Yup...

...I am that mother that puts ridiculously huge bows on her newborn baby girl...just 'cause it's cute. Even though hubby declares he hates bows & headbands on baby girls. Once he saw this photo, he declared it to be "adorable" (well, yeah!). I'm also the mom who puts a skirt on her baby girl that is way too big for her tiny body...just because it NEEDED to be photographed...

Thankful Thursday: Janurary 19th, 2010....Happy Birth day, Sugar B!

Little B, 6 1/2 days old

In case you haven't heard...she's here!! Blythe (it rhymes with "tithe") Linn Bleger made her debut into the world last Tuesday, Janurary 19th, at 10 :45 pm...apparently my babies like to be born late Tuesday night, although she did beat her brother's time by 20 minutes! She was 6 lbs, 12 oz and 19 in. long...a perfect, sweet little dark-haired (yep, it's almost black!) blessing dropped in to our family. Soooo happy she's here! And not just because it means i am no longer pregnant. We are lovin' getting to know who this little punkin is...her birth was so very mellow and calm (well, you know, for a birth) that it was the compleate opposite of her brother's frantic, harried entrance into the world. She was with us the entire time, never left us once from the time she was born..such a treat! I've posted some pics at the end, but for those of you who want to know... The Birth Story....I had been having contractions since the previous Wednesday, when the doc stripped my membranes. All. Day. Long. 7-9 min. apart, and definitly getting more and more uncomfortable as the days passed. I was exhausted, physically and emotionally, and not able to sleep much. sunday morning, my dear preggo pal texted me that her little girl had been born- I almost cried at first, not because I wasn't absolutly thrilled (I was!) but simply because she was due 3 days after me, and, frankly, I wanted this baby to come! Adam's spring semester started Tuesday, and I was so drained. Sunday afternoon and monday brought a few hours' relief from the contractions; but Tuesday they started back up again, worse than before. I had a Dr.'s appt, which Adam was able to go to with me...the doc checked me (4 cm, 80 % effaced), I told him about the past several days, and he said the words that made me both thrilled and terrified: If this continues and you don't go into labor today, we'll try to induce you tommorow. I was so worn out that the thought of having the baby finally come thrilled me; but I'd so wanted to go into labor naturally this time I was a bit scared. I felt like something would be wrong with me if I couldn't go into labor natually...silly, i know, but there ya go. We went home, Adam left for campus, and Pax and I went to MOPS. I knew I'd go crazy sitting at home. Before we went, I texted a few dear friends, explaining the situationa and asking them to pray with me that I'd go into labor that day, on my own. The contractions were very erratic at this point, even stopped compleatly. But as I drove home from MOPS, a pretty good one hit. 5 minutes later, another. 5 minutes later-same thing. Adam had come home to study, and as we made lunch I kept saying, "there's another one..." but neither of us was holding our breath. When they were still going an hour later, and getting a bit harder, i called the doc. just wasn't sure...they tell you to go to the hospital when your contractions are 5 min apart, but I could still sort of talk through them, and had had similar ones earlier in the week...i just wasn't sure. They asked me to come into the office to be checked, so we packed a bag just in case and headed over about 2:30, where they hooked me up to a stress test (contractions 3-5 min apart), checked me again (4.5 cm, compleatly effaced) and declared I was in labor. Hooray!! what a relief! i'd been so very nervous that they'd send me home..now I was compleatly relaxed! On our way to the hospital, we stopped by Whole Foods to get Adam some snacks , then headed to....the car wash with the free vaccums. I know. but my husband wanted to have a clean car for his baby girl, and I was ok, so...to the car wash we go! As we went through the wash, Adam pondered if this was what the baby was feeling like right then....ahh, the connections you make to random things when your wife is in labor. we got to the birth center about 4:30, checked in, walked a bit, doc broke my water about 6 (THAT finally got things going hard and fast!) and filled up the jacuzzi about 7...just in time for Adam to sit with me and watch The Biggest Loser :) It's our new favorite show...never watched it before, not having cable, and I gotta say I was a bit bummed I couldn't see the screen from the tub. But not too bummed, since I couldn't really concentrate on anything but being in labor. I think I made it to 7 cm before asking for an epidural...and, although I had wanted to do it all natural, i don't regret it for a minute! I'm glad I labored as long as I did on my own, but the epidural...well, it's just great. The funny part was that our anethesiologist was more interested in talking to Adam about med school (our nurse had told him he's pre-med) than in his patient...ya know, the woman in labor. Thankfully, he payed attention long enough to stick the needle in the right place...but it was interesting. Adam told me later he thought I was going to hit one of them any minute...i might have, if I hadn't had such a wonderful L&D nurse there! So after their little chat, things mellowed out for about 45 minutes...then it was push time! My epidurals haven't ever taken compleatly, so I can feel contrations but with much less pain, and feeling to push is really nice. I pushed for 15 minutes...and out came little girlie, sunny-side up, head wiggling, hand waving! She had her left hand up next to her face, which made it a bit harder to get her out. The cord was wrapped once pretty tightly around her neck, but didn't cause any of the issues Pax's double-wrapped cord did. This is apparently just something my very active babies do...get themselves all wrapped up in the cord! Her birth was so peaceful, i could hear the IPOD mix Adam made playing in the background. I got to hold her right away for about 10 minutes before they weighed her or cleaned her up at all; then was able to nurse her within the first 1/2 hour. Less than 1 hour old...so sweet!

She's a champion nurser, by the way. Something like a linebacker at a pie eating contest; the girl can eat! But it makes alllll the difference in the world to have an easy nurser...so far, anyways! Good sleeper so far, too...Sometimes goes 4 1/2 hours between feedings at night, and put herself on a great 2 1/2-3 hour feeding schedule right away. I'm somewhat in awe...and sort of paranoid that it'll end :) She's so alert, so attentive, just like Pax was-just calmer! Adam and I are so loving getting to know who this little one is! Meeting baby sister the next morning

Pax loves his baby sister, too, and is convinced he can carry her around by himself...we've had a few tantrums as he adjusts, but really, so far he's been great. this post is insainly long, though, so...that's for another day! enjoy the pictures...planning a photo shoot with my kiddos today, so stay tuned for (hopefully) great pictures!

Daddy and B, 2 days old

Lady in Waiting

yup, that's me right now...and guess what? I am very, very bad at waiting. Always have been. I was born two weeks early-should've tipped my mom off when both of the other two came three days late. I. Am. Not. Patient. Although I have gotten better. Prayed God would develop patience in me several years ago...then I found out I was pregnant with #1 (who says God doesn't have a sense of humor??). My husband, a MUCH more patient person than I am, gives me a hard time because occasionally I burn things in the oven...because I cooked it on broil, not bake. And then forgot about it. Guess what? I don't like to wait! He cannot understand this. Drives him nuts. Which probably means that I am driving him nuts right about now...I'm what I like to affectiatly call " uber-pregnant " right now. 39 weeks tommorow..my due date is a week from today (no, I don't understand that, either), the 20th. Adam starts school the 19th. hurry up, hurry up, c'mon, kid, just come out already!! I actually thought I WAS in labor Monday night...sigh. Well, at least Adam and I got to play Wii for awhile while we waited to see if it was THE REAL THING. And guess what? I'm pretty good, even during contractions! For those of you who care to know, I'm progressing... about 3 cm dilated, somewhere a bit over 50 % effaced, baby's head is at -2 and getting lower (pretty sure by the second...but that could be just me overreacting to the 90 million times I pee a day), everything is soft and ready to go, had some promising signs of imminent labor...just no baby yet. I know, I know, I still have a week to go...and every day she's in there is another day for her lungs to develop, her organs to mature...I would just LOVE it if I didn't have to call Adam out of a chemistry lab to take me to the hospital. Or if he didn't have to worry about studying his notes for the next day's quiz while I'm in the hospital. What can I say? I was spoiled the last time...my hubby got to be home for a full week, no worries. Lord, give me patience...wait. Is that the right thing to pray? At least help me not to drive my family(and myself!) crazy before this baby comes.

thankful Thursday

Forgot that today WAS Thursday until I got on and saw some other posts..then I thought about skipping it this week. But nope, gonna tell you what I'm thankful for!

...my husband's time off of school. SUCH a blessing to have him around to help out this tired mama at the end of my pregnancy!
...my super-silly, super-busy, super-fun 2 year old. WHO STAYED DRY AND USED THE POTTY ALL DAY TODAY!!! (except for to poop. but i'm ok with that...we'll get there!!)
...the fact that, although I don't have a new baby in my arms yet, I'm over 38 weeks pregnant, able to carry a healthy baby to full-term, and already starting to dilate and efface. Even if I do feel like I'm walking with a bowling ball between my legs, I'm so thankful for the progress made BEFORE I go into labor!
...Naps.
...a fun wedding to plan and dream about the photography for this spring, and chances of more to come...takes my mind off Baby Girl coming. or not coming, as the case may be.
...a warm house in sub-zero weather.
...peppermint hot chocolate made with my very own St*rbuck* peppermint syrup...a giant bottle of it, courtesy of my wonderful husband :)