She's Heeere!

So, it's been a while since my last post, but I have been a little "busy"!

On December 23 at 8:30 p.m., little Miss Tinley Rae entered the world at 7 pounds 7 oz and 19.5 inches long! She was a stubborn little bugger and wanted to stay in her warm and cozy home, but after 15 hours of labor, she finally wiggled her way out a week earlier than her due date.

I was awoken around 3:00 a.m. with horrible pains. I guess I assumed contractions were more crampy than what I was feeling. They were already about 5-7 minutes apart, so I called the doc after about 3 hours of trying to decide if I should call. We got to the hospital at 7:00 a.m. and I was already 4 cm dialated. They took me to the labor room and I was more than happy to get the epidural. After what I was feeling, the epidural was a piece of cake! The rest of the day was spent watching my usual daytime TV schedule and dreaming of eating cheeseburgers and drinking Coke. It is totally unfair that you are only allowed ice chips when you are expected to push a human out of your body.

Around 4:30, it was time to start pushing. My ideal situation . . . . give birth during Oprah, write Oprah about my experience, get free tickets to her show. Didn't happen. I pushed and pushed. Turns out that she was born face up resulting in a huge bruise on the top of her head. :( More importantly, she is perfect and simply beautiful. She loves to eat, kick her legs, and poop on her mommy. My first diaper change was a breeze. My second one was messy. Apparently poop travels a far distance when ejected at full force without a diaper to shield it.

After all said and done, the pain was nothing compared to her sweet little face looking up at us. She is a good baby and definitely Daddy's little girl. We think we are going to keep her. :)

Top Ten Reasons

Attention everyone: It's Showtime! I won't go into the gory details, but the labor process has begun. I just hope the girl doesn't have the unfortunate issue of having a Christmas birthday for the rest of her life. :(

Anyways, since I am winding down this long journey, I thought I would compile the Top Ten Reasons I Liked About Pregnancy and Top Ten Reasons I Hated It. . . .


Top Ten Things I Liked About Pregnancy:
10. I didn't eat as much as I thought I was going to
9. I didn't throw up one ounce during the entire time
8. My nails got long
7. I haven't had a hangover for 8.5 months! (yes, do the math)
6. My wedding rings still fit
5. No signs of a single stretch mark
4. People do stuff for you because they think you are incapable
3. People buy you cute baby clothes because they can't resist the cuteness
2. I get to wear comfy clothes everyday
1. There is a tiny, cute little human inside of me that will rely on me to raise her and teach her right and call me mommy!


Top Ten Reasons I Hated It:
10. For the first time in my life, I have experienced heartburn
9. I have only had two glasses of alcohol in 8.5 months :)
8. My two months of pregnancy rash have completely scarred my stomach
7. I have discovered much more cellulite on the back of my thighs
6. I have to pay someone to paint my toenails
5. This kid thinks my bladder is a punching bag
4. If I have to hear "Oh, it's going to be the first baby of the year!" one more time, I am going to scream
3. If I have to hear "You probably want it born this year for the tax write off!" I am going to scream
2. I have to wear unstylish comfy clothes everyday because I am too cheap to spend the money on "stylish" and cute maternity clothes.
1. My family thinks I am the devil because of my raging hormones.

You Wanna Do What?

Just got back from my 38 week appointment. I am officially 1.5 cm dialated and 70% effaced. Baby Arndt's head is really low and it sounds like I could definitely go before my due date. The doc also asked if I wanted my membrane stripped. Huh?? "Oh, it just gets thing going so you have a less likely chance of being induced later" To me, it sounds like she doesn't want to work on Christmas! Apparently, being "stripped" simply means she separates the sac from the cervix. Yikes! So, now, I am sitting at home avoiding getting up off the couch in fear that something will gush or fall out.

Happy Holidays!

All Set and Ready to Go . . .

. . . . I think. The baby's room is complete. The name is picked. Everything is washed, unwrapped, and put in it's place. My hospital bag is half packed. Visions of packing my skinny jeans are dancing in my head. Ha! I think the cats are ready as well considering Milo has taken over the glider rocker as his new cat nap spot.

My 38 week appointment is Friday. We'll see if anything is happening! The baby is moving around a lot and I sometimes wonder if she has teeth! She definitely has the urge to stretch though. My ribs have become her kick toy!

More to come . . .

Rollin, Rollin, Rollin . . . . .

Well, we got to see a tiny glimpse of Baby Arndt last week! The little bugger wouldn't turn her head for the camera though. She has been rolling around my tummy a lot lately. Must be getting a little tight in there. Her head is down and ready to come out! We were told she has a head full of hair and weighs approx. 6.4 lbs at this point. She is at average height and hasn't inherited her moms long legs.

As of now, we are looking at December 30th as the due date! I am ready to get this show on the road!

A Stuffed Turkey I am. . .

Thanksgiving has come and gone but my full belly is still here! I got a taste of everything, but my squished stomach didn't let me eat too much. I braved my way and waddled through the stores on Black Friday. Should have pulled the pregnancy card to score the flat screen TV that we failed to get. :(
36 weeks tomorrow! According to what I have read I have been getting Braxton Hicks contractions for the past couple weeks. Feels like my belly is going to explode. Ultrasound is tomorrow! Hoping for a good sneak peek.

34 weeks and counting. . . .

I figured I should start a blog. It seems like the thing to do these days to share experiences and memories with family and friends.
I am officially 34 weeks along! The baby room is almost done and everything is washed and almost put away in it's perfect spot.
Went to the doctor yesterday and the baby's heartbeat was fluctuating a lot. I had to be hooked up to one of those heartbeat monitors where they strap it across your entire belly. I laid there for about 20 minutes and had to push a button everytime I felt the baby move. The nurse said that babies usually don't like this because they can feel the monitor on them. She didn't like it and was moving like crazy! To make a long story short, the doc finally came in and looked at the results and said it was exactly what she was looking for. "You have a hyper kid"
Next doc appointment is Dec. 2. We are getting another ultrasound. Apparently, I have a plethora of fibroids and one might be in the way. Booooo on the fibroids, but yaaaay that we'll get to see a glimpse!
Stay tuned. . . .