Getting in the Christmas mood!

It's funny how traditions start. I always thought they were something you decided you would do every year. My family's traditions were basically already rolling when I was old enough to realize what a "tradition" was. I didn't realize some just happened. Something that has happened every year that Jared and I have been together, so far, is that sometime in December Jared gets up in the middle of the night and sets up our little 3 foot tree, gets out all the ornaments, and sets out the stockings. Then he comes back, wakes me up, and we decorate the tree together! I love this tradition! Not because we get up in the middle of the night, or not necessarily because I already love the Christmas season but because it's a tradition that has happened every year without any planning on my part. My husband knows just when to do it to get me all Christmas-ee feeling! Thanks Jared for being amazing! Oh, and this year Zinni joined in the fun!

Everything all ready to go! Daddy and Zinni putting on an ornament we got from Florida. Zin and Mommy putting a candy cane on. The finished product!
And we love our Zinnidee if you couldn't tell!

My little buddy

I love her. I love her more than I thought possible. She and her daddy are my world! I love that she's always there to tag along when I run errands, to hang out with me when I'm reading, to smile at me while I'm folding laundry, and to cry for me when I'm trying to make dinner. I always knew mommies loved there children so but I never quite understood about doing anything/everything for them. Now if we're both hungry, I feed her first. If we're tired she's the one who sleeps while I listen for every peep she makes. I would die to protect her and I want to fix her every whim.

Zinni is happy, dramatic, ticklish, loves to eat her hands, sensitive, compassionate, cuddly, has one dimple on her right cheek, is daddy's little lady, fun, strong, has acid reflux, sleeps a lot, smiley, and is the cutest thing I've ever seen (if I do say so myself!).

Example of "Daddy's little lady."

Example of her cuddliness, she likes to bury her face in my arm.
Example of her eating her hands.
My smiley girl!
Tagging along on my errands. Here we are just finishing up some shopping.
Don't worry, she has other clothes but apparently this polka-dotted number is my favorite! And if you're wondering to yourself about if I will ever post anything again that isn't all about Zinni, the chances are slim;)

Blessing and stats

Well Zinni had her two month check up. Sad. So sad! She got her shots and her sad, hurt cry broke my heart! For the rest of the day she was either sleeping or crying. This is us before her appointment.Percentiles: 98% for length

72% for weight

21% for head circumference (I'm pretty happy about this one, hopefully it will be a prediction for all my future babies at time of birth!)

She's cooing, and smiling. Holds her head up really well. Loves to stand and usually insists on standing while I burp her. She loves her daddy and knows when he's home, she goes completely still when she hears him! She watches me walk across the room and looks for me when someone else is holding her. She loves to snuggle and be held. She sleeps through the night!! We believe Zinni is compassionate, she cries when she hears other people cry (or sounds like crying). Everyone says she looks just like her daddy.

Zinnidee's blessing was beautiful. I'm so grateful I have a husband who holds the priesthood and can bless our home and family.

Zin wore the dress that I was blessed in!

Jared and Zinni crashed for 3 hours after the eventful morning!

Zinni is growing too fast!

Warning: Lots-o-pics!
First date after having Z. I think she's about 4 weeks old. Zinni loves taking naps with Daddy!

Big yawn!A snap shot on Zinni's Marmee blanket.

Jared loves to do stuff like this to our kiddo. Yes, she looks Asian.

Seriously, my child is getting huge! I don't know how time can fly so ridiculously fast!

Here is Z with her Uncle Lukie when we went up to Luke's parents to shoot some guns!!
This is my genius child doing sign language and smiling!
Zebra baby. Chillin' in the car seat.This is probably one of my favorite pics EVER because I'm a mean mommy like that! Snoozin' on Auntie Liz after a date night at the OG! (side note: Jared got a name badge at the Olive Garden basically for just being Jared, if you know what I mean!)Another night with our friends, hangin' out in there unfinished bathroom. I love that it looks like Jared and Liz are the couple with baby Zinni and David's the odd-man-out! Ha ha sorry David!
Sleeping in the car seat.
She sits up and is really good with holding her head up. This little lady wants to grow up fast! She's very stubborn, loves to cuddle and be held, is dramatic, and sleeping at least 6 hours through the night! We call her Zinni, Zin, Zin Zin, Zinnidee Anne, Zaz, and Baby Princess.
She is seriously growing like crazy! Her 2 month appointment is tomorrow so I'll try to remember to post stats.

Pictures!

Go here to view Zinni girl's professional pics! I'll post non-professionals soon, promise!

Peace out

Peace out gall bladder. I didn't care for you anyway! You and all your stones were really getting on my nerves! Now the real question will be, are you going to continue to haunt me with phantom attacks? I think the answer should be no. I mean I don't even have you as an organ anymore so really how could you still attack me? Plus surgery and recovering hasn't been so fun so that should cover my pain quota for the next while. Anyone agree with me?

I do have to note that I like hospitals. Not always the reason I'm at the hospital but I like knowing that everything is clean, I like the smell (I know, weird), I love the nurses and being able to push a button and someone will come to your aid. I loved the hospital stay when I had Zin, who is a month old, by the way! (I will post pics soon.) And I loved my hospital food, yum!

Even though I like hospitals I HATE hospital bills and I hope I will not be returning any time soon!

The details

Warning: May contain too much of the gory details for some.

Warning: Really long.

I won't be offended if you don't read this!

Labor Day was a good day and our 2 year anniversary! Everything was pretty normal, we went to my folks for a BBQ, then came home and started playing cards with Felisha and our friend Luke (Kyle, Lyle). During cards I started having cramps and thought "this is weird but definitely not labor pains." I went to bed feeling pretty good just slight cramping. At 2:45am I got up to pee and noticed my silly hubby was STILL up playing Xbox. I got back in bed and turned over to get comfy when all of the sudden it felt like I was wetting the bed (my water had broke). I called for Jared who must have heard the urgency in my voice because he was there in a split second! For the next hour I hung out in the shower as Jared ran around (like a chicken with his head cut off) gathering last minute things for my hospital bag, calling our moms, and checking on me. In the shower I was having contraction about every 2 minutes. I got out and decided we ought to head to the hospital because my water had broke and it's a 45 minute drive.

We arrive at the hospital at 5am and I'm only 2 cm, i figured as much. So I start walking the halls, alternate between sitting and standing, and spend some time in the big tub. My mom, mother-in-law, and Felisha were all in attendance (as well as Jared, although he was half asleep through a lot of it). With each contraction somebody was rubbing my back, reminding me to breath, or comforting me in some way. My contractions were very manageable but sporadic, sometimes 2 mins apart, sometimes 5, some very painful, and some more mild. My midwife would ask me if I wanted to be checked for any progress and I would decline because I wanted to wait as long as possible between checks so that I would have hopefully progressed more by the time she checked. Well, that strategy did NOT work! I would go hours without being checked and be the same! 4 cm and 90% effaced, 4 *plus* and 90% (by the way, the *plus* doesn't make you feel any better). So I walked on, and on, and ON! We played cards, I leaned on the bed, sat on a birthing ball.

The hours were passing in a blur as I became more and more tired and as the contractions became more and more intense. I remember at one point laying on the hospital bed and feeling like I was trapped in a hallucination or a nightmare. The pain was very strong, yet in between I was so sleepy I would nod off and be woken by pain that would take my breath away. My midwife told me she didn't want me in the tub again until I'd hit a 6 because the tub can slow things down in earlier labor. She said once at a 6 it usually goes very quickly. By this time it's sometime in the late evening, she checks me and I'm at a 7!! I declare that I am getting in the tub, my only form of relief at this point. As I'm soaking my contractions are being timed by Jared, and although they are becoming more intense they are not consistent, 5 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 5 minutes. Even though they hurt I was trying to will the next contraction to happen so that I would progress faster but as much as I tried to make it happen it was to no avail, my body and baby had their own agenda! After 30 mins of soaking my midwife says it's time to check me again because she's sure I've made some sort of progress, which is reinforced by the fact that I throw up as I'm getting out of the tub (a normal sign of transition). I dry off, lay down, and breath deep for this "fun" cervical check. 7 cm and 90% percent thinned. Are you kidding me!? I am going to make this baby come! So off for another walk, which feels like the millionth time, and I can barely stand through each contraction. Then I'm back in the room and everyone advices me to lay down and try to rest a bit because I'm gonna need it. Then Nancie (my midwife) returns to check me again. I know I have to be at least an 8 if not more by the way the contractions are feeling. 7 and 90. Seriously? This can't be true. SERIOUSLY!??? I've been 7 and 90 for the last 3 hours!!!

Nancie tells me I can't get in the tub any more because they have to start an antibiotic on me because my water has been broken for nearly 24 hours. I will have to stay in bed and she'd like to start pitocin because I'm not progressing as I should. I'm contemplating the pitocin with no epidural, I really, REALLY wanted to go natural all the way. I turn to my group of support for advise and the decision is pretty much unanimous, get the epidural. I can tell Jared is not enjoying watching me through all this pain, my mom tells me I need rest in order to do the pushing part, and Felisha reminds me of something I had said earlier in pregnancy, that if I went more than 20 hours and I needed rest I would get it. So I relented and said, "bring on the drugs." To say I was bummed is an understatement.

I loved and hated the epidural, the relief from pain was lovely yet the not being able to move or readjust my body drove me nuts! I did "rest" but didn't sleep a wink. I had the epidural on the lowest setting and still couldn't feel my legs! After 3 hours of pitocin and epidural I was finally at a 10. I was a little shocked, I had gotten so used to progressing at a much slower pace. Nancie had me push a couple times and I had no clue what I was supposed to be doing. I asked her if we could turn the epidural off and try when I got some feeling back. She said yes and it took about an hour to get the feeling back and feel the pressure I needed to. So then the pushing really started, it took me a few contractions to get the hang of what I was supposed to be doing but once I got it I really got it and I actually kind of enjoyed the pushing but it was discouraging to hear "she's almost here" and then she still wasn't here. After an hour and a half of pushing with the epidural gone and the pitocin still flowing finally I could hear the excitement in Jared's voice and Felisha told me that she really was there and to keep pushing. My sweet girl finally made it, with the cord wrapped around her neck and maconium in her amniotic fluid but she made it safe and sound. I cried, a lot. I was so happy this girl had finally made it after 26 hours of labor and I was also happy that it was over!
My midwife and mother have assured me that next time I will be able to go natural all the way and I hope so too! The epidural is what I needed at the time and I'm grateful that there is the use of things like pitocin and epidurals but I'm also glad I could feel all the pushing, otherwise I would have been lost. I'm also extremely grateful for all the support I received, everyone said or did just what I needed at just the right time. Birth is a crazy and beautiful experience and I'm already not dreading the next time which I think is pretty good considering it's only been a week!

She's here!

Almost a week early she is here!! Zinnidee Anne was born September 8, 2010. She weighed 7 lbs 9 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. She has strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. We love her so much and miss her when we she isn't in our arms!

The first time Jared held her

First family picture Our little gangster in her go home outfit!

I will surely write a blog with the more grueling details at some point. For now I am soaking up every moment with my baby princess!

He's home!!

I haven't had my computer nor the umph to blog the past while. However, Jared is home and that makes me very happy!! He has jumped right back into working everyday, which makes me miss him but that's just the way things go sometimes.

I have less than 3 weeks until my due date and I am SO ready for it! I know I shouldn't feel this anxious for at least another 2 weeks but I just can't help it! I want her here, I want to see what she looks like, I want to hold her! But a few people have informed me that once she's out I'll want her back in :(. I hope I don't feel that way because I really want her OUT right now! Of course I am feeling the usual uncomfortableness, lack of sleep, limited mobility, but all in all it's not too terrible. I definitely would not trade this last few weeks for any of my first trimester sickness! Can she just be here already!? I thought Jared being here would help me be patient but it has done the opposite!

Sorry for the hormonal ranting but it's to be expected, right?

Key Largo, Montego baby why don't we go?

Last weekend we decided to go with some friends down to the Keys. We didn't have any specific plans we just went with the flow. We ended up going to a couple T-shirt/gift shops and Jared and I got a little trinket to hang on our Christmas tree. This is a little tradition we started on our honeymoon, we get an ornament from the places we've lived or vacationed. This time a little wood carved turtle that says Key Largo. We then drove for awhile looking for some street to turn down to dip in the water but to no avail. We asked a gas station attended who didn't help us out, he told us we'd have to drive all the way down to Key West (the very bottom) to go to a beach! So we drove a bit more hoping to see a glimpse of water close by that we could jump in, we didn't. Then we headed to a pizza joint that was pretty yummy and had the one thing I had been wanting while down in the Keys - Key lime pie! It was pretty good and quite tart, I think I like fake key lime pie better! Afton and Bailee at the Pizza place! Janelle and Dan serving up some yummy pizza! Me eating my tart pie!Kelby, Michelle, and baby kloie. Jared was using his ubber creepy voice to get Klo smiling!Part of the drive. There are really cool parts where there is just ocean on both sides of the street. It's kind of a strange sensation to be driving out on the ocean.

Now for some fat pics because it's been awhile. I have to admit they are harder to post now because I no longer feel as if I'm a cute pregnant lady, I just feel fat. I am now over 8 months! However, if getting fat is the price I have to pay to have my little girl I'll do it gladly!