Siblings

And how are Jack and Sage handling their new lot in life??

We were expecting the very worse, but this first week has been really great. They both love holding Charlotte. Jack takes the task very seriously. He uses all of his focus to make sure her head isn't bobbing around. In all the pictures we have of him holding her, his face shows how serious his role, not allowing himself to even slightly crack a smile. We expected the worse from Sage, but she has been so surprising. She LOVES to hold the baby, and just rubs her gently, kisses her, and points out all the body parts that they both have.

Hopefully they will continue with this current trend.

We Made It!

So the story goes...

Tuesday the 23rd, I started having semi regular contractions in the morning, but they weren't real keel-ya-over-contractions, so I wasn't too phased about them. Besides, we were meeting friends in Pendleton at the Children's Museum and I didn't want to miss it. I started to time them in the car...about 10 mins apart...I was making a backup plan in my head, just in case...

After a fun morning, we returned without incident. I put the kids to bed and was able to take about a 20 minute nap before Jack and Sage woke. Around 3:30 I called Joel, me liking to tease him and very much enjoying the fact that this is the only time he promptly answers all of my phone calls. I told him half-heartedly that tonight could be the night. He said he had an errand to run and then would come home quick quick. I told him not to hurry because I didn't think I was really in labor, just having more of the same non-labor contractions.

Joel started timing the contractions and after a couple hours of being about 9 mins apart, he decided that it was time and we needed to go to the hospital. I was still in doubt if this was the real thing. So Joel scrambled to finish cleaning the house, I gave the kids a bath and threw together some sort of hospital bag. I requested a blessing for labor several months beforehand. Joel asked his dad to come down to assist in that. Their home teachers were there, so Joe and Brother Sanders joined in too. Jack wanted a blessing too so he got a new big brother blessing. Then it was off the the hospital we went.

We walked up to the labor and delivery ward, contractions were 4 to 9 mins apart. Joel had my bag and a pillow for him under his arm. The nurse at the desk looked up and asked, "Can I help you?" (Like, what are you doing here? You look lost, can I point you in the right direction?) I pointed to my belly, "Um, I was kinda hoping to have a baby." She seemed skeptical but checked me anyways - I was a 3. She seemed to want to humor us, so she told us to go for a walk and come back - she'd call the doctor to see if he wanted us to stay or not.

As soon as we started our walk, contractions really started rocking and rolling. When we got back in 30 mins, I was at a 6. The nurse said the doctor would keep us. (phew) I had tested positive for Group B Strep, so they had to start an IV and give me antibiotics.

Labor went smooth, and I must say, I rocked. I was very cool, calm, and collected. (Which was so NOT the case with the other two.) I concentrated on relaxing and my breathing, and squeezing Joel's hand or leaning into him while standing (these details are more for me to remember what worked so for next time I can remember.) Actually, what really got me through was silently singing the chorus of the new Primary Song, "I know that my Savior Loves Me" over and over - 3 breathes in, 5 breathes out. The tub, as always, really helped too to relax, and consequently slowed the labor down. When Joel was ready to get things going again, he got me out.

Sure enough, wham bam boom - little Miss Charlotte came just past midnight. I would like to say that I was very in control of myself during delivery, but I can't. :) It seriously sucks. I was ready for some pain meds then, or asked for a C Section, something, anything, just take that thing out of me. For some reason, no one took me seriously. But we both survived with little to no damage.

The nurse who checked us in seem surprised that it took less than 4 hours from when we first came in. Now isn't she glad she didn't send us home?

She's Here!

Charlotte Jayne Sparks

3/24/10

12:17am

9 lbs 12 oz

22 inches long

Hopeful upcoming posts

We've had a few things that I've been meaning to blog about, or at least mention, but it sure isn't happening. But to give you a heads up:

• Jack and Sage's first fishing experience - Jack caught a rainbow trout and we ate it for dinner. He was SO proud to catch it for us to eat. They both loved handling the live fish but then shortly after wanted to kill it. Sage kept saying "dead". Thank you Gonzalez's!

• Jack and Sage went horseback riding on TJ (Jack's horse he feeds). Jack had been wanting to go for a while so he was stoked. Sage did not want to stop and was saying "riding" the ENTIRE time. Thanks Khea!

• 20 new chicks in our garage - they are meat chickens. Jack likes to tell everyone how he is going to kill them and eat them. They are really cute chicks. I'm curious to see how I feel when slaughter date comes.

• Yesterday was baby due date....I like to think that my children just love me so much and just want to get the most of their one on one time before they come out and have to share me with their siblings. At my last appointment my doctor said that even though I have been having contratctions, they are just teasers because there is no progression in the slightest. She said that when I get checked it is just a snapshot, and doesn't mean that I couldn't go into labor that night...but then she promptly signed me up for 2 more weeks of appointments...

• We, well, mostly Joel, are reorganizing our computer room. 95% of the books are his so I really don't know what to keep or what to chuck. Hopefully this will help us keep this room under control. I'm excited to have a desk for the computer and no longer have to sit on the ground with the computer on a chair. Though I do get up and down very gracefully :)

Emotions

Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby....I eat it, sleep it, dream of all aspects of it, and have contractions in the evening pretty much every time I move.

I still have 11 more days 'til due date but I just cant stop thinking of it.

I keep hoping that she is going to come early - which in reality is not likely, seeing that Jack was over 2 weeks late and Sage was 1 week late. But I'm having contractions, I've totally been dropping (this evident in the fact that I continually hurt my belly now ramming it in the kitchen counter when before cooking and washing dishes were never problems. Is this what it would be like to be short?) I really don't mind at all being pregnant - I feel totally fine - but I'm just ready to have the baby. I've been very excited that past few days about Charlotte coming. That is why I want her to come. I'm excited for her and I am also ready just to get on with the next stage, none of this waiting game stuff.

This morning I really wanted contractions to start so I could get a 'break' from Jack and Sage, they were driving me so crazy. But then at lunch time they were so great together I was okay with waiting. (At one point they were sitting next to each other and Jack had his arm around Sage, she resting her head on his shoulder. Jack told her in the kindest voice, "Your my baby sister, aren't you Sage, my baby sister." And then he kissed her twice on the head.) I'm sure this is going to be one of those things that as soon as you stop caring and thinking about it, it will come. (Like in High School, when you wanted a boyfriend - one never came when you wanted one so badly and thought about it all the time. As soon as you move one, there one pops up.)

So overall I'm excited; I'm anxious; I'm tired and feel a little snappish with the kids; I'm ready yet am dreading the whole birthing process; I feel like I'm forever chasing my tail with housework and have a bazillion other things I need to do yet can't do it by myself and feel like I don't get anything done; I feel so blessed with my little family, Joel's work, our house, and our little life we are leading; I am trying to keep moving, to keep busy, and keep living until it is time, but I am so ready to go on to the next step. I want to have the baby while I'm still excited and not when that wears off and other emotions creep in. I know that I will probably be eating my words in a few weeks, wishing I had more time to enjoy and prepare. :)

Just thinking about it, I guess I have a lot that I want to do, like the garden, organizational and decorative projects, having a working toilet, things I want to make for the kids, things that I simply cannot do by myself or simply have no idea where to begin and mostly things that I need to wait for. I have Spring fever bad and perhaps the baby will just be one thing on my list that can be done in a relatively near time frame. I'm just ready to get a move on!

It is always interesting having a post to just spit it all out - thoughts that I usually keep quite personal is now out there. I feel so exposed. I actually feel that I need to stop sitting here on the computer and get a move on before the kids wake up too :) So, here I go to do all those things I said I wanted and needed to do - but who's kidding, I've already done 3 loads of laundry and it looks like not even a dent has been made. Hopefully I won't fall asleep during my scripture study...that happens from time to time... :)

Quote

"Cleaning house while children are growing is like shoveling snow while the blizzard's still blowing."

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one...

We believe in Child Labor

. Joel found a cheap cheap junky car that had the motor that he wanted for the Dodge. Since we are only keeping the motor and scrapping the rest, the kids can have at it. Jack has taken all the lights off by himself. Sage grunts and groans as she works on the car. It is too funny. Joel is totally awesome about sharing his tools. He normally likes order and control, but with this the kids help themselves to whatever is in the toolbox, just as long as they put it back when they are done. And I've watched, they sure don't get back in the same place...So far this car has been a good family project.

Copy Cats

Friends of ours went to walk along the train tracks for a family outing. Jack saw the pictures on their blog and has been DYING to do the same. DYING!! He wanted to go to the exact place they went to and had me email and call dozens of times to make sure that I knew exactly how to get there.

Last week before storytime at the Library we walked through the light rain on the train tracks - sat on them, looked at the railroad ties and the spikes and looked how the train tracks merged into one. We didn't see any trains, but Jack was very happy. But of course coming home he decided that that wasn't what he wanted - he wanted to go where there were tunnels and bridges...he is always thinking of something bigger and better. Sage enjoyed the walk too, carrying rocks and saying "heavy" then throwing them. It was a nice morning. We got back to the car before it started to rain a little heavier. Still looked like a frizzy rat at the library, but I guess I'm not trying to impress anyone.