Chloe Pics

Birth Story-Part 2

Because I had dilated from a 1 to a 4 so quickly, I was really hurting at this point in labor, so the nurse gave me some stadol which was an interesting drug.  She described it as drinking a 6 pack of beer all at once (which I've never done by the way)--I can see how that would be accurate though.  It didn't take the pain away, but it did calm me down enough that I could seem to tolerate it a little bit better.

Around 11pm the anesthesiologist came to put my epidural in.  She is someone I work with all the time, and she lightened the mood greatly, which was amazing.  Getting the epidural was one of my biggest fears, but everyone told me that I would be in so much pain that it wouldn't matter--again, very true :)  It was in within 10 minutes and the pain relief began. I could still feel my contractions, but they were much much more tolerable, just more of an uncomfortable pressure.  They broke my water at 1am, and I seemed to stall at a 5 for a couple of hours.  They considered starting pitocin to speed things up, but my doctor said to just let me wait another hour to see what happened.  Sure enough, one hour later, I was a 7.  Things progressed pretty normally from there on out.  Around 6am I started to feel nauseous again, and the nurse checked me and I was dilated to a 10.  Instead of pushing right away, they allowed me to "labor down"--waited just an hour and let my body push the baby down further into my pelvis.

Around 7:15am my dr came in and we did a few test pushes and determined it was go-time.  Pushing was a weird sensation.  I had the epidural numbness still, but could still feel the urge to push, which was nice.  I pushed for about an hour and Chloe was born at 820am weighing in at 6lbs 14oz and measuring 20.5in.  It was the most amazing feeling seeing her when she came out, all slimy and blue but the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.  The entire staff at the hospital cheered and we had the next hour to just get to know each other--she was VERY awake which was great.  I did have a 2nd degree tear, but got a few stitches and have felt fine.  Keith did amazing through the entire thing, and would probably describe seeing the birth of his child as nothing short of a miracle.

We are in love with our little girl to say the least.  She is changing every day already, and she's only 5 days old!!  I can't even begin to imagine how fast time is going to fly, so I'm going to get off here and enjoy her :)  We would appreciate your prayers for sleep, health and just a safe holiday season.  Keith goes back to work on Monday, so pray that mom and Chloe keep it together--with help from Grandma and aunt Connie, I'm sure :)  Thank you in advance for your prayers, both the ones you have prayed for our family during my pregnancy and the ones you will pray in the future--stay tuned for pics of our little princess :)

Chloe Elizabeth's Birth Story

Well, most of you have seen on Facebook that our little girl arrived on December 12 (in the middle of a blizzard).  I want to blog about her story so that I can remember it in as much detail as possible, and to share her story with you.  It will probably be in pieces, though, as now that she's here, I don't exactly have time to sit down and blog for an hour at a time.  So, here goes....

Thursday I had a dr appt with an NST, which went fine.  Chloe was sleeping (again) so this time we got an ultrasound just to make sure that she was tolerating being in the womb, which she was.  We also learned that she was still head down and around 7lbs.  We saw the dr and he checked my cervix and told us I was 1cm dilated, 90% effaced with the baby's head at -2 station.  He was optimistic that an induction would be favorable for us if we wanted, so we scheduled it tentatively for Monday the 13th.  We were SO excited to have an "end" to my pregnancy in mind.  I knew that regardless of what happened over the weekend I would be induced on Monday and meet my little girl by Tuesday.

We went about our business the rest of the day, I had some contractions off and on but nothing regular.  I was supposed to work Friday, but dr said I could be done, so I took advantage of that and spent Friday getting last minute stuff done in the nursery and around the house.  Friday night I had some fairly regular contractions, but they fizzled out after walking around Target for a while, so I went to bed, keeping my sights set on Monday.

Saturday morning I woke up with contractions, but they were very irregular, about 20-30 minutes apart, but were more painful than I had experienced before.  I told Keith that we should get the rest of our "to do" list done, so we went shopping and got our crib mattress and video camera.  We spent the afternoon with Keith's family and my contractions started getting more painful but were still about 10-12 minutes apart.  By this point, I thought something was going on, so we headed to the mall after supper to "get things moving"--I would much rather go into labor on my own than be induced.  As we were walking the mall, the contractions increased in intensity and were about 5-7 minutes apart.  They got painful enough that I couldn't walk through them, so we headed home to see how things went.  The car ride did me in and we decided to go into the hospital.  Keith packed a bag and threw mine in the car and we were on our way about 8:30pm.

When we arrived at the hospital, the contractions were still there, but by the time I went through all of the paperwork and got hooked to the monitor, they were about 8 minutes apart.  I was still only dilated to 1cm, so I was worried they were going to send me home.  They called my dr and he said to have us walk for an hour and recheck my cervix.  After about 40 minutes I couldn't walk through my contractions again, and became SUPER nauseous.  The nurse informed me that in labor, nausea is actually good, it means that your cervix is changing.  So, she checked me again, and I had dilated to a 4!!  I knew at that point I wasn't going to get sent home, so asked for something for pain, as I was VERY uncomfortable by this point.  Keith was a champ-he hasn't ever really seen me in pain (because I've never really had any), but he handled it VERY well--he fanned me off as I was sweating through my contractions, and he even tolerated my impatience with him being on the phone keeping the family updated.  For some reason, him talking on the phone was SUPER annoying to me--chalk it up to the pain.

Stay tuned....

Great Checkup!

As I mentioned in my previous post, we had an ultrasound and checkup on Friday.  Everything went great, although it was our longest appointment ever at 2 hours.  First we had our NST, which went fine, although baby was sleeping, so it took a while to rouse her and get her to cooperate--nothing a little ice water couldn't take care of :)  We then met with the doctor and he measured my uterus with the measuring tape.  I was a little shocked to find out I was measuring 39 cm (which is equivalent to 39 weeks--keep in mind, I'm only 36 weeks).  At our last appointment, Thelma Lou measured 37 weeks, which meant in one week she grew another 2 weeks worth.  Because of the GD, a big baby is a big worry, so I was nervous that the doctor was going to tell me the baby was going to be 10lbs or bigger--not something a first time mom wants to hear!

However, we went in for the ultrasound and the doctor did all of the measurements and gave us the most glorious news--our little princess weighs around 5lbs 14oz (almost 6lbs).  That's the 43rd percentile, which is perfect!  He said that her spine is lined up with the outside of my uterus, so she is just sitting all out front and pushing out, which is making me measure ahead.  What an answer to prayer!  With hopes of having a vaginal delivery, the possibility of having a big baby would complicate things, if not make it impossible.  We also found out that Thelma Lou is in the LOA position (head down, face inward, which is the best and most common presentation for a vaginal delivery)--music to Mom's ears :)

I also got "checked" for the first time--quite the experience, but really not as bad as some people had warned me.  Maybe they were purposefully making it sound worse so it didn't seem bad--if they were, it worked, so for that I'm thankful.  My cervix is still completely closed, mostly due to the fact that the baby's head isn't quite low enough to push and dilate my cervix.  So, for now, our little princess is staying where she is--safe and sound on the inside.  Things seem to be moving so quickly, and within a matter of weeks we will have our little girl here at home with us--we can't wait!  Thanks for taking this journey with us, we can't wait to show off our little princess once she arrives--we are sure she will be loved by many :)

37 weeks

The Homestretch

Being 36 weeks seems surreal.  The fact that our little girl could come ANY day is a crazy, yet very exciting thought.  I am starting to feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I still have to wash, put away, cook, etc in preparation for her arrival.  It will all get done, though--and if it doesn't, we will all live :)

We started taking childbirth classes a couple of weeks ago (they are once per week for 3 weeks).  While this has made Keith VERY excited, it has terrified me!!  When you are 20-30 weeks pregnant, the daunting task of labor begins to sink in.  However, when you go to childbirth classes, it is all but thrown in your face the reality that this baby has to come out--and soon!  I'm sure everything will be fine, but as a first time mom, I'd be lying if I said it doesn't keep me awake some nights.  At lot of it is anticipation, I'm sure--just wanting to know HOW and WHEN she'll be born, and what it will be like.  Keep that on your prayer list, please :)

The GD is going great.  My blood sugars have been well controlled by just modifying my diet, which is nice.  I go for NSTs (non stress tests) 2x/week which helps them monitor how well Thelma Lou is doing inside the womb.  So far, they have all been great.  At my last check up on Friday, she was measuring 2.5 weeks ahead, though, so the doctor wants to do another ultrasound--which will be this Friday.  I'm totally okay with getting another glimpse at our little girl, and so close to delivery, it'll be fun to see what she looks like :)

I have started to enjoy the discomforts of the 9th month.  I'm not sleeping as well as I would like to, and have actually resorted to sleeping on the couch, which is much more comfortable.  I sleep for about 3 hours at a time, get up and go to the bathroom, and then try to fall back asleep.  Work has been getting increasingly harder and I'm completely exhausted and swollen by the time I get home.  I'm still chugging along though, hoping I can make it to the end without having to be on bedrest, which would result in using more time off--another prayer request :)

We are so thankful for God's faithfulness throughout this entire pregnancy-keeping both the baby and I safe-and continue to pray for His timing and guidance as we near the end.  We are also thankful for all of our friends and family and the ways they have blessed us with prayer, gifts, and encouragement throughout this pregnancy--THANK YOU!!  Enjoy the new belly pics--she is definitely growing, nobody can argue with that :)

Crystal

34 weeks

36 weeks

A little bump in the road...

So, I failed my 3 hour glucose test.  Not exactly in the plans for me to deal with gestational diabetes, but this has proved to be a "shining moment."  I found out the news on Monday and was pretty devastated the rest of the day.  It's hard to not think that you did something wrong, but I know I have been doing well eating and getting an "ok" amount of exercise during my pregnancy, so I was shocked to say the least.  Both Keith and I have a huge family history of diabetes, so this plays into a bit, too, I think.  Needless to say, our little girl is also measuring 3 weeks ahead, which means the sugar levels have been affecting her growth.  After playing through all of the negative consequences of GD, I put on my big girl pants and have been "dealing" with the situation since.  The first step is getting a blood glucose meter and meeting with a dietician.  I have  already changed my diet, and hopefully that will be enough to control my blood sugars, but if not, I will have to start taking medication.  The great news is that I'm almost 32 weeks, so it's only about 8 more until I deliver, so it's a pretty short term thing.

Let's follow that with some good news--the nursery is pretty much done!  We have little touches here and there, but the big stuff is done.  Keith's sister and her husband painted for us, which was a HUGE blessing as neither of us have really done much painting (not that it's rocket science, but still...it was much appreciated).  Now that everything is put in its place, I feel like we are getting really ready for our little girl to come into the world.  I'd still like to get some casseroles made and some deep cleaning done before December, but...we have time for that :)  I'm sure the next nesting spree will get some of that done!

Please continue to pray for the gestational diabetes and that my sugars would be controlled.  Also, that our little girl would stay a "normal" size so that a vaginal birth is still an option--I'm not against a c-section, but it's definitely not my first choice for delivery.  In the end, I know that God is in control and he has our best interests in mind, including those of our unborn child.  Enjoy the pics!

 30 weeks

31 weeks

Hello 3rd Trimester (you sort of snuck up on me!)

I feel like it was just a few weeks ago I was breathing a sigh of relief as I entered the 2nd trimester.  Things were going well, we had made it to "the clear" as the doctor called it, and all was well.  Now, here we are in the 3rd trimester and the hyperventilating begins again :)  Everything is still going great, I just have a new list of things to worry about (the life of a mother, I'm told)--getting the nursery ready, getting myself ready for labor (YIKES), and just mentally preparing to have a newborn in our house.  It's all VERY exciting, but somewhat overwhelming at the same time.

Last weekend my sister in law and I went through her stuff from the twins, so that's one big to-do off the list.  Our first shower is this weekend, and then another one October 9th, then yet another one in December, so after all that, who knows where we will put things.  Keith has deemed Saturday "work on the nursery" day, which is great news to me.  We have to pretty much rearrange the house to make room for this little girl, and he has so willingly given up his office in the process.  So, because there is a lot of furniture involved, I can't really be of much help moving things around, which means I have been at his mercy to get this project started.  I think I will feel much better once the walls are painted and the furniture is up--but, who knows, there will probably be more to occupy my mindspace then :)

I have been continuing to feel great, which we are SO thankful for.  Sleeping at night is getting a bit harder, and I am definitely more tired after a full 12 hours on my feet, multiple days in a row, but overall no big complaints from me.  The swelling of the ankles has started, but nothing too extreme yet.  I have my 28 week check up on Friday, along with which comes the glucose test, fun fun.  I really just want to pass, I'm not too concerned about the taste, blood draw, etc.  I can't believe I"m already to 2 week appointments, it seems crazy!  Well--I have rambled long enough.  If you cant' tell, every time I think about having this baby, my mind just starts racing through a list of things I have to get done before she comes :)  All exciting, all overwhelming :)  Thanks for your prayers--enjoy the belly pics :)

Week 26

Week 28

All is well!

We had another ultrasound today to check on the position of my placenta.  I am happy to report that it isn't low anymore, and has moved up dramatically, which was exactly the news we wanted to hear.  It was great to get another opportunity to see our little girl, as well.  We brought the grandmas with us this time, so they got to meet her too :)  She was very active and is currently weighing in at 1lb 12 oz, so at the 49th percentile--can't ask for much more than that :)  More belly pics are coming soon :)

It's a GIRL!

We found out at the end of July we are having a little girl!  First girl on either side, so we are VERY excited, along with the rest of the family :)  So far she has proved to be a happy and healthy baby--I can feel her kick and move all the time, especially at night.  I have read that it's pretty common for them to move a lot at night, because when you're walking around all day, they are lulled to sleep :)

I still feel great--this pregnancy has been wonderful.  The fatigue is even less now, which has helped a lot.  We are working on the nursery (stay tuned), and will have a few showers coming up!  It's so crazy to think how much life is going to change in the next few months, but we are getting very excited to meet our little girl!  Enjoy the new belly pics :)

20 Weeks (HALFWAY PHOTO!!)

23 Weeks

24 Weeks (little puffy already!?!)

There really IS something in there!?

Over the past two weeks I have really started to notice an increase in the baby bump.  I"ve been looking forward to having a noticable bump for as long as I've known that I was pregnant.  First, there's that stage where you swear you can notice something--but nobody else can.  Next comes the stage where it's hard to tell if you are pregnant or just getting fat--I am still there a little bit, but moving into the next stage--the stage where even strangers can tell you are pregnant.  It's a pretty fun stage so far, I must say.  Unfortunately, I think the next stage is where your bump becomes big and uncomfortable, so...for now I'll enjoy just being cute and pregnant :)

I'm pretty sure I have been feeling the baby move for a couple of weeks now.  It's pretty exciting--however, because it's my first pregnancy, I can't be totally sure.  I notice it more after I've had sugar or when I lay in certain positions though, so I'm pretty confident it's the peanut swimming laps.

Friday is (hopefully) the big day--we are counting down the days!  We cannot wait to see our little one and just know that he/she is healthy and well.  We, of course, are super pumped to know if we have a boy or a girl as well, but healthy is the number 1 priority :)  Enjoy the new belly pics--hopefully the next post will have some cute ultrasound pics as well!

18th week

19th week

Time to check in...

We had a doctor's appointment last Friday before our weekend trip to Minneapolis to see Keith's brother and sister-in-law.  The baby was moving all over the place and it was hard for them to doppler the heartbeat.  But, when the baby was finally still, we heard a loud, strong heartbeat at 150 bpm.  We're hoping that still means there's a little girl floating around in there--but who knows about those old wives' tales anyway.  We will be happy with a healthy baby :)  Enjoy the new belly bump pic :)  Our next appointment is on July 30th, so stay tuned for the gender results :)  And...pray for a cooperative baby!

A New Addition

Yes, that's right--most of you already know, but for those of you that don't--we are having a baby!!  We found out in early April that we are expecting a Little Smith on December 20th.  We are VERY excited.  The first trimester was pretty rocky for me, a lot of nausea and fatigue, but now that we have entered the second trimester, things are looking up!  We've had a few doctors appts now, and each time everything has been right on track.  Last month we heard the heartbeat with a doppler and it was a strong 160.  We go back next week for our 16 week check up and expect to hear the same thing :)

Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for the newest little addition to our family--we couldn't be happier!

Crystal

PS-enjoy the pics--not much of a bump yet, but I figured 14 weeks was around the time to start documenting the progress :)

The Dog Park

Our little puppy has a LOT of energy!  Needless to say, this was not such a great combination with the rough winter that we had here in Nebraska.  About February, I found the local dog park.  Lucy was instantly in love.  When we got her from the Humane Society, we were told she was "under socialized."  She did great with people, but was pretty timid around dogs.  The dog park changed this for good!  Even though it was freezing cold for us--we stuck it out for Lucy once or twice per week.  She has made great friends there, and has burned MANY a calorie!

Now that it's spring (at least it seems to be), we have enjoyed the dog park that much more.  It's amazing to me that I can take her there for only half an hour or so, and come home with a dog that is so exhausted she instantly falls asleep--now THAT is great!  So, for you dog owners--check one out--they're good for you and your dog :)

Crazy....x2

So last year about this time, Keith and I decided to run the Dam to Dam.  It is a race that is held in Iowa every year, one that his brother and sister in law run all the time.  So, we jumped on the bandwagon--without really knowing what we were getting into.  We printed off a training schedule-afterall 20K (12.6 miles) is MUCH further than we had ever run before.  When race day came, we were ready--or so we thought.  It was a blast to run, but even more fun to be over and say that we had done it.  A few months after the race, still with some aches and pains, I vowed to never run that far again.....whoops!

So, I signed up to run the Dam to Dam again--yes, I am crazy.  It'll be June 5, and I am pumped, but have yet to start training :)  Today is pretty much the first day :)  Wish me luck!

Some recent (and not so recent) menu items!

I've been told by a few of you that you love the food recipes I put on here--so, I will continue.  I've gotten pretty behind, so excuse the pumpking-fall-thanksgiving recipes, but...tuck them away for a while and pull them out when the time arrives.  I really enjoyed making all of these things--including my first cheesecake--which was SUPER complicated, if you ask me :)  But...worth it I guess :)

This is a copykat recipe for the Boston Market Sweet Potatoes--delicious!  They were such a hit, I made them for both Thanksgivings--check out the recipe here:  
http://www.copykat.com/2009/05/12/boston-market-sweet-potato-casserole/

These muffins were great--Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan--all of the tastes of fall that I LOVE.  They were really easy, too, which is an added bonus :)

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/pumpkin-cranberry-muffins/b7fceeac-afe3-480d-8e73-2d8d4f70348b

How cute are these??  Well, they were super cute, let me tell ya!  And...the nephews loved baking AND eating them.  

http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=40040

This cranberry salad was a huge hit LAST year at THanksgiving, and again this year.  It's tart, but has enough sweetness to fall in love with it!

This is the ridiculous cheesecake--it was good, but a LOT of work--next time, I'll probably just hit up the cheesecake factory :)
http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=45899

Honey Mustard Chicken Pasta--an all time favorite of Keith and Mine from when we first got married.  Like most couples, I cooked WAY too much pasta :)  But this one did spice it up a bit :)
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Honey-Mustard-Chicken-Pasta?refurl=&_mid=379800&_rid=379800.1258074603.11420

One of Keith's favorites-smores dip.  Great appetizer or even a fun group dessert.
http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=37951

If you love pizza rolls, you will LOVE these.  Same thing, just has a homemade touch and the pizza dough makes it taste SO much better.  We have tried pepperoni and sausage-both area great!
http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=12341

Cheesy broccoli, carrot and chicken casserole--I added chicken, but without it, it could be a side dish.  It was pretty good.
http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=41895

Our (not so new) Addition

Most of you are on Facebook, so you already know this, but I figured I should blog about her anyway.  Lucy is our new dog!  We got her in November, and she has been GREAT!  Now that  the weather is nicer, we hope to get her outside more as she is VERY energetic.  It was been fun watching Keith teach her tricks, and because she's a border collie, she is VERY smart.  She can sit, shake, go down, and roll over.  She also kennel trained herself :)  What can I say--we love her!  Enjoy the pics :)

Additional Prayer Requests and Praises!

The Smiths have gone through a rough couple of weeks (see previous post).  While all of the stuff with Keith was going on, we were also dealing with some family issues.  Keith's dad, Gary had a stroke on Saturday, the 13th.  It was a "mild stroke" but still very scary.  He has made huge strides from the initial injury, and is home now hopefully "taking it easy." That next week was when Keith got his news (the 17th).  Just one day later, his nephew Braydon had his (hopefully) last surgery from his AVM discovery just over one year ago.  After the stroke, and then Keith's bad news, we were SO happy that Braydon's surgery went great!  Thanks for the prayers!  He was in the hospital just a few days, and is home now taking a week off school to recooperate before returning to life as a "normal" (whatever that is) almost 9 year old boy :)

We are so thankful that God has been watching over our family.  While things may seem like they are crazy and stressful, He provides moments of peace and acceptance with the current circumstances.  We would just ask for your continued prayers for us!  Specifically--a quick and speedy recovery for Braydon--his year has been plagued with infections and complications--pray that this surgery would go complication free!!  Also pray for Gary, Keith's dad, that he would continue to heed the doctor's advice for a full recovery.  Pray that God would work through us, his family that loves him, to help him change his lifestyle in order to prevent any future problems.  Lastly, keep Keith and I in your prayers.  Hearing "no" is a hard thing--pray that we would remember that it was God's voice saying no, and that he has our best interests in mind!  Thanks friends!!

A Test of Patience

Ya know, as I reflect on the last 6-8 months of our life, I have realized that God is teaching me a lesson I should have already learned.  You would think that a one year deployment would teach one patience, but not me :)  As many of you know, God's vision for Keith's life has seemed to change--In August he began pursuing a career in law enforcement.  He took a few tests, has heard from a few places, etc.  The ball really began rolling in January--there were three agencies that were interested in him, and the interviews began.  Since then, one agency has still been in hot pursuit-even going as far as requiring him to take a polygraph test (that was an experience) and having a "hiring interview."  Said interview was last Tuesday.  Keith had learned from another friend that was just hired by this agency that the hiring interview was the last step in the process before a conditional offer.  We were ECSTATIC--it has been 7 months--much longer than we had anticipated, and yet, part of me was weary from all of the waiting!  Because I am so confident in my husband's interviewing skills, and that he would just be great for ANY agency, I thought for sure he was a shoo-in.  Well, the interview came and went on Tuesday--he thought it went well, so that seemed to just boost my confidence.  The next day (his birthday mind you)--he gets the call--you were NOT selected, but you are first on the waiting list.  What--first on the waiting list.  I know he was devastated, as was I--how could this happen??  Well, let me tell you how.  While I was SO confident in my husband's skills and sell-ability to a police agency, I forgot to take into account God's plan.

We still don't know how God is going to work through this, but one week later, we can confidently say that it was His will that prevented Keith from getting that job.  Again, what it was, who knows, but because Keith was so VERY qualified for the job, and did not get it, this makes me know all the more that it was God's hand (rather abruptly) shutting that door.  So...what does this mean for us?  MORE WAITING!!  Yes, another test of patience.  Keith's first choice to work for is still unsure whether they will be hiring for August or not--we are hoping and praying that they will because he is #4 on their list--a VERY good place to be.  Will you pray with us for that?  That their budget would be such, and their need as well, that they would be able to hire in August.  More importantly, that Keith would be hired, if that is God's will.  Thanks!  We appreciate it :)