Peyton Nora

Our little girl arrived at 4:00am on Monday, November 30, 2009. She weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 20 inches long. :)

I went in on Sunday evening for a gel application to jump start things, and boy did it ever. They sent me home just after 9pm and told me to call whenever I woke up in the morning. Well, I woke up at 1:30am when my water broke and my contractions were already 4 minutes apart and pretty painful. We made it to the hospital about 2:00am and I was 4cm. At that point I was ready to give in to an epidural because all the contractions were in my back and extremely painful! When they checked me not even an hour later though I was 8cm so there was really no med option and just knowing that things were progressing that fast I knew I could do it. About 3 contractions later I was fully dilated and pushing. Everyone is right, pushing feels SO good at that point! Now quite sure how long I pushed, Ben and I are guessing maybe 20 minutes, and she was out and perfect. :)

Labor was the easy part...

A couple of hours later they had me up to go to the bathroom and I almost passed out. My bp was down to about 80/50 and I was bleeding a lot (more than normal that is). They put me on oxygen and started a catheter and waited for the doctor to come assess the situation. Apparently my uterus didn't stay firm enough as it contracted, which lead to excessive bleeding and clotting. So, he ended up massaging it down and manually working the clots out (AWFUL) and then they had me on several different IV meds throughout the day to keep my uterus firm. I am doing much better now, but my iron level is still extremely low and I'm on some supplements to get that back up. I am actually in the blood transfusion range, but I seemed to be doing well enough that they didn't think that was necessary. I just need to be careful to not over-do it right now.

We got discharged around lunch time today and are in the process of settling in at home. I am sure I will have plenty more pics to post in the coming days, but here are a few. I can't believe I'm a mommy!

the end is in sight!

Just got back from my 40 week appointment and nothing has changed since last week. Baby's head is still down and low and my cervix is thinned out, but no notable dilation. Doctor thinks there's a good chance she will come on her own this week, otherwise I will be going in on Sunday night to be induced. Baby Sanford will be here by Tuesday at the latest! Crazy!

39 weeks

Again, a little late since I'm now 2 days away from my due date, but here is my 39 week picture from last week. Not much to report from my last appointment. Baby is in position and her head is really low (doc said he could feel it quite easily) and I was almost totally effaced, no dilation though. I go in again tomorrow.

I had LOTS of early labor signs last week - won't go into all the lovely details - and thought for sure I'd have her this past weekend, but then everything stopped and here I sit Monday morning, still pregnant. Oh well. I'm not really uncomfortable or anything (with the exception of a day here or there) so I really can't complain. The worst is having to go back to work everyday and hear, "Oh, you're still here?" :o/

I had a good weekend though. My sister came up to visit and that helped me keep my mind off of the fact that I wasn't in labor. Ha. We did a little shopping on Saturday - bought a pack 'n play and some slippers for the hospital - and I introduced Kyra to Potbelly (one of my favorite places to eat in Woodbury), otherwise we just laid low around the house. She left around lunch yesterday and I got the house all cleaned up again, got all the laundry done, baked a pumpkin pie and repainted my toenails. I'm all set now baby! *hint, hint*

38 weeks

Well, I had my 38 week appointment yesterday and that was quite the ordeal! Started off normal - he measured me, listened to the heartbeat and checked my cervix. I am thinning out nicely, but he didn't mention anything about dilation so I'm guessing that's a no. Then he tells me that I am measuring a little small (most likely due to the fact her head is so far down the birth canal) so he'd like to do a quick ultrasound just to make sure everything's in check. My blood pressure has been up a little bit the past couple of weeks too, so that may have been another factor he wanted to check out. So, we go do the ultrasound and he's scanning back and forth, back and forth and not saying anything (starting to freak out a little at this point). And then he says, "Well, I'm not seeing what I'd like to on here." Basically, she wasn't moving at all at that point (probably due to the fact she had been moving like crazy all morning and even minutes before he came into the room and that I hadn't eaten lunch yet) so he decided to send me over to labor and delivery to be monitored, "just to be on the safe side". So, he walks me over there and they hook me up to one thing that monitors the heartbeat and another that monitors contractions (which I am having apparently even though I'm not really feeling them). All is well though and he saw what he needed to see on the charts so they let me go. Whew! I mean, I wasn't TOO worried since I knew she had been moving a lot earlier in the day, but it's still a little nerve-wracking. So, more waiting and back to the clinic on Tuesday. I still think a Friday the 13th baby would be cool...hint, hint little girl... :o) Not crossing my fingers though, since I really don't expect to go early.

38 weeks

my egg is hatching!

Ha. I just noticed that the little egg on my pregnancy ticker is hatching. Too cute! Wow, I can't believe I only have 25 days left!!! I think this weekend is going to involve a lot of cleaning/organizing and then... BRING ON THIS BABY! :o)

36 weeks & nursery update

36 weeks

34 weeks

Well, technically 33 weeks and 5 days but it looks the same today.

job + car + babies

Wow, I actually have a few exciting things to report since my last post a month ago!

First of all, I got a job (FINALLY) as a part-time designer for the newspaper in town. Well technically three papers - the River Falls Journal, Hudson Star Observer and Pierce County Herald - but I work in River Falls which is awesome. I'm doing mostly ads right now, but eventually may get to do some page layout. And, I'm hoping that it may turn in to full time down the road (probably after maternity leave). It's great to get out of the house and actually feel productive again.

Second, we bought a new vehicle! I didn't really WANT to for the fact that we just paid off my car and the no payment thing is really nice, BUT the thought of wrestling a car seat in and out of the back seat of a 2-door car makes me cringe. So, we did some looking and ended up buying a GMC Envoy. We just picked it up tonight in fact. It's definitely going to take some getting used to, but so far I like it a lot.

Finally, BABIES! Two friends of mine had their babies this week (one boy, one girl) which is so exciting and makes me really want mine to come...NOW! :) On a sad note, the baby girl was born with a heart defect and is up at Children's Hospital awaiting surgery. She is doing great and the doctors are very optimistic about the outcome, but it sucks just the same and my heart goes out her and her family. Please say a little prayer that all goes well this week! It just sucks that crappy stuff like this happens to good people...

I'll try to get a new pic up soon...promise. :o)

32 weeks

This is a couple of weeks old now, but here's the 32 week belly shot. I will try to get a new one up this week!

bad blogger / 29 weeks

Okay, so I really stink at this blogging thing. You'd think being unemployed and home all the time I'd have a million posts, but...not so much. Pregnancy is going great though and all is well with baby. I went in for my glucose screening and an ultrasound the other day. The ultrasound was fun as usual (love seeing my little peanut and I had the doc confirm that it is indeed a she), even the drink wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be, but I could have done without the multiple jabs I received. First, I got a flu shot (still need the H1N1 come October) and then I went to the lab to have my blood drawn for the screening. The tech starts with my right arm, ends up digging around for a minute or two trying to "catch" my moving vein and then decides to go with the left arm. I left there looking, and feeling, like a wounded soldier but it's all for a good cause, right? I swear I've had more blood drawn in the past year than I have in the previous 15!

My belly has really popped out the past couple of weeks, although I still get a lot of the "You're due when??? Oh my God, you're so tiny!" comments. Which, I guess I'd rather be tiny than a blimp, but some people just make me feel like I'm doing something wrong and starving my child. Trust me, I eat PLENTY people! And, none of my regular clothes fit making me feel more on the blimp side.

Belly at 29 weeks, 2 days

I'm also getting really excited for my upcoming showers! I have one with friends tomorrow and then a family one next Sunday – should be fun!

Also, today is archery deer opener so I'll be dragging my pregnant butt into the woods at some point to snag a big buck (hopefully before Ben, ha ha)! Don't worry, I wont be climbing into a tree stand or anything, we have a couple of ground blinds set up. :o)

nursery plan revised

So scratch that previous post about me choosing bedding. I "decided" about 5 different times and then I decided to do my own thing. It's an ongoing process, but so far I have: the walls painted, little birds sewn, crib assembled, bedding waiting for a mattress and curtains arriving today. Very excited to see it all come together! Here are some preliminary pics...

24 weeks

22 weeks

bedding

So, after countless hours searching online and one to-be-returned purchase, I've finally decided on bedding for our little girl's nursery.


Isn't it adorable?? I think it'll really pop against the chocolate colored crib and dresser we just bought.
And now the decorating fun begins. Too bad I can't do much yet since Ben still doesn't know it's a girl...

It's a girl!

Well I just had my big ultrasound this evening and found out we're having a little girl! I am in total shock because all this time I had thought boy, but she is healthy and very active so I am happy. Ben stuck to his guns and chose not to find out the sex along with me. He turned around while the doctor made the determination and typed it for me to see. I will do my best to keep it a secret, but who am I kidding, I'll probably let it slip. He actually said he wants to see who slips up first and tells him, since I of course told everyone I know. Did I mention I'm not the best secret keeper? :) I'm also measuring farther along than I was at my first ultrasound, so we are sticking with my original due date of November 25th. I'm over halfway already! Crazy! I haven't taken a belly pic in a couple of weeks now so I'll have to do that soon. I've only gained about 5 pounds so far though so that's not too bad. I did break out the maternity pants this week, however, because my jeans are just not as comfortable as they once were. Oh the joys of pregnancy...

pop goes the belly

I'm between 16 and 17 weeks now and feeling good. I can't wait for my big ultrasound in 17 days!!! I just have to convince Ben to find out the sex because I want to know. :)

Saturday we went to Megan and Chris's wedding in Vesper/Marshfield, WI. It was a really nice wedding and it was great to see everyone! My dress really kept any baby bump I had under wraps, but between Saturday morning and evening, I definitely say I 'popped' some. What do you think? There's no sucking in the belly anymore!


Here's one of me, Nikki and Granger at Jo-Jo's between the wedding and reception. Love these girls!

the start of belly pics

Okay, so I wasn't going to do this until I was reasonably showing, but who knows when that will happen. At least now you'll be able to see where I started and how much I've changed throughout the pregnancy. Here's the picture I took on Saturday at 15 weeks, followed by my 12 week picture (which looks just the same as my 11 week picture).

15 weeks

12 weeks

Can you see the ever-so-slight difference? Ha.

how far along am I anyway?

So, I had my monthly doctor's appointment yesterday. Everything went great, but I'm just so confused on how far along I am! My original due date was November 25th, but after the first ultrasound they bumped it back to December 5th. Well, of course my chart still said the 25th and they congratulated me on making it through my first trimester (which I haven't). So, of course I questioned it and he's like "oh, well then, not quite but close." Anyway, he attempted to find the heartbeat with the doppler but didn't have much success. I have to laugh though because he tried for maybe 10 seconds before giving up. "Well, let's just do a quick ultrasound, " he says. Ha! So, we march down to the ultrasound room and I get settled there. Even though I knew everything was fine, I'll admit that I had a moment of paranoia before seeing the little heartbeat on the screen. What if something had happened in the past month? Everything was great though. Heart rate was 151 bpm and the baby measured at 11 weeks, thus confusing my due date even more (I thought I was 10 weeks, 3 days). The doctor said we'll leave it at the 5th though until my big 20 week ultrasound. So, right now I have like a 10-11 day due date window. LOL. I'm just glad everything is okay though.

10 weeks

Saturday I also hit the 10 week mark, and despite the ongoing fatigue and food aversions I'm feeling good. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I can't wait!

Here's my Baby Center update for this week:

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

mommy-to-be pampering

Saturday my friend Jenna (18 weeks) and I had a little mommy-to-be pampering and shopping day. We started off with pedicures at the spa in town, then grabbed a bite to eat at Olive Garden, and finally headed to the Mall of America for some maternity clothes. No, I don't technically need them yet, but I will. And let me just say that I think the price of maternity clothes is ridiculous! You'd think they'd cut us all a break considering we can only wear the stuff for such a short time, but no... We of course spent too much money, but had a great time. Now I just want to start showing and "looking" pregnant. I know, I'll probably regret that statement when I'm 7 or 8 months along, huge and uncomfortable, but for now that's how I feel. :)

9 weeks

It's just amazing to read about what is happening each week of this pregnancy. And, I'm hoping to start belly pics this Saturday at 10 weeks, although right now I just feel bloated and fat so I may not post them until there is something worthwhile to show.

Here is the week 9 rundown from Baby Center:
Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

And they say "she," but I have a hunch it's a "he." I guess we'll see, huh? ;)

the secret's out!

My goal was to wait to announce this until the 2nd trimester, but who was I kidding? I can't keep a secret, especially something this big! So the secret's out and we're expecting a Sanford family addition on December 5th. So excited! I had an ultrasound a few weeks ago and got to see the little bean and healthy heartbeat. It was very cool and made everything that much more "real." My next appointment is Tuesday and I can't wait. Overall, I've been feeling great other than the fact I'm exhausted 24/7. No morning sickness though, woohoo!

our future children

I found this hilarious site where you can upload photos of you and your significant other, or match yourself with a celebrity. Here are our future kids...

stressssssssed

We've got a lot going on right now and I've made that worse by adding the stress of looking for a new house. When we bought our condo, the plan was to live there for a year or two and then buy a house. Well, almost four years later...we're still there! Ben and I plan to start a family SOON and there just isn't enough room. Like, the thought of trying to cram a crib, highchair, etc. into that little "crackerbox" of a condo makes me want to pull my hair out in clumps! Problem is that the market SUCKS right now. Sure, it'd be perfect if we were renting and just wanted to buy, but unfortunately that's not the case. So, we either stay there and play with my sanity or we take a loss (provided we can even find someone to buy the place) and buy a house. Of course, to add to the stress, we found the "perfect" house at an amazing price! Ugh. So now I have a million thoughts swirling around my head daily – "Will we be able to sell?", "How much of a loss will we have to take?", "How quickly will it go?", "Will our perfect house wait around that long?"...

The realtor is coming over this week to assess the condo and I guess we go from there. Please pray that our condo sells quickly and for a good price, and most importantly that our dream house waits for us!

25 things

I stole this from Facebook, but I think they're fun to read...

1. I want a baby more than anything right now and most days that's all I can think about.

2. I would much rather be busy at work than have nothing to do.

3. I LOVE Red Lobster and Ben laughs at how engrossed I get in their commercials. :)

4. I truly believe I have an eating disorder – I think about food more than anyone should and sometimes I eat just to eat. I never "forget" to eat like some people claim to do.

5. I hate winter and often wonder why I live in Wisconsin. I would love to move somewhere warmer.

6. I believe that everything happens for a reason even though sometimes the reason is not clear.

7. I may not make as much money as I'd like, but I love my job.

8. I am extremely impatient and what little patience I have is tested daily.

9. I love shopping and don't get to do it nearly enough.

10. I am extremely competitive.

11. I am easily frustrated, but I rarely give up.

12. I own a bow and my husband and I are in an archery league together – two things I would have never imagined myself saying. I also just started hunting this year.

13. I am annoyed by bad spelling and grammar, although I'm sure I'm guilty of it from time to time.

14. I once made it to a regional spelling bee. I got knocked out on the word "guidance". I will never misspell that word again.

15. I am a perfectionist, but I'm messy.

16. My husband and I eat pizza at least twice a week. We also keep Buffalo Wild Wings and Barker's in business.

17. I grew up with cats, but now I couldn't imagine myself without a dog. My dogs are my babies.

18. I tell my beagle to "Shut the f*** up" at the top of my lungs at least once a day. I'm sure my neighbors love me...

19. I don't mind the washing and drying part of doing laundry, but I hate the folding and putting away part.

20. I'm a Mac girl and will probably never own a PC again.

21. I really want a Jeep Wrangler.

22. I hate Wal-Mart but I could spend hours wandering around Target.

23. I LOVE to cook and bake. My husband says I'm "a feeder."

24. My husband tells me that I'm "not right" at least every other day. :)

25. I make a mean tuna salad.

how much??

I have quite a bit of money saved up in my HSA, so I decided that I would look into new glasses. I haven't gotten a new pair in probably 5 years since I avoid wearing them at all costs, but I could use an updated pair and a new style. So, Ben and I went to Pearle Vision last night to check out their selection (I got my last pair there and they cost me close to $300)...well, apparently the price of glasses has skyrocketed since my last purchase. Pretty much all the frames I looked at were $200-300 – just for the frames!!! Then you add another $150-200 for lenses. Ridiculous! They do have a buy one, get one free special but what would a person like me do with that? I have the night and day contacts so I even sleep in them. The only time I wear glasses is if my eyes hurt. I guess we'll see if it's really worth it to me...

where do I start?

Wow! It's been awhile! Let me try to recap the last 5 weeks (or at least the Holidays)...

We celebrated Christmas with Ben's mom on Christmas Eve Eve (Dec. 23) with a nice lasagna meal. Then, Christmas Eve we went to Mel's Midtowner for their annual Liquor Raffle. Since Ben and I had nothing better to do, we stayed out drinking well past the end of the raffle. Maybe it'll be our new tradition? :)

Christmas Day, we packed up the car and the dogs and headed to Oshkosh. After visiting with my dad's side of the family in my Grandma's room at the nursing home, we celebrated with my mom, her boyfriend and my sister. That Sunday we went to Green Bay for the last Packer game of the year. It was freezing but an AWESOME experience! Our seats were amazing and we're already planning a trip with friends for next year.

New Year's Eve we went to dinner with some family/friends at Acapulco's (a Mexican restaurant), then to the annual Jensen party and finally downtown. It was a good time.

I don't really have much else new to report. I had my one-year review at work last week. Good news is that they're keeping me on! Bad news is that there won't be any raises this year (not really surprised).