She's here!!!

C joined our family last Thursday evening, October 15th. She was two weeks early. Here is the story for anyone who's interested. :)

At 3:30 I headed off to Costco with all three girls in tow. On the way there I started feeling contractions and considered going home. But I really needed to get some things, and I figured they would stop. About 10 minutes into our shopping trip I realized I needed to get out of there. :) The contractions were about 5 minutes apart and growing in intensity. I told the girls we needed to hurry. It didn't go over too well with them, since they love to taste all of the samples, but we got out of there pretty quick. As soon as I was outside Costco (4:30) I called G and told him that I thought I was in labor. He left work immediately and picked up a babysitter on his way home. We arrived at the hospital and I told them my history. It was obvious I was in labor (I could no longer walk during contractions) so they checked me immediately. Sure enough I was dilated to 4 cm. They admitted me immediately, bypassing a lot of the standard protocol stuff, which I really appreciated. I asked for an epidural right away, only because I knew it would take FOREVER to actually get it (which it did---about 2 hours).

I was very happy with my ability to stay on top of the contractions. By the time the epidural came, I was definitely ready for it though. However, it did not work as well as ones I've had in the past. My right side was completely numb, but my left side was not. The pain was dulled, but I still felt quite a bit. The worst part was that the last hour or so I felt almost everything. I was surprised, since I have had epidurals in the past and felt completely nothing. The doctor told me I had what she liked to call an "epidural light." Basically it had worn off by the time the baby was descending through the birth canal. Now, why would I ask for an epidural if I wanted to feel the baby coming at the end?????!!!!! Anyway, I survived. I only had to push for 10 minutes, so I shouldn't complain too much. She was born at 11:12 pm.

Here are some pictures of her. So far we think she looks like a mix of all of our family members, which is kind of fun!

One of my favorites

R was very unsure about the baby in the hospital. She wanted nothing to do with her. Now that we're home, she is doing much better. She giggles every time she sees C and says, "baby" over and over again.

Daddy and C

A admiring C. She was SO excited to hold her.

This picture makes me laugh. I thought I was smiling SO BIG! Apparently I'm a little tired. :)

Another cute one

The girls painted a picture for C.

I thought this one was cute because L's legs are crossed. She wants so much to be a grown-up. L is completely enamored with C. She is going to be a great helper! :)

Baby on Friday?

Well, I spent 6 of the longest hours of my life yesterday in Labor and Delivery. I went in because I was nervous that I was leaking amniotic fluid. Can I just say how much I detest teaching hospitals??? The time it takes to work through the chain of command is ridiculous. Yesterday I was the guinea pig of 1 nursing student, 2 OB interns, and 1 OB resident. It was SO obnoxious. Even the nurses were upset with how long I was there. What should have taken 1.5 hours took 6 hours! Ridiculous!

Long story short, I am not leaking fluid, which is good. However my blood pressure was high and they were toying with the idea of inducing me while I was there. I tried to explain that my BP was high because I was so irritated after being there so long, and because that tiny room induces anxiety because of my last experience there (quick un-medicated delivery of Rose). But they didn't seem to care about that. Finally they decided to run some tests and let me go home for a few days to let the baby grow for a little longer. So on Friday morning (Oct 16th) I go in for the test results (and no doubt, MORE tests) and then they'll decide if they want to induce me that day or wait until the 22nd (which is already scheduled).

Honestly, I REALLY want them to induce me on Friday. I'm already dilated to 3cm and I am so afraid of going into labor and having a repeat of my experience with R. After spending 6 hours there yesterday, I'm convinced that if I'm not induced, I'll end up with an un-medicated, scary delivery just like last time. So I'm laying low for the next couple of days and really, really hoping that the doctor wants to induce me on Friday. Wish me luck!!! :)

Overheard conversation

Today L and A were outside playing "barbie" and this is what I heard:

A: But why are you poisoning me?

L: Because I want to be queen!!!! (evil laugh)

A: OH...that's great.

L: I will be queen forever! (evil laugh)

A: (thinks about this for a second then says) Okay, you can poison me.

I was dying laughing because this is a perfect illustration of A and Li's personalities. L calls the shots, and A just rolls with it! "Sure! You can poison me. No problem!" :)

Handle with care

This is how #3 is preparing to treat her new baby sister (#4):

No Halloween Baby!!!

Today I had my 36 week OB appointment. Everything looks great. We discussed my history of fast deliveries, and my OB said he will induce me at 39 weeks if I haven't delivered by then. YEAH!!! So that means I have an end date--Oct. 22nd or thereabouts. He is doubtful that I'll even make it that far, but either way, that means in 3 weeks (or less) I'll have a little baby. I am so ready to be done with pregnancy and move forward with this transition in our lives. I can't wait to see what she looks like! I can't wait to hold her!

Now if only we could come up with a name for her....

Grown up

Daddy: L, go to bed.
L: Why do I have to go to bed? I'm older than A and R!
D: Yes, but you're still a little girl.
L (defiantly): That's what everyone says, but it's NOT TRUE - I'm almost a grown-up!

Homeschooling

We began formally homeschooling L last January after she turned five. She was ready for so much more than preschool could offer, and her birthday fell such that she missed the deadline to start Kindergarten. G and I had some reservations about our local school, and so we decided (at least for now) to homeschool.

I don't think I fit into the mold of your typical homeschooler. I tend to see both sides of the coin when it comes to education. I can see many pluses and minuses to homeschooling, and the same goes for public schools. I had a very positive experience in public school, for the most part. I made great friends and I have a lot of fun memories. The most common concern raised with homeschooling is the "S" word...socialization. :) I have to admit that I have my concerns as well. But the question is whether that concern is large enough for me to ignore all of my other concerns with public school. Right now, the answer is no.

I have really had a fun time homeschooling this past year. I never envisioned myself doing this, and so I was pretty intimidated to start. I have a good friend in my ward who has helped me a lot. But mostly I just had to dive in to see what I was getting myself into. I'm surprised at how rewarding it is to teach L...to watch her grasp a new concept...or read a book that I never thought she could. It is amazing to watch her grow...and I love it! And I feel like I'm learning right along with her. It's just really fun!

The one drawback I have seen so far is that I RARELY get a break. I know most parents look forward to sending their kids off to school so they can have some quiet time to get things done. That doesn't exist with homeschooling. Grocery shopping, housecleaning, etc take place with ALL the kids...which can be very trying at times. There have definitely been moments when I've wanted to ship Liberty off to school in order to have some peace and quiet. But for now, it's doable and we're surviving. :)

As for socialization, I'm doing my best to keep her actively socializing with other kids. Aside from primary each week, we go to a weekly playgroup. We try to have play dates as often as possible (but this is more complicated during the school year when her friends go to public school). She is also involved in gymnastics. After the baby comes, she'll start ballet. We skipped soccer this year because of my pregnancy, but she wants to do it next year. I have to admit that as I watch my friends literally go crazy driving their kids to and from school, and then off to extra-curricular stuff, all the while trying to squeeze in homework and everything else, that I find myself grateful for the route I have chosen. Our days are relaxed for the most part and we seem to have more time. I'm really excited about how things are going. :)