Riley is funny!

Here a few of my favorite pics as of late... Riley is so much fun. He's starting to smile and is slowly becoming more independent. He has grown a TON in 5 1/2 weeks and now has the cheeks and belly to prove it. Enjoy the pics and happy new year!

One month already!

I can't believe our baby boy has been with us for a month! In lots of ways, it has been a super challenging month, but also one of the most rewarding and emotional experiences that Kevin and I have had. I now realize that all those stories about newborns are very true...sleep is a distant and fond memory.

Riley has changed so much in his short month of life. Here's a quick video clip of us on the couch. I would swear that he is smiling when I start to talk to him!



Riley's Birth Story:
In honor of his one-month milestone, I thought I'd type out my birth story. This is more for my memory than to bore anyone else, so don't feel like you have to read it! Nonetheless, here it is:

Labor started early in the morning on Wednesday, November 21st. I woke up feeling not-quite-right about 7 a.m. or so and by 9 a.m. I was having contractions that felt distinctly different from the Braxton Hicks that had consumed my life for the past month. They didn't hurt exactly, just felt more powerful and kind of real! I actually thought, "wow, this is really it." I sent Kevin to work and told him I would let him know how things went and would call him if it got close. I knew from all of my reading that this could take a LONG time to become urgent. At about 14 minutes apart, it was a long way from the 4 minutes apart I would need to go the hospital. I spent a lot of time cleaning house, decorated the outside of the house for Christmas and put away clean laundry. I looked for any and everything I needed to do before Riley's arrival.

Around 1 p.m. things slowed way down. It had been nearly an hour since my last contraction and I was so bummed. I just knew this could not be fake. I ran to the kitchen and grabbed my Red Raspberry Leaf Tea. I brewed up a cup with very little water and took it like a shot. I don't know if it was the tea or pure willpower, but things started right up again and before I knew it, contractions were 10 minutes apart. So went the day... around 4 or so, I called Kevin and let him know that he shouldn't stay at work late and what he should actually do is come home and try to sleep. I knew this would go late into the night and wanted at least one of us to be well-rested. He came home, did a few last minute preparations and after awhile, I decided that I wanted my last pre-delivery meal to be a banana split.

We headed to Blockbuster and picked up a few DVDs (for the hospital) and then went to Braum's for my last supper. At this point, it's about 10 p.m. and things are getting much more intense. The contractions are about 7 min apart and taking my breath away. We come home, Kevin sleeps and I labor around the house. Around 12:30, I can hardly take the intensity, but the timing is just not where it needs to be. I put the bags by the front door and wait some more...

At 1 a.m. I'm doubling over in pain, but still 4-6 minutes apart. I call the hospital and they agree that I can come in to be checked. I wake up Kevin, we get our stuff loaded and off to the hospital we go. Once we arrive, I'm checked in and my contractions are monitered and, of course, they slow waaay down. I was so frustrated and determined that I would not leave that hospital! I asked them to check me, and so they do (mostly to humor me, i think). They find out I'm almost 4 cm dialted and 90% effaced. The head nurse says, "you get to stay!" I've never been happier. She asks if I want an epidural and since I'm near tears on some of the contractions, I quickly say yes and they make the 2:30 am call to the anesthesiologist. About an hour later, my life is a million times better as my pain is replaced by tingles.

From here, things seemed so fast. They checked me every once in a while and within a couple hours I had made it to 6 cm and was fully effaced. At this point, they decided to speed it along and broke my water and gave me a pitocin drip. I was feeling great, although i couldn't quit shivering and was way nervous. Kevin and my mom kept me super calm and I appreciated the quiet environment that the middle of the night and holiday provided.

It wasn't too long before I was at 8 cm and the sun was coming up. Then 9, the 10cm. It flew by. They let me know I was an 10 and ready to push and they were informing the doctor again. I immediately starting crying a little as I anticipated the pushing. I was so scared of this part. They turned my calm room into a full-blown hospital room as a team of delivery nurses came in, the nursery nurse arrived and set up the scale and other baby things. Lights came up, stirrups came out and the stage was definitely set. I started pushing and although I could feel it, it wasn't excruciating. It was so calm in there and no one was yelling like on TV. I was so relieved. I remember watching the TV between pushes--it was the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. After only a few pushes, the nurse was ready for the doctor to take over and only a couple of pushes after that, I knew the big part was over. Baby cries soon followed and after about 15 minutes of pushing, our son was here.

It was an experience I'll obviously never forget and was so much better than I imagined it would be. I thought it would be horrible and it really wasn't even close. I would do it again in a second. I loved sharing the experience with my husband and mom and Kevin was such a calming force on me--as usual. Needless to say, it was the best Thanksgiving of our lives!