

    WOW! I can not believe how fast December flew by. Many people keep telling me of how quickly your kids grow up and how it goes by like a blink of an eye, let me be the first to say "I Know!" When Chance had his 2 week check up at the pediatricians (which he passed inspection with flying colors) I could not believe he was already 2 weeks old. It felt like just a few days had gone by since I was in the hospital and not 2 weeks. Now, this Friday he will already be a month old. Time seriously does fly by.
    Our Christmas was wonderful, not to crazy and hectic. We celebrated with Al's family at his Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Frances house on Christmas Eve with TONS of food. Which of course during the time when we were all about to sit down to dinner, that is when Chance decided to wake up and participate in his own dinner time too. So I missed out on eating at the dinner table and having a second and third plate, but I would have walked out in a food coma so the timing was perfect. Chance received a Cowboys Christmas stocking from his Aunt and Uncle which Al fell in love with so it was the first thing that was put up over the fireplace when we got home that night.

Christmas was spent out at my sisters with her mom, step dad and sister. Al and I had a great time having Fondue and hilarious conversations at the dinner table. We laughed later on of how different present opening was between our families. Al's family has everyone open everything all at once while mine opens one gift at a time while everyone watches. Needless to say Chance was spoiled at both houses and went home with all kinds of good stuff from family and of course Santa. Speaking of Santa I was really sad that we missed out of taking a photo with Santa this Christmas. Timing just wasn't right this year. Here is a photo of the three of us though at my sisters house on Christmas.

   My time on maternity leave so far has been really great. It has been a big adjustment with Chance at home but aside from what everyone has said the transition with him has been really smooth. He is sleeping well, initially every 2 hours he was waking up to feed almost to the minute but now its a little more sporadic, sometimes he will wake up every 2 hours other times its 4 1/2. But of course when he sleeps for 4 1/2 hours its only during the day, never at night.  The past couple of nights though have been hard. I am really really hoping he is not colicy. But I'm currently running on 4 hours of sleep in the past 48. He has just been really fussy. Really keeping my fingers crossed on this one. It definitely has been challenging though since Al went back to work a week ago. Although, I'm learning pretty quickly when the best time is to do things around the house. I notice that if I don't get ready in the morning during Chance's last nap of the morning, then I won't get out of my PJ's and be able to brush my teeth until the afternoon.
   Chance and I were starting to get cabin fever really bad last week so we finally broke out the stroller and have been taking walks daily. Chance LOVES being outside and in that stroller, oh my goodness!!! We walked and walked and walked, it was so nice and beautiful out, one of the perks of living in Texas it can be 70 degrees out during Christmas time! It was so great to get out and get my behind moving and working out too. The doctor said not to diet or exercise too much until after 6 weeks, but I am so ready to get this weight off ASAP! Its driving me insane. And yes I do realize I just had a baby but I know it is going to take a while to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight so I am ready to start... NOW!

 Overall, I still feel so blessed to have Chance in my life! It has been an amazing adventure so far; and Al and I are really enjoying our time with him.. watching all of his funny faces (especially while pooping!!) and all the little noises he makes. Each day has been a new experience and I absolutely love being a mom!

He's here!!!

Our amazing and beautiful blessing has finally arrived! Well...arrived a week ago on Tuesday, December 6th at 10:29pm. Chance Tegan Tristan weighed 8.88lbs and was 21 inches long. Both Al and I are wondering whose child this is because he is just way to adorable to be ours.
    So as the story goes... I originally went into the hospital Sunday night to start inducing. My doctor started pitocin Monday morning and by 6pm that night I was no further dilated (1 cm) than what I was 3 weeks prior. So they sent us home. Al and I were both completely mentally drained, you think you are going to leave the hospital with a newborn in your arms and the complete opposite happens. The doctor did say that we will try inducing again on Friday and if it failed again they would do a C-section, that was if he did not come before.
    Sure enough that next morning, I woke up around 10am and felt a slight trickle. I ran to the bathroom and then felt a slight gush....HOLY CRAP! Did my water just break or did I just have an accident???? Al came in to check on me and I sat in silence for a second then told him what just happened and called the doctors office. They told me it sounds like my water did break and I needed to get into the car, lay in the back seat, make sure I was wheel chaired to Labor and Delivery but get to the hospital quickly. Well I felt great so I told Al I was going to get a cup of coffee, he asked if he had time to take a shower and I said, "Sure!". I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while he was doing that because I was craving one the day prior and while on pitocin you can not eat, so I made sure I did this time around before going back in. While headed to the hospital I told Al that he needed to get something to eat because it could be a while before he got another meal and we both knew that the hospital food wasn't the greatest. So Burger King it was! I believe it was noon by the time we actually got to the hospital and if you are wondering if I had been wheel chaired to Labor and Delivery...uh no!
    Pitocin was started right away, but of course nothing happened until about 2:30pm,  and finally started dilating and having contractions. Those lasted till about 5pm the pain was tolerable but I was just getting exhausted going through them. Epidural time!!! This was probably the worst time for me throughout my labor only for my fear that they would miss and I had a fear I was going to be paralyzed from the waist down. All went well and I FINALLY dilated to 10cm at 10pm. My doctor was so amazing since she knew I wanted no one but her to deliver Chance, she took a nap at the hospital and said she would wait until he came. I started pushing at 10pm and out he came at 10:29pm. The umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck 3 times, but thank God it was loose, so he did not have to go to NICU. He is absolutely perfect! Al was so amazing through all of it, he definitely kept calm, didn't pass out, did everything perfectly especially telling me when I needed to breathe.
    After spending two nights in the hospital we are now back home with Chance in tow this time. Adjusting to this new change has been great so far and running very smoothly. The first couple of nights were a little hard trying to get use to waking up every two hours to feed him, but after the 2nd night I quit setting my alarm to wake him up since he woke me up just fine without it. Every two hours almost to the minute, just like clockwork. Al and I have also been inducted into the Chance clan, by both officially being peed on while changing diapers, but that was after changing his first diaper in the hospital. Al and I were so caucious about being peed on that when Chance did pee he shot it right into his own little face and the screaming began... poor little traumatize guy. I though must admit have dodged being drenched more than Al has. We did newborn photos today and our last sitting was of the three of us. We were able to get a couple of shots in and when asked to change our position I handed a naked Chance to Al, who was immediately shot in the chest with pee, but took it like a complete champ and just sat there and took the full emptying of the bladder.
   I will definitely try to keep posting new blogs as I sink more and more into mommihood. I am so looking forward to this amazing new adventure in my life!

24 hours and counting

Well my doctor told me that we will be inducing Monday, December 5th if he is not here prior. Well, it's Sunday afternoon and Chance is still not here and Al is going to take me into Labor and Delivery in about 4 hours. I'll check in this evening to St. Paul and they will start the inducing process tomorrow morning. It is crazy that we will be holding our little baby boy tomorrow. I think that I am as prepared as I can be at this point. It has been so funny receiving so many phone calls from friends and family asking me if I have gone into labor yet, so I have just started answering the phone "I'm still pregnant." I have compiled all the photos that I took with my phone throughout my pregnancy and typically would never post pictures of myself but I figure why not. I never got around to taking maternity photos so these will just have to do. I just hope that I am able to take off this weight faster than I put it on.

15 Weeks

19 Weeks

22 Weeks

25 Weeks

30 Weeks

 

35 Weeks

40 Weeks

 So I apologize in advance for the scatter of my belly all over this blog (what a sight to see) but this blog would not allow me to post them right and make it look pretty. I am hoping that I can get one last photo tomorrow morning at 41 weeks and add that one soon.
I have been feeling pretty good  about everything as far as delivery until the other night, started having slight anxiety about it. Not about anything going wrong but just what all is going to happen with inducing. I have heard once the pitocin is injected everything goes by really quickly, but for my sister and nephew it was (if I remember correctly) an emergency c-section right after because Jack's heart rate dropped. Other the other end, my neighbor across the street said she delivered 15 hours later after receiving the pitocin. I guess all is up in the air from here. Regardless of it all I am so over the moon about finally meeting our son, he is truly already such a blessing in my heart! I am so thrilled and excited about being a mother, and I know Al feels and has said he is ready and excited to be a father.

Wish us luck!

I guess the Turkey is not done cooking?!

Everyone I know and plus some have told me that Chance is not going to make it to his due date, that he will be coming before Thanksgiving! Well, this little guy is proving everyone wrong so far, today is his estimated due date.. November 28th and he is still in his mommy's belly. I have a doctors appointment later today and am anxious to find out what she will say. Forty weeks and counting! So far this little turkey in me is showing everyone who is really running the show around here, and it isn't anyone on the outside world. I will say it has definitely helped me a little bit more to get packed for the hospital and get a few things done around the house, including Christmas decorating. Maybe Chance just knows how his mother is already, such a planner, if its in my appointment book that is the date I am going to go by. He would have really thrown me off if he came earlier than today... yes I do know that having a child there is never an expected moment. Always be as prepared as you can be for the unexpected...right?? Well the waiting game continues....until then!

To my little blessing

Dear Chance,
I can not believe that the time is almost here for you to come into this world. It's been 39 weeks today that you have been in my tummy. Time has certainly flown by. I have noticed that the closer you get to being in my arms the more I think about you, while I'm awake and while I am sleeping. I think about what you are going to look like, how big you are going to be (the doctor said you were 8.1 lbs last Friday), how much hair you are going to have on your head, and what color it will be. I wonder if you are going to sleep easily during the night or keep your dad and I up a lot :), what your first word is going to be, so many things run through my head.
I have also been thinking about what kind of mom I am going to be to you, how many things I can teach you, how I am going to act when you get sick, or fall on your knees. How overbearing I am going to be at times, and how I can wait to just give you the biggest hugs in the world.
I hope you grow up having equal parts of your dad and I, his strength, courage, honor, confidence and loyalty to friends and my compassion, love, patience and understanding. However you turn out you are going to be one extraordinary son who will be loved by so many people around you.
There are times that I feel like I am going to wake up from a dream because it is still hard for me to think that within the next week or so you are going to be coming into this world. You have given me so many blessings so far and you are not even here yet! Chance you have given me a warmth in my heart from a void that I thought would never be filled. You have given me strength to stand on my own feet and be more confident. You have shown me more patience in my life, more than what I have ever had in the past. You also have given me a smile back on my face every time I feel you wiggle in my tummy, knowing you are going to be here soon. You are such a true blessing to me and the wait is almost over until I get to meet you. I love you so much already and can not wait to hold you in my arms.
Love,
Mom

The time is drawing near

I can not believe it is almost D-Day! Where did these past 8 1/2 months go? Time sure has flown by, Al and I had our last baby shower last night that Katie, Jessica and Allison hosted here at our house. It was so nice and relaxed. The girls made sure that I did not do anything, which is easier said than done. But I think with enough yelling and hair pulling (kidding) they finally got me to sit down on the couch and relax while I watched them take over and clean the house and decorate for the shower. It was a lot smaller shower than the first two which was nice, I think the bigger my belly gets the less entertaining I become.  Chance's nursery is basically complete the only thing I would like to get is a baby monitor and a diaper stacker oh and of course I do need to still purchase a lovely breast pump...yay!!
   Al and I drove out to Arlington today to have lunch with my best friend Jessica, her fiance Jay and their daughter (my god daughter) Gwendolyn. There was a few times I looked over at Al and saw him just starring and Gwen. It was so sweet, I asked if he was studying her patterns and he just laughed and shook his head no, and said he was just watching her. He told me later in the car that he has a good feeling that we are going to have a great kid that is not going to cry much and just be really laid back and cool. I laughed and told him that I am recording this moment in my memory bank so when things are chaotic I can find humor in the moment of chaos.
   Overall I am feeling great, there have been moments here and there that my feet are super swollen, and times were I get winded easier but I honest can not complain. I feel really good and still have a lot of energy for the most part. I will say that it has been frustrating trying to find pants that fit, especially going into the colder season on the year, so yoga pants have been my best friend for the most part. Poor Al really does not see a very attractive Shauna anymore around the house. I am all about comfort these days, I have my moments of trying to dress up but even those times there is definitely not a 100% effort and they are few and far in between. Hopefully, soon enough I will get somewhat of a figure back after Chance is born. Just need to make sure I am laying off all the amazing chocolate chip cookies that I have been baking.