A Baby Story

The Prologue: 

Our induction was set for April 14th, 2017. I had a check up the day before and Dr. Sheridan told me everything was a go. He continued to warn me that things may get busy at the hospital and that I may get bumped back until Monday. Just the thought had me insanely stressed out! I just HAD to have this baby on Friday. I have had all of my babies on Friday, plus, Jakob got Friday off without having to take vacation. It was perfect, it was the plan. Needless to say my nerves were on end.

I tossed and turned all night checking my phone regularly to see if they had called yet. I got up at 4:00 a.m. and showered, just in case they called at 5:00 and said, come in now! Then I went back to bed. At 5:15 the phone rang and they told us to come in at 7:00! Oh sweet mercy! I was so relived! Jakob went to the gym and then we were off to have a baby.

 (Right after he was delivered)

Chapter 2: And So It Begins

We arrived at the hospital and were directed to our room 3222. Our nurses name was Kaitlin and she was a doll. It was a bit strange only having one nurse. Summerlin hospital was a teaching hospital so there were always students in the room. At Shawnee Mission, we just had Kaitlin which was nice yet strange. She was witty and funny. We were her only patient so she made the time pass by chatting with us frequently. I got changed and the meds started flowing at 8:00 a.m. Dr. Sherdian told her that since this wasn't my first rodeo, to start my Pitocin at a 4 then jump me to an 8. But Kaitlin was nice and started me at a 2 and jumped me up an 8 gradually.

Chapter 3: A Waiting Game

At 10:45 Dr Sheridan came in to break my water and hopefully get things into motion. That was another strange thing, Dr. Sheridan was there every step of the way. I never saw another doctor and that was really wonderful. I was just barely at a 2. Barely. Things needed to happen faster! I gushed fluid like no tomorrow. They were amazed. I was contracting pretty well. Not very painful bit stronger than just Braxton Hicks. Kaitlin gave me an "peanut" to put between my legs (which was a MASSIVE exercise ball shaped like a peanut.) I was switching from side to side frequently but still.... not dilating!

At 11:10 I was still gushing fluid, soaking towels. It was so gross. I much prefer being numb when they break my water. I can't even imagine what it would be like if my water broke on it's own while shopping at Target. Good gravy. Then the contractions started getting stronger. I told Kaitlin that I was ready for my epidural. I hate needles.

 (Daddy's First time holding him.)

At 12:00 Dr. Webber came into give me my epidural. I was grateful that it wasn't an intern but then I quickly changed my mind. He shot the numbing stuff in my back so fast and it hurt like crazy! Then he hit a blood vessel so they had to do the whole thing over again. I wasn't very impressed. While his bedside manner was excellent, his technique was a bit lacking. 

Once I had my epidural my contractions bottomed out. I went from contracting every 2 -3 minutes to every 5-6 minutes. We were quite literally starting from scratch. At 1:00 they checked me again. I was at a 3. I decided to try and get some rest and relax as much as possible and just let my body do it's thing but I was getting rather impatient. We had come in the same time as 4 other ladies who were being induced, and they had all had had their babies. 

At 3:30 I was contracting every 2 minutes, but I was starting to feel my contractions once again. I pushed the button to get more drugs from my epidural. My pitocin was at an 18 and the max they can go to is a 20. I was at a 5.

 Chapter 4: Something Isn't Right

At 4:00 I was starting to feel my contractions more and more. My legs were totally numb but I could still wiggle my toes, yet I could feel my contractions. They were like Braxton hicks but were getting stronger and stronger as time progressed. They called anesthesia and they gave my an extra shot of happy juice. I was a bit nervous that I was going to go completely numb like I had when I had Duke. I was wrong. As soon as he pushed down the plunger the room started spinning. I've been dizzy before and fainted, but I felt like I was on a roller coaster. I couldn't focus, my head hurt and closing my eyes was no help at all.

After about 5 minutes the room stopped spinning, but then the baby started stressing. Every time I would contract his heart rate would dip... almost stop. I was really scared. It was taking him longer and longer to recover each time and the thought crossed my mind that we may be doing a c-section. They stopped my pitocin and gave him some time to recover. My contraction were gone. Back to contracting every 5 minutes. The extra shot of happy juice didn't do a thing either. I was pushing my epidural button every 10 minutes to try and make sure that the pain stayed were it was. I could feel my hand touching the skin on my stomach, my contractions were getting stronger and stronger and then I thought, I may be doing this naturally after all.

At 4:45 they checked me and I was at a 7-8. Sweet mercy. Once baby had recovered they started my Pitocin back at an 8 again and my contractions picked up.

Chapter 5: Another Miracle

At 5:30 they checked me again and she said, "Hey girl! We're going to have a baby!" I was finally at a 10 and -2. she could feel his head and it was game time! Dr. Sheridan came in and 20 minutes later the team was assembled. Dr. Sheridan told me to push and I did. He then said, "Stop! You're pushing too hard." I stopped and I laughed and appologized. He then said "Okay, stop laughing... never mind, I'll just do it." and with a smile, he pulled Leif Ronald Tobler out at 6:02 p.m. He was beautiful and covered in goop from head to toe. They placed him on my stomach and for a few minutes my entire world stopped. He had the darkest hair and the sweetest face. You never become closer to our Father in Heaven as you do the moment one of his precious children suddenly becomes yours. This perfect boy fresh from the arms of our Father in Heaven was now safely wrapped in mine. Never is the veil as thin as that. The immense amount of love that is there in that moment is hard to describe. It is such a miracle and I wish so badly that I cold just keep every detail of those moments frozen perfectly in a bottle. There is so much love, joy, awe, peace and understanding. And while that moment passes, it is etched in my heart forever. This boy was perfect in every sense of the word. Dark hair, purple skin tiny chin, just perfect.

 Chapter 6: The Calm

After the delivery Dr. Sheridan asked Jakob (who was comfortably sitting in a chair next to the bed for the entire delivery) if he wanted to cut the chord. Jakob declined and so I got to cut the chord. It was a very empowering thing and I was amazed at how tough it was. 

In this hospital they are very pro skin on skin. They tossed Leif on my chest and left him there for almost an hour. It was such an amazing experience he just snuggled right in there and I just enjoyed having his warm body on mine. Eventually they took him to get all cleaned up. They weighed and measured him. 8lbs 12oz - Length 20 inches - Head 14 inches. It was nice to watch them get him bathed in our room. He smelled amazing once he was all fresh. Jakob went home to help put the kids to bed and Mom Tobler came to see Leif. They transferred me to the recovery room and then Daddy came back. At this point we were all ready to get some sleep and I was just happy as could be holding my sweet little boy.

It was a wonderful experience and once again we had a wonderful team to deliver Leif. Dr. Sheridan was fantastic! I just love him! I have wanted to have another baby for such a long time and I feel so beyond blessed to have Leif in our little family. Words can not do our love and joy justice. I am so beyond grateful for the blessing it is to be a mother. I am thankful for a Father in Heaven who loves and supports me and my family. What a blessing families are and I am so grateful to have mine for eternity. This is what it's all about!

About to POP!

Two pregancy posts in two days?! Good gravy! The kids and I were at a play date with my darling friend Anna. The tiny humans were playing with bubbles and out of no where we decide that we need an "About to POP!" picture. It was so cute, fun and quick! Love this picture! Thanks Anna!

Baby Bump

I don't think I have shared a single pregnancy post on this blog this time around and since it's baby week I better do it now or never! I feel like this pregnancy zoomed by! Having a baby in April is hands down the way to go! By the time you are through your first trimester, it's October and all of the holiday chaos begins, but you feel GREAT through it all! Once the holiday are over you are in your third trimester and can really focus on getting ready for the baby and BOOM! You are done! So here is a little update of how things are going.

How far along? 39 weeks

Total weight loss/ gained? +38 lbs. 158 lbs. Bump is 42" around. (2 1/2" bigger than I was with Duke.)

Name? I think we are 99.9% sure we know what we are naming him... but since we've kept in under wraps this long... we figure everyone can wait until Friday :)

Maternity clothes? I cannot tell you how excited I am to be done with maternity. Okay, I know I'm not technically "done." I still have my recovery (however long that may be.) But it will be SO nice to not only live in tights, 2 pairs of jeggings, and 3 shirts. Getting dressed for church yesterday almost had me in tears since I had nothing to wear.

Stretch marks? Yup. I have them under my boobs, so I'm assuming I'll have new ones on my belly. I don't mind a stretch mark or two. I actually really like the one from Duke right on my hip. I earned that! 
Wedding Rings On or Off? They are still ON! and I am actually amazed! My fingers didn't swell at all! I will be moving them to my necklace come Thursday night.

Sleep? Rolling over is ridiculous! It's actually quite comical. My pubic bone hurts really bad when I roll but sometimes it will crack as I'm rolling over and it is the MOST amazing feeling ever! I don't feel like I dream a lot which is a bonus! My hips hurt from the extra weight, but I am finding better positions to sleep in. I am just super excited to be able to sleep on my back again!!      

Best moment this week? Honestly just loving on Duke and E! I am trying to make the time to play games, and go to the park and to snuggle. Let them fall asleep in my arms. Just enjoying them before I have another little one who needs me.  

Missing anything? I actually feel amazing! I'm not waddling at all, I have lots of energy. I do miss being able to do things with ease such as laundry or bending over or shaving my legs. But honestly, I feel incredible. I want to say I'm done, but this really isn't bad at all. I am very blessed!

Movement? Some days he wiggles all day long, and other days he just calm and does a kick here or a kick there. He still doesn't like to be touched or have brother or sister cuddle with me,  and every time I think "He hasn't moved in awhile." He gives me a little nudge to let me know he's okay. Every. Single. Time.

Food cravings? Subway! I partially think that is because it is a delivery tradition with Mom Tobler and I. I just like to eat, and since this boy has been sitting so low the entire pregnancy I can eat a lot before I'm full and I have very little heart burn. SCORE!

Anything making you queasy/ sick? Nope!

Labor signs? Can you say CONTRACTIONS?! The busier I am the stronger they are. Or if I have to pee. (Random right?) Dr. Sheridan said I'm a bit softer but I still wasn't dilated at all at my last visit. This is the finale though. Little man will be induced on Friday!

Belly button in or out? Out. One of the guys in our ward told his daughter that if someone pushed my belly button that the baby would come shooting out, like and eject button. It freaked her out good a proper! I laughed!

Mood? I am trying not to go into labor before Mom Tobler arrives so I'm taking it easy, which is just not in my nature! I want to be cleaning and sorting and getting things done instead of relaxing a lot. But all in all I am feeling pretty relaxed. Nervous obviously. It's just super surreal that after 4 years we will have a newborn in the home. I feel like a first time Mama all over again. It has been a LONG time since I've nursed or been up all night. Duke and E were so close together, we never got out of baby stage before we were right back in it. And while that was crazy, I just felt like it was already in that groove. Starting over again just has me thinking about little diapers and burp cloths and carseats and on and on and on. I know it will all come back quick, but it's surreal and I'm a bit nervous!

Any fun symptoms? Nope. Everything is just normal. 

Looking forward too? Welcoming our little man into the world! How did that happen? I feel like the next four days are going to crawl, yet it will be Friday morning before I know it! Also, super excited to have Mom Tobler arrive. My nerves will be so much better once she is here! It's baby week people!

Baby Shower

As one of the YW activites the girls decided to throw me a baby shower. I was a bit nervous, not knowing what to expect. With typical showers, the women gather and talk about babies, their delivery experiences and it is mostly talk from mother to mother. YW obviously aren't mothers, so I was nervous. I also wasn't expecting any gifts. I was literally showered with presents! The girls were beyond generous and it meant the world to me! Thank you girls for showing me and our little man so much love!

January Phone Favorites

Oh January! Usually I feel like you just draaaaaaagggg on but this year it flew by. Life was super busy and it was fantastic! Here is a round up of our Phone Favs!

We love living so close to an IKEA. Some days we go just to run through the store and get some ice cream. On this particular trip I was after a few things but after a lot of walking Manny decided his legs were a bit tired. 

Totally worth the walk ;)

We tried a new braid in E's hair. It took both Mama and Daddy to get it done but it turned out pretty cute!

I've been going to the gym in the morning and walking about a mile and a half. Hoping it will help my pelvic pain. 

WE are planning on painting our living room from brown to grey. It feels so surreal picking out paint colors! So grown up! And SOOO much pressure!

Second Trimester bump at 28 weeks! 

Manfred with little plastic stickers on his face. He was pretty proud! Well that wraps up January and our February is looking a bit crazy too!!!! Let the good times ROLL!

Smiles

I really haven't shared much about this pregnancy via this blog. We are currently 26 weeks along and I feel fabulous! I have some back pain due to little man sitting on my nerves which is uncomfortable but nothing major. This past week I was able to go for our anatomy ultrasound. I {love} ultrasounds and this one was no exception. They just make everything so real! Our little man (yes, still a man) was super active and flirtatious. He was sucking on his hands and toes and wiggling around like crazy. Hands down my favorite moment was catching his little smile! I mean how often does that happen?? He has pudgy little lips and I already love him so much! We are so excited for this little man to make his arrival and flip our worlds upside down.

Gender Reveal

Last week we had our gender reveal! It was super casual but all of our friends came to find out with us. Gretchen was our secret keeper. This time around we did confetti inside of black balloons. We hung up 12 balloons and everyone popped a balloon and the confetti fell down. It was a lot of fun to have everyone involved! 

AND..... It's a BOY!!!!!

I honestly cannot tell you how over the moon excited I am! Another boy! Another little man. A buddy for Duke. E wasn't very pleased but here is hoping then next baby is a girl. Now it's time to battle over baby names with Jakob. Who knew that this would be so difficult? The first two were a breeze but this one is rough!! Bring on the boy ties, sweaters and messes! So excited to meet you little man!

Our Newest Pumpkin

At long last we are so beyond excited to announce we are expecting our third little one! Although the gap between Duke and this little one is much larger than I had originally anticipated I am so glad that the timing worked out the way it did. E will be going into kindergarten come next fall and I feel we are in great place with Duke and his speech progression that I'm not sure we would have been in if we would have had a little one already. The Lord knows what's best and while I've wanted this for what seems like forever, this was the way it was meant to be. 

So far I'm feeling great! Tired and a bit sick but no throwing up at all. I feel like I'm eating all. day. long. and I'm much bigger this time around than I was with E or Duke, but that's expected (while not enjoyed.) E couldn't be more excited about the baby and keeps asking to listen to my tummy and talks to the baby all the time. She was so little when we had Duke, so it's a fun change to have her a bit more involved. She of course wants a sister but I am almost positive it's a boy! Duke on the other hand doesn't really understand what's going on or he just doesn't care which I'm sure it's more the latter. 

We can't wait to meet this little one in April and I know it will be here before we know it!

Photo Bum

 While we were at Mom Tobler's for our weekly D.I.L.T (daughter-in-law training) we decided to attempt a few more maternity photos. I really wanted to get a picture of E "listening to the baby" but she wouldn't have anything to do with that. We did get her to sniff the can. Not as cute as Pinterest but I'll be posting about my many "fails" soon!

 Ethnie really didn't want anything to do with our pictures. She was more interested in stripping down and playing in the water so we decided that perhaps I should attempt a bubble photo while she was distracted. Success.... and then.... 

 Then ultimate photo bomb, which I more fondly refer to as the "photo bum." There was no way she was letting me blow bubbles by myself. 

Gosh I love this girl and all of her naked bliss. P.s. do you love the strawberry blonde hair?? No clue where that came from but I'll take it!

35 Weeks/ 8 Months

How far along? 35 Weeks / 8 Months

Total weight loss/ gained? +34 lbs. I'm starting to swell up in my legs and feet and my face is now noticeably fuller but for the most part all of my weight is in my belly. I feel like I swallowed a basketball.

Name? Duke Tobler. 

Maternity clothes? The band on my maternity pants has started to squeeze me too tight which is a bummer. I basically live in P.J pants and Maxi dresses. It's too hot for anything else! 

Stretch marks? The ones around my belly button are getting a little more distinct but aside from that no, nothing new.

Sleep? The charlie horses have gone down which is nice. I'm still dreaming like crazy and I have to use the restroom at least once a night now, which causes Duke to wake up and he'll kick for about 20 minutes before we can both go to sleep. I'm convinced he's training me for sleep deprivation.

Best moment this week? We got to celebrate Canada day and we had a fabulous fourth of July!  

Missing anything? My back has been rather sore the last month and I'd like that to stop. Other than that not really. Being thin would be nice ;).

Movement? This is one BUSY boy! I love how he has a routine. I could set my clock to his movements. His kicks are much stronger and the way he's positioned he ends up jumping on my ribs while his elbows and head are on my bladder.  

Food cravings? Back to slurpee's! So looking forward to 7/11! Free Slurpee Day!   

Anything making you queasy/ sick? I can once again eat pasta without wanting to cry!!! Hurray!

Labor signs? Lots of contractions. 

Belly button in or out? Out.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Mood? Just very sleepy. E is keeping me quite busy and Jakob is gone a lot studying for exams. I wish it was cooler out so I could go for walks with Peanut or let her play outside for more than 15 minutes.

Any fun symptoms? Pinched nerve has gotten better but now his head is grinding on my pelvis which is.... uncomfortable. I do feel like I have an elephant on my chest sometimes, but other than that I really feel fabulous!!

Looking forward too? 7/11! My baby shower is coming up this weekend and I'm pretty stoked for that as well!! Our induction has been officially scheduled for August 2nd at 4:00 a.m.

Maternity Shoot

We had the wonderful opportunity of taking our maternity photos with Let it Shine Photography. This was Jenna's last shoot before she takes a "picture break" and we were she lucky that she could do it for us! 

We headed out the the boardwalk at Red Rock. It was 117° during the day so we waited until the sun had just about set and it was a crisp 109°. Even through the heat and chaos of having a very mobile Ethnie, Jenna was able to capture some fabulous pictures! Here are some of our favorites :) Ready for a picture overload?

It was a fun and very warm shoot! Thank you once again to Jenna!!