Friday, December 30, 2011

Welcome to the World.

Aspenn Noelle
December 28, 2011
12:13am
7 pounds 10 ounces
19 1/2 inches



I can't believe she is really here. When I thought she'd never come! She just wanted to wait till her expected arrival date. Yes, she was indeed born on her due date. {just wanted to be like her mommy who too was born on her duedate} 



We feel so blessed to have these gorgeous girls in our lives. Its pretty neat how much they look alike. Just looking back at Brynlee's pictures, they have a lot of similarities. They are/were exactly the same length but Aspenn is almost a whole pound bigger then B was. Even their heads and chest are super close in size.


Our Family of 4



So for all who have been asking. Here is her birth story:

    Tuesday, December 27th, I was having contractions all day. Nothing painful. Nothing time-able. No patterns just random contractions. Well that evening I started timing them, they were getting more frequent so I said what the heck. {I'll tell ya though, its much easier when you water just breaks and you don't have to do this timing stuff!} I was having them less then 5 minutes apart for an hour when I called my mom. Still they weren't painful. She said just to go in, considering I was due the next day and already at 4cm. I was curious to see if my cervix was changing any so I was like ok. So I told Nick that I wanted to go. Let my friend know that we'd be dropping Brynlee off sooner then later and started to get things together. At that point, I felt like the contractions had let up some, but I also stopped timing them. I didn't want to get there and then be sent home only to come back later.

  We arrived at the hospital at around 7:45 I believe. Sat in the ER waiting room for about 30 minutes before Labor and Delivery came to get us. Put us in a room and got all hooked up to the monitors and the nurse came in and checked my cervix. I was still at a 4cm. I was pretty disappointed. They told me they'd keep me for an hour to observe and then check me again to see if there is any change. Well my contractions kept coming, still not in a great pattern but they were there.

  At 9:30 she came back to re-check me. I was a 5...but barely. So it was good but not much. She said she would call the doctor and see what she wanted to do. She asked me if I wanted to go home, and if I was staying if I wanted to be induced after a certain time and all that. I didn't want to be induced, but honestly at this time I was really considering it, lol. She came back and the doc said she wanted to keep me since I was due in the morning. She said if I hadn't delivered by morning she'd come and break my water, which was a good plan to me.

  So we got settled in and figured we'd go to sleep. Well then I got a very painful contraction out the blue. No contraction worked up to it, it went from not painful to whoa. I wanted drugs. I had drugs with Brynlee and had no desire to go natural. I told nurse if they kept coming like this I wanted my epidural. She told me to tell her sooner then later, since I needed 2 bags of fluid before they'd give it to me. I had only had a half at this point! So she sped it up. Boy was that cold in the arm.

  She asked if I wanted IV drugs, I opted for that. So I got me some drugs, granted I don't think it did a thing but make me sleepy! The contractions kept on coming. I had quite a bit of pressure and told her so she decided to check me. I was practically a 6 by then.

  Drugs in, contractions still felt just as bad. I was getting worried that I wasn't going to be able to get my epidural! I'll tell ya, I am not a fan of pain or have a huge pain tolerance so this was something that really made me nervous. Nick was great the entire time. I kept telling him I didn't want to do this again, and he would just reassure me that I could do it. I then would say I know that, I kinda have to, but just keep telling me that because I am gonna keep saying I can't!

  I honestly can't remember the time table...I wish I would have paid more attention to the clock. I did good during the contractions this time with my breathing. Nick was really helping me not tense up and breath through them (with Brynlee this technique did not help me at all! ) . I'm glad it came in handy the second time around. After a little of enduring these contractions, I felt the urge to push. BAD. I told the nurse and so she was like don't push don't push and checked me. I was complete. I started bawling. I knew at that point I could not get my epidural! I don't know the exact times, but I do know they told me I went from barely a 5 to 10 cm in 55 minutes! They paged the doctor. Of course it was at night, so she wasn't there. Clearly she lives close because she got there fast, but to me it felt like forever. I just wanted to push!

  She literally walked in the door, and said push. She got all gloved up and such and broke my bag of water, and 4 more contractions later I had a 7lb miracle on my chest. Oh my goodness. That was a relief. I did it. I really never thought I could do childbirth without drugs, well I kinda had to. But I survived!

 So we got into labor and delivery at 830. Aspenn was welcomed to this world at 12:13. Not too shabby. I am very glad I didn't want to go home, we live 30 minutes from the hospital. As much as Nick says delivering a baby wouldn't be scary for him, I'm sure glad he didn't have to!

  I have been asked if we had a third, which we have no intentions of having....if I'd opt for the drugs or just go without. I liked how much faster it was. I mean I was still pretty fast with B (6hrs total. 22 mins of pushing) Since most people have faster labors the more kiddos...I'd probably not be able to get anything. Haha. I did like how much easier it was to push, even with the pain, I was able to tell where she was..unlike with B, I was just pushing.

  So all in all. It was a great labor experience. I am actually glad I can say I've done it both ways. I however have no desire to do it again....or at least in the very near future. ( Nick doesn't want anymore, and neither do I , but you never know right) 


  Hope y'all enjoyed my little book I wrote, haha.

Oh and Have a Happy New Year!!


Monday, December 26, 2011

Christmas Day for the Nelson's

Here is what Brynlee walked out to this morning...


She actually went straight to the big Elmo...then saw the basketball. Grabbed it and started shooting it....I was shocked she knew what to do with it!


Her huge Teddy Bear


Then we read the The Christmas Story from her Bible. 


Then it was time to open presents!


I took more pics, but here is just a few. 




Brynlee size Elmo!


Loves her magnadoodle!


Dogs got their big pork bones...we didn't see them much today! 



After presents we had homemade Cinnamon rolls, a tradition of ours I am going to keep going. I must stay, todays we're the best I've made so far! Brynlee didn't want to eat it, but once she had a taste of it, she scarfed her's down. Haha.

The rest of the day we just hung out and played with new toys and read new books and colored. Went for a walk together and then had a nice big but small dinner, the 3 of us. Still wishing this little girl would come out and join the fun!

God Bless!

Christmas Eve

We hope everyone had a great Christmas! 
We sure did! 
Love this pic below, even though we're squishing B!


Looking at her Bear ornament from last year, she says ROAR when she holds it!


Stocking time! She was kinda confused about it, but when she realized there was something in there, she got intrigued. 



Hot Wheels!



The furry kids usually get wet/canned dog food each Christmas..only time they get it, and they of course love it!


 Rolling her cars with daddy. She played all night with these!



Merry Christmas! Love the Nelson's

Saturday, December 17, 2011

{[late post]} Big Girl Bed


So on November 18th we moved the crib out of B's bedroom and put this {used} toddler bed in it. 
Brynlee was so excited. She didn't know it was coming, but took to it fast. The crib has been in the extra bedroom {girls will share a room} and she hasn't even looked twice at it. 

We wanted to get it out of her room till she got used to it not being her's and being the baby's...so far that hasn't been an issue. When there is a baby in the crib, I'll let ya know if that changes at all. Hehe.



The first time she slept in it, she was SO tired the night before so she did just fine and slept all night in it. I woke up before her so I wanted to sneak in there and see how she was...this is what I found:



The first naptime was more of a challenge. It took her an hour to actually fall asleep. She clearly had fun though. Destroyed her room, but did eventually fall asleep. 


Success. An hour later. 


Since the start of this new adventure in toddler land, naptimes and bedtimes have become easy again. {most nights} She still gets up and plays, but ends up back in bed when she does fall asleep and it never lasts an hour like the first couple times. The mornings are awesome. Because she just gets up and plays by herself. Today Nick and I woke up {he's on swing shift} and it was 9:35. I was like whoa. Brynlee had been playing for a while because she was ready for a nap at her normal time. Kinda nice to be able to relax and not wake up to a crying child...oh wait. We'll be doing that again soon! Lol 



Saturday, December 10, 2011

Here comes Santa Claus

Today was the Kids Christmas Party for Nick's shop. We decided to go, even though B is a little young to enjoy the crafts and games...my main objective was to get a picture of her with Santa.
I never believed in Santa, but we still saw him at the party's and mall and stuff. We plan to do the same with Brynlee.

Sitting in the cock pit of the chopper.

I will support her, but I hope she doesn't want to be a pilot!

Daddy and Brynlee

Mommy and B
She thought it was cool to touch it, and kept saying airplane.

Watching Santa in the helicopter.

Only Military brats can say that Santa arrives in a HH-60 Pavehawk.
Then repels down to a four wheeler.
And rides into the back of a C-130 to greet all the kids!
It was pretty neat.

No tears. No smiles.

Even though Mrs. Claus' eyes are closed, its still a good one.

Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Nick's photo skills.


36 weeks. {taken last week}
The picture below is my favorite.


I'm ready to have this little girl in my arms.

And not have this big belly in front of me.

To breathe while laying on my back...yes I told Nick to be quick, cause I really get uncomfortable on my back!

To all that are curious, here's a hint. Hehe.

I have a picture like this with Brynlee, but I'm 38 weeks and some odd days, I might have to take another at the same week so I can really compare.


I'm doing good. Tired. Uncomfortable. Large. Anxious. Ya know, everything a woman at 37weeks pregnant feels.

Keep the prayers coming, for numerous reason:
Labor and Deliver itself.
Adjusting to life with a newborn again { and a 20 month old }
Being a family of four
I, myself and nervous at how to spend my time. I love my time with Brynlee
and am nervous to have to share it. Pray I figure it out, which I know I will,
but sooner then later so I don't go insane is better!

Thank you!