Welcome: Lynnden Dorothy

I am curled up on the couch with the most precious bundle laying in my arms as I settle in to write this post. Hard to imagine this baby is already 5 weeks old! It seems like just yesterday I was past my due date and thinking to myself that this pregnancy was never going to end. Thankfully at exactly 41 weeks our baby made an appearance. 

I'm sure y'all would like to hear the story of our little ones arrival..

It started off with a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, October 8th. I was 40 weeks & 6 days.
They put me on the fetal monitor for 30 minutes to make sure babies heart rate was still holding steady.
I was then seen by my doctor and found out I was only a 2cm and 80% effaced with some contractions but nothing serious. Same as I had been for the past 3 weeks. But baby was not in any stress and I was holding up good, although I was feeling like my body couldn't become any more swollen. My doctor informed me that if I wanted we could induce labor that day or the next or just wait a week and see if my body would go into labor on it's own.
After hearing my options and a phone call to Doug and my mom (who lives 5 hours away and we wanted to have her at the birth). Thankfully Doug had finished corn harvest on the farm the day before so I knew he wouldn't have to worry about leaving work. So we decided to go ahead and induce labor. On my way home the hospital called and asked when I would like to come in and we agreed on 2pm. Doug met me at home and we finished loading up our bags, made sure the dogs were taken care of and off we went..excited and nervous all at once knowing we were leaving the house as a couple and we would be coming home in a couple days as a family. They admitted me into the hospital and around 3pm gave me cervidil to help get my contractions going. I had told my doctor I didn't want to use pitocin if at all possible so this was an easier way to allow my body to do what it needed to do on it's own without much medical interference. 4 hours after receiving the cervidil, at 7pm my doctor checked me and I was at 3cm & 90% effaced with stronger and more regular contractions that were about 5 minutes apart. He told me he would break my water right then and my body should just take over and keep labor going. Having my water broke was the weirdest feeling..it was like peeing your pants with gallons of water and you have no control over it. After that my contraction became even stronger and about 2-3 minutes apart. I was in the middle of a hard contraction when my mom arrived around 10pm. She walked up to my bed as I was laying on my side with my eyes closed. Once the contraction passed she said "hello Cec, how are you doing?" and I responded with "You are an IDIOT!! Why would you do this SEVEN TIMES??" of course this made everyone laugh, although I was serious.
Thankfully the nurse brought me a birthing ball to sit on and once I got out of bed and was sitting on that my contractions became much more tolerable. I sat there for the majority of labor. I had bad back labor at first but eventually it eased with the help of Doug and my mom rubbing my low back with each contraction. I discovered the most comfortable position to get through a contraction was leaning on my mom's shoulder with my head pressed into her neck. It was comforting and relaxing. Her and Doug took turns supporting me and reminding me to relax my body instead of tensing my muscles. Doug was such a trooper, encouraging me and reminding me how strong I was and that I could make it through the pain. Babies heart rate stayed strong through it all and we worked together to progress in labor and move her little body into position.
Finally at 2am I was fully dilated and could start pushing. Let me tell you..that was the best feeling ever!!! It brought so much relief to all the pressure and pain of contractions. The nurse discovered there was meconium in the water and we needed the NICU nurses to come in just in case she had ingested any. It took me a few pushes to figure out the right way to help baby come down and make the most progress. After pushing a couple more times babies heart rate was dropping and she was under some stress. With each contractions I pushed and with a few more pushes her head was out, we discovered she had the cord wrapped around her neck twice and it was cutting of her air way. The doctor had to pull the cord from around her neck which left a bruise under her chin and red marks around her neck from how tight it was. Once the cord was removed from her neck the doctor walked up to my side and told me "Cecily, you need to push this baby out right now!" - That's when I knew things were serious and my baby could be in trouble. Two nurses grabbed my legs from my mom and Doug and one nurse began pushing on my stomach to help dislodge babies shoulder which was stuck behind my pelvis. Thankfully with only about 2 pushes and only 7.5 hours in active labor, my precious (and blue) little girl was born at 2:26am - with the assistance of the doctor having to reach in and turn her body to release her shoulder that was stuck. Doug was able to cut the cord before handing her to the nurses. Within seconds she began breathing and let out a good cry which was music to every ones ears! they discovered to our relief that she did not swallow any meconium. Although she had to be monitored for 5 minutes before I was able to hold her. I couldn't see her, but Doug informed me she had a ton of hair! Finally after getting a clean bill of health she was laid on my chest where she made cooing sounds and her skin turned a bright pink.
She was perfect.
Everyone commented on the amount of hair and what a big baby she was. The nurse finally weighed her and we discovered we had a 9 lb 5.6oz and 20.5 inch little chunk!
And we finally could announce our name, which we had kept from everyone

Lynnden Dorothy Piovesan

(Lynn for Doug's moms middle name, Dorothy for my grandma that passed away in march)

It was such an amazing experience and you really do feel love at first sight. I was able to make it through with a drug free birth, which I had wanted and was determined to have. The feeling you get once your baby is born takes all the pain and discomfort away! Your body floods with endorphins and love for the pink, wrinkly baby that is yours.
We ended up staying 2 days so they could monitor Lynnden due to antibiotics I was given for the Strep B virus which weren't 100% preventive and they wanted to make sure Lynnden wasn't in danger. Thankfully she didn't get the virus, she was a good nurser and she only lost 3% body weight. After the 48 hours we finally got to bring our baby home.
She has been a really easy baby. As long as her belly is full, her diaper is clean and she is in someones arms she is perfectly content. And we are loving parenthood. Both of us our definitely wrapped around her finger. You quickly forget what life was like before this little person became your whole world. I am now able to stay home and be a housewife and mommy.

I am lucky to have such a hard working husband who makes it all possible and to have the family that I have always wanted.

The first pictures of Lynnden

We were able to have a friend document the birth in pictures, which I will treasure forever!
She made a beautiful slide show that has me in tears every time I watch it.

 http://www.tonijohnsonphotography.com/blog/the-birth-of-lynnden-dorothy-columbia-basin-birth-photography/

Daddy and Lynnden

5 weeks old & such a happy baby!

"The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord"

Well it's been a while since I have sat down and wrote anything. Life has changed a lot since December when i last wrote a post. We enjoyed our vacation to Mexico in January. A whole week of nothing to do but sleep in, enjoy the warm weather, sit pool side with a cold drink and explore the town of Cabo. I could have stayed at least another 3 days. 
Hopefully we will get the chance to return another year and have an extended stay. Although when that might happen i haven't a clue do to the fact that our little babe will be arriving this October. Just a few short months away. A few very HOT months to get through yet.

I guess i should get everyone a little caught up on how we got to this point.
A little over a week after getting home from Mexico we found out we were expecting. After a couple weeks of complete shock it finally sank in, right around the time I found out my Grandma Beld was losing her 20+ year battle with breast cancer. Talk about an emotional toll. I kept the pregnancy a secret until after our first doctor appointment and we could make a trip up to Lynden to visit my family and tell them the news in person. Especially my Grandma, as we didn't know exactly how long she would be around. I was trying to grasp the idea that she wouldn't be around to see this baby born, something I am still struggling with to this day. We made our trip to Lynden on my birthday, March 15th, and told my Grandma the next day. She began to cry, which of course made me cry, she told me that was something she would miss the most - watching her great-grand babies grow up. We were around for the weekend and we were able to spend as much time as we could with her frail, overly exhausted self. Just talking would make her tired. So we could only visit for about 10 minutes at a time. After 3 days I had to leave for home knowing I would never have another chance to sit with her again. The woman that had been a big part in my life since the day I was born.
She ended up passing away a few days later. With heavy hearts we laid her to rest in a cemetery on the old farm were she grew up. Which is also located just down the road from her and my grandpa's house. So in a way she is never far away. 
Although some day's when I think of her it still makes me cry. It pains my heart to think that this precious baby will never know what an amazing woman she had as a great grandma. Although I know she is watching over us. 

From 12 weeks to around 20 weeks I was throwing up every morning.
At 18 weeks i felt the baby move for the first time. 
at 20 weeks we found out this baby is a GIRL. I cried at the appointment. The ultrasound technician became concerned but I was quick to reassure her they were happy tears. 
When i spoke with my grandpa later that day to tell him the exciting news I could hear in his voice that he was chocked up. It means something extra special that this baby is a girl. 
at 24 weeks my feet began to get swollen.
At 26 weeks I was still throwing up at least once a week. But that seems to have passed now (YAY ME!)
Now at 27 weeks and 100 degree weather my poor feet are suffering. 
But baby girl is growing and healthy. She is approximately 2 lbs and is a very busy bee.
Although she is not a morning person. I usually don't feel her moving around until 8am. But she makes up for it with being extra active in the afternoon's and evening's. I am just hoping she keeps this up even after she is here! The best part about her being so active later in the day is that Doug gets to feel her kicks and wiggles. If she cooperates. Most times she stops moving as soon as he touches my belly. But there have been a few times when she has moved for him. The look on his face the first time he saw her on the ultra sound, heard her heart beat and then felt her kick was the cutest thing i have ever witnessed. 
I know he will be an amazing dad. He already loves her so much. 
Now I feel like we are on the official count down. 13 weeks until she is here. 13 HOT weeks.
It's going to be a long summer. But i know i will forget all about it once i hold her in my arms.

And now you are all caught up on our crazy beautiful life <3