I'm baaaaack!

So this is going to be a long post! I have obviously been absent and very busy (notice the new layout :)) I guess I can start at Christmas and why I haven't been back to update. We continue to have computer problems and even after getting a friend to check our pc out, the front plate came off and once Adam figured out how to get it hooked up again, the darn thing wouldn't turn on. Very frustrating. So Christmas was great, and I am even more convinced than ever that Christmas is ONLY for the kids. We were up till 3 am just wrapping and putting the gifts together. We were so wiped out the next morning but it was a great time. Barbara, Joe, Tirzah, Larry, Spencer and Olivia came for brunch and we had great food and great time. After that was New Years which came and went in a blur as well. I don't think Adam or I were actually awake at midnight. I vaguely remember Adam saying, "Happy New Year" to me at some point but hardley the champagne toast and kisses of years past.


With the new year came the preparation for the addition to our new family. A new carseat was purchased, as well as other neccesities. I knew that we had Adam's 30 birthday coming up as well but Barbara and Tirzah informed me they would be planning a get together at Tirzah's house. Well we got such a pleasant suprise on arriving to find out not only was it a great 30th party for Adam complete with his closest friends but also a baby shower for our new little one. We were both so touched, more than words can say. It is so nice to know that we have lots of family and friends that care so much about us.

So through all of this I have continued working, believe me, it has taken tremendous motivation to get up in the morning and make it through the day. Not to mention the fact that I think my boss forgot that I was leaving till like the week before my leave date and then decided he had to pile on a million things in that last week. Literally my last day brought moving tons of birds in my area PLUS outside bird moves in the pouring rain because of weather concerns. One of them had me running all over the giraffe yard literally because one of out vultures decided to run into the water instead of on land. She started sinking fast and we had to run to make a rescue, amazingly enough she figured out to use those wings as a paddle and made it to the other side safely.


Well on the evening of the 29th, my last day at work, Adam decided to go to his friends house to play video games. So I took up my usual residence on the couch and promptly fell asleep once Isabelle was put down. Jenna was at her dads house. Around 12:30am I remember coming in and out of sleep with cramps but didn't really think a whole lot about them. At about 2:30am Adam got home and I got up to pee only to see blood!! I knew this was it! I called the midwife who told me to take my time but I should probably go ahead and go to the hospital. So we called mom and dad to come over. I took a shower and at that time contractions were timing 4 minutes apart. By the time I had procrastinated and freaked everyone out enough by stalling, it was around 4:30am. When we got to the hospital they checked me and I was already 5cm. I was really hoping for a higher number but I wasn't about to compliain. By the time I went through the absolute hell that is getting an IV started (apparantly I have deep small veins and thick skin) I was really feeling the contractions. I wanted to put off getting in the tub till I couldn't stand it anymore but I was really looking forward to some relief so about 45 minutes after that ordeal I got in the tub. Now I wont say it didn't help at all. Don't get me wrong it felt really good, but definitly didn't supply the relief I thought it would. Then the dry heaves came (pretty standard for me in labor) and after that and about 4 more contractions I decided I was done. I requested the epidural because I knew the anesthesiologist was not there and it would take a bit for him to arrive. I stayed in the tub while I recieved a bag of fluids and then I had to get out and wait in agony in the bed. All was right though when he came and as soon as he was done they checked me and I was 10cm. Now looking back on the whole ordeal I have no regrets about getting the epidural, I think I would have been too out of it in the end without it but thinking about it I don't really understand why my midwife didn't check my dialation BEFORE I got the epidural. I mean I already knew that I was in transition. I wonder if I was 9 or even 20 BEFORE I got the epidural. Well anyhow, she asked me to give a practice push, which must have been good because she immediatly started to get ready and 4 minutes later at 7:58am Lucien Joseph was born all 8 lbs 71/2 oz of him!! Everything since then has been a dream. This little boy nurses so well I never could have imagined how great breasfeeding could be because of my experiences with Jenna and Isabelle. We haven't had any problems except me being paranoid that there would be problems! And he even had a checkup on Monday 2/2 and he had GAINED 4 oz!! Usually the docs expect newborns to loose weight and then get up to their birth weight within 2 weeks. He had surpassed it in 5 days!! Yeah good milk supply!


So he is just the cutest little (big!) thing in the world. His sisters are fascinated and haveing to get used to being a little quieter. It has been an adjustment for all of us but I can't complain. Will update more often! Oh, also something is wrong with the spell check and I typed this FAST so don't think I am a complete idiot!