Steven, Abigail, and I attended Heather and Aaron's wedding this weekend and had a great time. Heather looked beautiful and was just beaming as she walked down the aisle. It was a beautiful wedding and reception. There were many Wheaton classmates, it was fun catching up with several. I'm so happy for you both, Congratulations!
Abigail was also great at this event, its so nice to have a portable baby. She's been everywhere!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Abigail's first date
Steven and I had the privilege of going on a date Friday night, we were celebrating the 5 year anniversary of our very first date! I know not many people celebrate such anniversaries, we haven't missed a year yet. It is a fun way of remembering and honoring our relationship. This year, we took Abigail with us :) We went to see "Hairspray" (the movie) which initially I wasn't excited about. Steven talked me into it (I wanted to see "No Reservations"--a chick flick). Usually I'd be the one wanting to see a musical and Steven would be resistant...as it had good reviews, I agreed to go. It was GREAT, had a very good message about racial issues, and was very entertaining. John Travolta is one of the leads, as a 400 lb woman. He was hysterical!!! I definitely recommend the movie.
Afterwards, we went to Cosi Cafe for some dessert. It was a wonderful date and Abigail behaved. Happy Anniversary, Steven! I love you!
Afterwards, we went to Cosi Cafe for some dessert. It was a wonderful date and Abigail behaved. Happy Anniversary, Steven! I love you!
Abigail 3 weeks
We enjoyed a wonderful classical concert in the park last Wednesday. It was a beautiful night, despite the forecast of rain. The music and the company were wonderful! We enjoyed a picnic dinner of Subway sandwiches and relaxing on the lawn.
Abigail continues to be a really good baby overall. She's had a couple fussy days, which she is allowed :) Her breathing is doing well, still "squeaking" at night. Now that we know why, we have relaxed a little bit and aren't as worried. She's sleeping in 3-4 hour stretches at night, which isn't too bad. She definitely seems to be filling out and has outgrown the "Up to 7 lbs" clothes and is now in 0-3 month clothes. She's been smiling occasionally for the past week which is just so much fun! We love you, little button!!!
Abigail continues to be a really good baby overall. She's had a couple fussy days, which she is allowed :) Her breathing is doing well, still "squeaking" at night. Now that we know why, we have relaxed a little bit and aren't as worried. She's sleeping in 3-4 hour stretches at night, which isn't too bad. She definitely seems to be filling out and has outgrown the "Up to 7 lbs" clothes and is now in 0-3 month clothes. She's been smiling occasionally for the past week which is just so much fun! We love you, little button!!!
Fun with Granpa
This is a tunnel of foliage, also at the zoo. Granpa obliged Benjamin by running through this a few times in a row. Aren't Granpas the best???
Zoo fun
Benjamin loves water in whatever shape or form he can get it. We discovered a "stream" at the zoo this time which was a great find. He got to pick up rocks and splash them in the water, wade in the water, and walk downstream. Yippee!
Gramma and Granpa's visit
Steven's parents left Sunday morning after a one-week visit! It was so wonderful to have them here. Benjamin loved having (more) undivided attention and enjoyed having lots of time with Gramma and Granpa. He was always involved in some sort of project, usually involving water :) We had a lot of fun excursions while they were here: the zoo, Millennium Park for a free concert and playing in the fountains, out to dinner, Ben and Abigail's dedication. It was so much fun. We were so sad to see them leave, and look forward to seeing them when we go out East at the end of the month.THANK YOU for all that you did to help us from cooking, cleaning, playing with Benjamin, helping with house projects, and so much more. We love you!!!! (I'm having trouble posting multiple photos on one entry, so I'll have to post individual ones instead. As always, click on the photos to be directed to our Flickr site for even more photos!).
Monday, July 23, 2007
Princess Abigail
She did look like a princess in her white dress for the dedication. Unfortunately, we didn't get any family photos when we were all dressed up :(
Baby Dedication
We took the opportunity while both of our parents were in town to dedicate our children at church. It was a beautiful service and our pastor, Wayne, prayed for Benjamin and Abigail as part of the dedication. We wanted to make a public statement about our desire for our children to know and love God. It was very special to us and Pastor Wayne spoke some wonderful things to and for our children.
Abigail 2 weeks
Abigail is now almost 3 weeks old. Blogging has been almost non-existent....last week was my first week of going solo (how am I going to do this!?!?) and personal time is definitely dwindling. Napping has been taking priority. Fortunately, Abigail has been a pretty good sleeper! I think I am getting more sleep than I did during the last trimester of my pregnancy.
Abigail has been a delight, a really great baby. She cries at times, mostly when she needs to eat, burp, or sleep. She's eating well, is now up to 7#3oz as of our check-up this morning.
We did have a scare last week in which we went to Children's Memorial ER in the middle of the night. Beginning at about 1 week of life, she began to make a lot of noise while breathing, especially at night. She sounds like she is "squeaking" or wheezing, but is in no respiratory distress. Steven and I listened to her and worried about her, often for most of the night. I took her in to the doctor, who suggested it could be reflux or a structural problem. We tried her on reflux meds which didn't do anything. The ER visit was helpful, as they confirmed that there are no obvious structural problems, which reassured me quite a bit. It is still possible she has something called "Tracheal Malasia" which is basically a floppy or weak trachea. Most cases of this don't need any intervention, just time to grow and mature. We are being proactive about keeping her upright for at least 30 minutes after feeding and sleeping her in her car seat. We're hoping she'll be okay without any further testing or intervention. The good news is she is gaining well and otherwise happy!
We're so glad she's here and love her to pieces!
Abigail has been a delight, a really great baby. She cries at times, mostly when she needs to eat, burp, or sleep. She's eating well, is now up to 7#3oz as of our check-up this morning.
We did have a scare last week in which we went to Children's Memorial ER in the middle of the night. Beginning at about 1 week of life, she began to make a lot of noise while breathing, especially at night. She sounds like she is "squeaking" or wheezing, but is in no respiratory distress. Steven and I listened to her and worried about her, often for most of the night. I took her in to the doctor, who suggested it could be reflux or a structural problem. We tried her on reflux meds which didn't do anything. The ER visit was helpful, as they confirmed that there are no obvious structural problems, which reassured me quite a bit. It is still possible she has something called "Tracheal Malasia" which is basically a floppy or weak trachea. Most cases of this don't need any intervention, just time to grow and mature. We are being proactive about keeping her upright for at least 30 minutes after feeding and sleeping her in her car seat. We're hoping she'll be okay without any further testing or intervention. The good news is she is gaining well and otherwise happy!
We're so glad she's here and love her to pieces!
Nana, our lifesaver!
Nana was here for the first week following Abigail's birth. She was amazing and tireless, helping us with everything from cooking, cleaning, and most of all, playing with Benjamin. She was definitely the Energizer Bunny! Thanks, Nana, for all that you did! It was great to have you here!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
First trip to the Farmer's Market
Saturday was a SCORCHER and we all went to the market, ironically, for doughnuts :)
Big Brother Benjamin
Benjamin held his baby Abigail yesterday for the first time. He definitely loves her, and understandably has had a bit of a hard time adjusting. My mom is here and has been helping out so much. He is so sweet with her, kissing her, wanting to watch her nurse, and watching her. It is an adjustment for all of us...its hard to see him having a hard time. We will find our groove, it just might take awhile. We love you, Ben, so much!!!!
Announcing Abigail Louise
Abigail Louise arrived at 6:35am on Wednesday July 4th, weighing 6lbs, 1 oz, 19 inches long. Thanks be to God!
(for lots more photos, click on this photo to go to our Flickr account).
(for lots more photos, click on this photo to go to our Flickr account).
Birth Story
Last Tuesday (the 3rd of July), I began feeling irregular contractions and cramps. I wondered if it might be true labor, but as I was induced last time (2 weeks late), I didn't believe my body. I was excited that it could be labor, so I did many things to encourage it along. I took a LONG walk with Ben in the morning, another long walk in the pool in the evening, and ate spicy Thai food with friends. Things became more regular around 7 or 8, and by 10pm, I was having mild contractions every 5 minutes. I sent Steven to bed and folded laundry, finished a book I was reading, caught up on some emails. By now, I was pretty convinced this was the real thing...still had some doubts that it might all stop. At 1 am, the contractions were getting more intense. Steven woke up and we started to contact people (my midwife, my doula, a friend to watch Ben). At 3 am, my friend Karen arrived to stay with Ben. It was lightly raining after a strong thunderstorm earlier in the evening. Steven and I took a walk to try to speed things up. Ironically, my contractions spaced out and I became discouraged. I continued to think positively and pray against any negative thoughts which I knew could hold me up. My doula and best friend, Pam, arrived at 3:30am and examined me. I was 4cm and much more effaced than I had been at my appointment the day before. I got in the bathtub to relieve the discomfort and quickly began feeling the contractions become more intense. Around 5am, Pam checked me again and I was almost 5cm. I turned a corner at this point into more intense contractions. We decided to head in to the hospital. Since it was July 4th (and early in the morning), traffic was easy. We arrived at the hospital around 5:30am. In the car, I began to cry with the contractions as they were much stronger. I was worried that when I arrived at the hospital I would feel all the fears and apprehensions from my last labor. I just kept praying and remembering that my body was made to do this, that God is with me always.We checked in and began to get settled in the room. My nurse, Amy, is a nurse that I worked with frequently when I delivered babies. She was great, very accommodating to us. I wanted to use the hydrotherapy tub for pain relief, so we started to fill it up. By now, I was really uncomfortable and nothing was really giving me relief. Shortly after we arrived, I began to feel pelvic pressure and was pretty sure the baby was coming soon. My doula, Pam, was with us and she examined me. I was almost 8cm and the baby was much lower. I began to feel the urge to push. This was the hardest point for me. It was pretty painful and I was afraid that I couldn't do it. I had made a CD of music a month or so ago for my labor, mostly worship music. I kept crying out and asking for God to help me. I felt very shaken and didn't know how to get through this stage. At just the right moment, one of my favorite songs came on, reminding me of just what I needed to hear. God was so real to me in that moment. A few contractions later, the baby was crowning. I felt a little more composed and excited that I had made it to this point!!!! I reached down to feel the baby's head and could feel the bag of water, whichI then popped it with my finger. I pushed for a few contractions and then RELIEF when the baby's head came out. I instinctively reached down and pulled my baby onto my chest...a GIRL! She immediately began crying and so did I! I can't believe how good God is...I feel so thankful for this experience and the gifts of my two beautiful children. I am overcome with gladness.
Ironically, my midwife walked in right after Abigail Louise was born. My friend Pam (and I) delivered her, which was also a great gift. Pam is a long-time friend and was my maid of honor. It was a honor and privilege to have her attend our birth. Thankfully, the doctor that was the back up at the hospital allowed her to do so. If it had been anyone but this doctor, they would not have permitted it. There were so many little details like this that was evidence of God's handiwork. It was my dream labor and birth, very healing for me.
It is remarkable how much better I feel this time than last time. I had an epidural last time due to a long induction and difficult birth. Although this labor was painful, it was only about 1 hour of intense pain and I loved being mobile. It was also very empowering to me, both physically and spiritually. I have bounced back much more quickly afterwards also. To anyone who is considering natural childbirth, I support you! Yes, it is hard, and it is so worth it! I know that it is not for everyone...I believe it is worth the challenge!
Pedicure with Pam
Pam and I pampered ourselves with a pedicure. It was wonderful! Afterwards, we went to my favorite REAL Mexican food joint for some wonderful Avocado/cilantro tacos and spicy salsa! (both activities were an effort to provoke me into labor, neither worked until a week later...)
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