Thanks, Congrats, and Get Well Soon!

*I'm so glad to hear that Ava's surgery went well. Get well soon Ava, we love you so much! (And your new glasses are so freaking cute!)

*Congrats to Mike and Becky (Craig's business partner and wife) who just had their baby boy, Mason, this morning! We hope our delivery goes as well as yours did! We can't wait to see pictures of the little guy!

*Thank you to everyone who's been sending us gifts!

-Marissa made us a beautiful heirloom quilt with pictures of Craig and me when we were little, and room to add Max's stats on it.

-Grandma Cheri knitted? crocheted? a gorgeous white and pastel afghan and sent Max his first 'birthday' card.

-Mel and Luke are so thoughtful and of course bought him his first designer label (Ralph Lauren) outfit! (and Craig loved the pacifiers that said I heart dad!)

-Aunt Tressa made the softest blankie and matching burp cloth in the cutest little boy colors, and sent a whole box of sweet little outfits. (I LOVE baby shoes!)

-And of course everyone that came to the baby shower and showered us with so many wonderful gifts! (And thanks again to Alanna for hosting it!)

-Also, thanks to everyone for your phone calls, your thoughts, your concerns, your prayers for us, your encouraging words, and your support! We love you all!

He's Got Some Ears On Him!

Last night I thought I was going into labor, as I was having such bad back pain. I was just waiting for contractions to start! I fell asleep for a few hours, and this morning it seems to have all left. Now that I think of it, it may have been related to the other flu-like symptoms I've had since Sunday morning. Craig's been sick for a week, and I just came down with something too. That must've been it. Darn it!

Well this morning I had another ultrasound to determine Max's position. I knew he hadn't moved, but the doctor wanted to see for herself. So we went in and confirmed for her what I already knew. He's in the exact same position as before. She was looking at his head just under my ribs, and said, "Oh there's his face!" (I couldn't make anything out) and then she said, "He's sure got some ears on him!" LOL! Looks like he inherited the Boneck ears! (We were hoping he'd get Craig's, which are much more...proportionate!)

Anyway, 11 days until my scheduled C-section, 4 days until my due date, so I'm hoping to go into labor sometime between those times. I can't wait to not be pregnant anymore!

Whoa Baby!

I haven't had good internet access for awhile, so I'm excited to finally post these pictures I got back this week! We got these done earlier this month. Here are the favorites. Enjoy!












Oh yeah, and guess what?! 5 more days until my due date! (Not that that means much..but still, Crazy!)

No Baby Today!

This is me right before leaving for the Version. Craig took this, because it *might* have been the last day of me being pregnant with Max! Alas, no baby today. Craig was about to get the carseat all ready to go, and I even told him: Let's not even mess with it right now. I doubt we'll be needing it today. I was right.

We got to the hospital birthing center, got changed into a lovely gown, got my IV port, and 2 monitors wrapped around me. Monitored the baby for a few, then got an ultrasound to determine approx. size and location. No movement. He's in the exact same position he's always been in despite all my efforts. She estimated him at 7 pounds. After talking about the possible complications of a c-section and half a million questions Craig and I had, Dr. Dinsmoor and her assistant got started. The sonographer was nearby to determine if/when/where he was moving, and a nurse was keeping an eye on mine and the baby's vitals.

PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It felt like they were ripping out my intestines by hand! I was holding onto a bar on the headboard, and another nurse showed up to hold my hand and tell me to breathe. I didn't scream or even cry, but I did want to! I WANTED to scream "STOP!" Poor Craig was just watching. He told me later that he almost had to leave, but instead he got me a cool towel for my forehead. They finally let up to check his positioning, he hadn't even budged, so they were going to try to rotate him in the opposite direction. I didn't know if I could endure another round, but I said ok, go ahead... during this round, I asked: "is this a normal reaction?" They said I was actually doing really well and that most women last about 30 seconds and make them stop for good. Then I asked "Do people throw up during this?" And then they got me a barf bag. I didn't puke, but if I had anything in my stomach, I would have. They tried a couple more times, and at one point I DID tell them to stop. The Dr. said that he was so stuck he wasn't even budging at all, and that they could try one more time even though she doubted he would move. I looked at Craig, hoping he'd say, "Enough is enough!" But he said, "I think we should try ONE more time." So I said ok, one last time, but make it quick!

In the end, he really hadn't moved whatsoever. They continued to monitor Max for another half hour. The stubborn little guy's heartbeat didn't even waiver one bit during the whole procedure, and they were fully expecting it to at least a little bit. It was like he was completely unaware of what was happening! I'm glad he was ok and not put in any distress, but I sure wish he would've responded to it.

So as it stands, we have a C-section scheduled for February 5th, about 3 weeks from now. The (new) plan is to go into labor naturally, labor for a couple of hours, and THEN have a C-section. If I labor for awhile, it will give me a better chance of having a regular birth with #2 when the time comes, because my body will know what it's supposed to do. If by some miracle he gets head down, we'll still try for a natural birth, but it's really not looking that way anymore :(

My whole stomach feels like its bruised. I wonder if I WILL bruise. I sure wouldn't be surprised.

The good thing instead of charging us for the Version AND the C-Section, she told us she'd take the money we paid her for the Version and put it towards the cost of the C-section. She also said we could come in once again on Wednesday for another ultrasound to check where he's at if we want, at no charge. We got lucky with such a great doctor at such a late time in the pregnancy!

So no baby today, hopefully he'll be here before the 5th!

Nesting? or Freaking Out?!

I've heard that most pregnant women go through a period toward the end of their pregnancy called nesting, and that it is an 'instinct' caused by hormones that signal that labor is around the corner. Well, for me its more of a frenzied "I'm so unprepared" feeling, that finally prompted me to some action! With the Version scheduled today, I had to be prepared for the slight chance we'd be bringing home baby today. Craig found me in the new nursery trying to put together the crib, and promptly took over after 'scolding' me! (Its the fastest way to get action out of him-I just say, "Oh, I'll just do it myself!") Then I realized I hadn't washed any clothes or blankets, and I didn't even HAVE any crib bedding! So I was ok when the hospital called and pushed back my appointment a few hours...more time! (Even though I was getting cranky from fasting so long!) Craig got the crib put together, and I got some stuff washed, and we headed to Target to get some crib bedding. Clearance rocks! We got everything we needed (we think) for the crib for about $35! Well, the hospital called AGAIN and told me they were rescheduling me AGAIN for tomorrow at 11. What a letdown! I had been so stressed about it, hungry, thirsty, and cranky that I just shut down. I came home, got some food and water, and just slept for a few hours. I didn't realize how exhausting anticipation can be! I hope tomorrow is the real deal. I can't go through MORE of this! Ahhh!
The proud Daddy-to-be putting together the crib!
Only one more piece to go! (We got this crib from Craigslist for only $65! Came with a mattress and a waterproof cover, and a sheet...(we replaced some of those things with new ones, but still a great price!)

We're going to put the rest of it together tonight, the bedding and such, and I'll post pics tomorrow!

Just Leave Me Alone!

I have had such a long week! Craig has been so great. He went to Miami on Monday to pick up his buddy Blair who was just finishing up a cruise. I was originally going to go, but with moving and so many other things going on, we just didn't have time to arrange a place for the dogs to stay, so I stayed home and unpacked. Anyway, even though he's had a friend here all week, he's still put me first, hauling me to all the appointments he's made for me, not to mention calling a million places just to find a heated pool, keeping in touch with our birth class teacher, getting her advice on things, etc. Sorry Blair, looks like this was the wrong time to come visit!

Since Tuesday I've been to two chiropractors several times, I've seen two acupuncturists, one who taught Craig how to do a Moxa treatment on me (burning an herb on certain acupuncture points), I've been to the pool (so cold!), soaked in the tub, got a massage, laid head down on a decline weight bench with a heating pad under my belly button....

This morning I went to see the 2 chiropractors back to back, and Craig was telling me that we had another appointment to see the acupuncturist in the afternoon. I about burst into tears. I told him that I just wanted to be left alone! I can't have one more person do one more 'procedure' on me! I told him that I thought it would do me a world of good just to go home and really relax. He reluctantly cancelled my afternoon appointment, and I'm SO glad! I went home and slept, and just relaxed as much as I could.

Right now I can feel the baby moving more than ever, I feel like he's just trying his hardest to move into the correct position!

Tomorrow we have our External Version scheduled for 3 pm. I have to be there at 1. I don't know why I need to be there 2 hours early... but I did get quite a scare when I got a call from the hospital reminding me of my C-Section scheduled for 3:00 tomorrow. I called back and said, "I'm not getting a C-Section, I'm getting a Version!!!" Apparently they schedule it as a 'possible C-section,' since that is one of the complications of it. It really hit me that I could be having a baby tomorrow. But I honestly don't feel like that is going to happen. It cant! We don't even have the crib set up! I went out and got some of the breastfeeding gear that I had been putting off getting...just in case.

I'll let you all know how it goes! Ideally he turns head down before then and I don't have to go through with it. Next best thing would be that Dr. Dinsmoor gets him head down, and he stays there. If that happens, I hope I go into labor soon so he doesn't have a chance to turn back.

Keep the prayers coming, we need them!

The Update

What a whirlwind this has been! Since I have talked to some of you, plans have changed a bit. Here's what's going on. Today I went to an OB/Gyn to see if Max is still breech (he is) and to discuss having an External Version done. A Version is basically where they give me medication to relax the uterus (so I don't get any contractions during the procedure) and then she literally tries to move the baby by pushing on his head/bum by way of my belly. Apparently it can be pretty painful, and it takes about 20 minutes. Also, the major risk is that if the Version is rough enough to break my waters, or it distresses the baby, then they will immediately do an emergency C-section. (She personally has never had this type of emergency). The good news is that 50% of the time, she CAN get the baby to move head down, then I'll be monitored for the next 3-4 hours to make sure he stays in place. Then hopefully he'll continue to stay in place and we can go ahead with our natural birth plan. So we scheduled one for Friday.

Before Friday, we are going to devote an entire day to natural methods of turning him, including hot/cold therapy, acupuncture and moxibustion (a type of acupuncture), chiropractic manipulation (Webster's Method) and then heading to the pool to do some flips to encourage him to move. Many of these methods (especially the acupuncture) have had high success rates in turning a breech baby, so we're hoping that doing all these right after the other will encourage him to get into the correct position. If it works, we won't have to have a Version done. (This would obviously be ideal).

If none of these methods including the Version, works to turn him, we will have to wait. Wait until I actually go into labor, check one last time where he is, and take it from there. In the end, our ultimate goal is a happy healthy baby, so whichever way that happens will be okay by us.

So thats the plan for now. If anything changes, I'll update everyone. Thanks again for all the fasting and prayers!

Movin' on Up!

We've been casually looking for a house to move into for awhile now...really ever since we moved into this one! It was really getting down to the wire on whether we were going to move before Max arrived or if we'd wait a few months down the road. I woke up just a couple days ago really stressed out about it, since we are getting overrun with baby gear, and running out of space. That morning I prayed that if we were okay to move that we'd find a house that would feel just perfect for us really, really soon, without much looking. Otherwise, I'd work on finding more space in this house and just deal with it. Talk about a quick answer to my prayers! So that day, Sister Packard sent us 2 listings she'd found for us on rentals.com. We liked one of the houses, went and saw it on Saturday, met the landlord and filled the application out on Sunday, and then today we found out we got approved! The house just feels so right. It's 3/2, has a garage (no more storage unit), dishwasher (hallelujah!), comes with washer and dryer (we sold ours to our current landlord), totally fenced in backyard, walk in closet in the master bedroom, etc. Best of all, its month to month (we were really hesitant about signing a year lease), and he came down a few hundred dollars from the original price that was very reasonable to begin with! It couldn't be more perfect for us right now. It was definitely a (quick) answer to my prayers!

I'm off now to buy moving boxes! Friday is our move in date!

Surprise! What a way to end the year!

On the 30th, Craig said he needed to go 'somewhere' and did I want to come with him. He had a lot of confidence in me saying yes, because we pulled up to a really nice day spa, and he surprised me with a prenatal massage! It was a fantastic surprise! When I got done, we went back out to the car, and in the back seat was a massage table! What?! He said now he can give me real massages anytime I want to! :) Funny thing is that whenever he asks me to rub his neck or back or whatever, I always claim I can't do a very good job when he's laying on the bed or couch, and that "if I had a real massage table, I could give you a real massage." So now I have no excuses!!! For the record, since we've gotten it, he HAS given me a back/neck massage. He's pretty good, but is definitely going to need some more practice!

Anyway, he had told me that there was a great place someone had told him about that he wanted to go to for breakfast the next morning, on the 31st. I said, Don't people usually go out on the 1st? Not the 31st for breakfast? He said, "Well I had me heart set on tomorrow." Okay. Breakfast? Fine, I mean, he did have his heart set on it!

Next morning, the 31st we get in the car and we're starting to veer into a neighborhood that clearly doesn't look like a restaurant. Sure enough, he has another surprise waiting for me! We pull up to Alanna's house (she's a girl in the class we teach at church) and inside is Craig's mom and sisters, girls from our class, Sister Packard, and several women from our ward! It was a baby shower!!!

I was so surprised, I wasn't even planning on having a baby shower! And here everyone was there for me! It was a great surprise. Apparently, it was Craig's job to get me there. Everything else was Alanna's idea and planned by her! (They must have talked those 2 Sundays that I played hooky!)Even though baby shower's are usually just for the girls, Craig stayed and helped me open all the great gifts, ate food, socialized, and was just one of the girls! (He plays that role pretty well!)

Alanna and Mady, both in our class. Thanks so much Alanna!

Just some of the yummy snacks that were there. Fruits, veggies, cheeses, fudge, and cupcakes courtesy of a bunch of Mia Maids!

Presents! Everyone was extremely generous when it came to the gifts. We really REALLY appreciate all the great stuff we got! Thanks a million everyone!

Every good thing has to come to an end, right? I'm the one in the middle that looks like she's smuggling a watermelon!

It was a great success, and I really had a great time. I am STILL surprised, so thanks to everyone who came, and everyone who contributed, and thanks Craig and Alanna!

Happy 28th Birthday!

Craig's birthday is only 4 days after Christmas, and with everything that had been going on, I was exhausted by the time it came around. We (Craig's family and us) went out to Buffalo Wild Wings and everyone gave him presents. We ordered Chocolate Cake off the menu because I didn't even bake a cake or anything...it was low key but fun. I got him a pair of Sperry Boat Shoes which he had been secretly eyeing. Now all he needs is a boat! Maybe next year Craig!

Romeo Romeo, Wherefore art thou Romeo?

I mentioned last post how much Craig has been missing Romeo. We knew he needed to go to a better place to socialize with other squirrels, and to get prepared to be released into the wild, but we still missed him! So we talked to the wildlife rehabilitator who told us we could come visit him the Sunday after Christmas. It's a small place, and it has lots of random animals: a duck with a lame foot, a goat, a little dog whose owner didn't want him anymore, birds, baby racoons, deer, asian deer, horses, geese, squirrels, etc. etc. etc... Basically any needy animal. No one gets turned away. Most come in as abandoned babies like Romeo, and they are able to rehab them back into the wild, and some, like the poor duck with the lame foot and the deer with a bad back due to poor nutrition as a baby (when he was a pet) will stay there forever. Anyway, we got to see Romeo in his new big outdoor cage. It looked like a great place for squirrels. The property backs up to hundreds of acres of preserved land, and there were lots of 'wild' squirrels that had been released but stay close to the property because there's an abundance of yummy food for them there.

Anyway, Romeo will be released when it gets a bit warmer out and he gets a bit older.

It had only been about 3 weeks since he came here, but he was already getting more wild. We had to lure him out with the almonds we brought for him. They are his favorite.

He eventually warmed up to us...it took awhile, but the almonds sure did help!

Yep, it's him. There he is lifting up his arm for Craig to scratch his special spot! He looked great, just a bit bigger. His eyes and ears had grown the most!

Here is one of two baby deer that will be released.

Oh, and here is a weird looking goose thing that really seemed to like Craig. He wagged all of his tail feathers just like a dog, and kept nipping at Craig's leg! He had a birth defect on his wings...they grew crooked or something, so he will have a forever home there.

It was good to see Romeo, kind of sad that it took so long for him to warm up to us again, but also good to know that he's becoming more wild, so that he can survive in the wild once he gets released. Marilyn, the rehabilitator, mentioned that they are always looking for 'foster parents' for baby squirrels, to help them out until they're old enough to feed themselves. (Same thing we did with Romeo). Depending on how things go with the new baby, we may think about helping out when we can.

Busch Gardens!

We had Christmas with Craig's family a week prior to the 25th as they were going out of town. Since we (I) couldn't fly with everyone else, Craig and I stayed behind and had our own fun. We went to Busch Gardens, which is like an amusement park plus a zoo, and since I couldn't go on any rollercoasters (so many restrictions being pregnant!) we mostly did the zoo part. It was so fun, and I got to keep practicing on my new camera!

We went Christmas Eve from about 2-6 pm, and after 4 hours of walking, I almost couldn't make it out to the car I was so sore! That night I could barely sleep because of the pain it had caused me. Thanks to lots of rest and double doses of Calcium/Magnesium, I felt much better Christmas morning, so after presents we decided to go again (it's only about 40 minutes away). I only lasted about 2 hours until the pain became unbearable!!

I won't put in all our presents pictures, but this little squirrel in Craig's stocking made his day. Just a little reminder of our little Romeo. You press his tummy and he makes little squirrel noises. (The dogs went crazy for it.) Craig still talks about how much he misses Romeo!

Craig got me some awesome professional camera equipment, like an ergonomical strap, a backpack case, and an awesome tripod and some other accessories! I can't wait to use it all!

He got a book, clothes, a marble cheese cutter, his own yoga mat and a few other things.

Here are some fun pictures of our time at Busch Gardens!

First stop was the Alligators:

They are huge! And lazy.

"Aim the camera right there"

This was at the entrance to the butterfly garden. I didn't take any picture of the actual garden, but it was so beautiful. If we ever get a house with land, I'm building a butterfly garden!

Then came the Chimpanzees!

They had a giant, awesome sanctuary where they lived. We got to see them from behind glass.

Go Craig!

I tried getting on it's back like Craig, but I just couldn't! I had to settle for this pose!

Craig hasn't quite learned the logistics of the camera. He caught me mid-pose! This shows how big my baby bump is though!

Can you tell which one is Craig? LOL!

This is the train we took through the Serengeti Safari. There was NO protection from the wild animals. If they wanted to, they could have come right up to us! Craig got really nervous around the rhinos! Luckily I was sitting between him and the animals, so I could protect him if I had to! Don't know if you can see, but there is an ostrich on the tracks. We had to stop to let him pass.

Here are some of the animals we saw on our 'safari':

Zebras! Did you know they are actually brown and white?

Giraffes! There were so many, and so close! Beautiful.

Antelope. Check out those horns! This one was a little close for comfort!

And of course the 4,000 lb. rhinos! Remember, we had no protection! They must keep them well fed. Craig was plotting ways to save me if one decided to charge at me. Thanks Craig, you're my hero! :)

Here is a momma rhino with her one month old baby rhino. Precious!

On the second day instead of riding through the safari again we decided to see the park from the air. We rode the Sky Rail, almost like an enclosed ski lift that went all around the park. We got to see everything without having to walk anywhere!

Check out that view!

Craig and I on the Sky Rail. Behind Craig you can see the others riding in the little carts.

We saw elephants only from the air.

And these guys too. Impressive horns!

We finished off the first evening looking at the various bird life:

McCaws...

Flamingos....stinky!

Then this guy, who looked like he was on the loose, just walking through the crowds of people. Ooh! Free popcorn!

The second day, Christmas, we ended with the Clydesdales:

Enormous! This picture doesn't do him justice at all!

Afterward we went to the Packards for some fun and some yummy dinner. Craig grew up with the Packards (they have lots of boys around Craig's age) so Sister Packard is like Craig's second mom-and they are too good to us. Sister Packard is going to be our doula for Max's birth!

Hope everyone else had a great Christmas!

New Camera!

Ok, I got a new camera a few weeks back. I had done some photo editing work that paid well, and I had been waiting for the right time to splurge on a camera, so this was it! It was extra money we weren't planning on, so it ALL went to my new Canon EOS Rebel XSi. So excited, so overwhelmed! I want to get really great with it, since it takes some skill to use, and the automatic setting is NOT the reason to get a camera like this. I've always been interested in photography, and thought that with Max on the way this would be a great time to learn and maybe save some money on all those pricey photo sessions I'm surely going to want to get! First step is to get through the owner's manual...

Here are some fun photos I took just playing around with it:

Batman being cute

"This is my good side"

Thats my foot in the background

I know, another foot. Craig was asleep and Batman found a nice little spot to rest his head! 2 cute.