the best things in life aren’t things

Possibly my most dedicated reader and commentor, Megan had a birthday today!  Happy birthday girl!  I have no idea how old you turned….?  Maybe 27?  I met up with her and some other co workers at Ninja for some hibachi.  We had a great time… and I miss them so much….  not enough to rush back to work though

Megan, hope you liked your present…  I can’t wait to tell you the story behind it.  

Well, I guess not technically anymore, because it is a little after midnight. 

So Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

Lance and Desiree came over tonight to play Wii and visit.  

I pretty much did nothing all day and it was awesome.

We are so in love with our beautiful baby.  Even though she is screaming right now.  Hungry Hungry hippo!!

Here is a picture of her and her daddy during some snuggle time.

It gets better everyday!

I know I have let ya’ll down.  My bad.  Somehow sleeping is just more important…   if it makes it any better I write a post in my head everyday of what I would be saying!  No, that really doesn’t make it better….

It’s amazing what you let go once you have a baby.  I can’t find my phone.  And for the people who have called me, that is obvious, I haven’t used it in forever.  I just don’t care.  I am so tired.  I am actually sleeping A LOT during the day, but it seems like I just can’t catch up.  

Let me try to go back over the days as best as I can.

Wednesday we had Macy at 9:06.  The first group of people to come in was our parents and sisters.  We got some great pictures of their reactions.  Next, we had all of the rest of our friends and family back and told them it was a girl.  Here is the video link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2jNlSbq83g

Everyone left except my mom, dad, sarah, chelsie and my aunt julie.  We hung out for a bit, and had to wait a while to move to our room.  I think it was about 1-2 AM before we got in our room.  I didn’t sleep that WHOLE night.  I just sat there an stared at her and attempted to breastfeed.  She was NOT having it.  That girl was so strong, I was literally pinning her down.  Not fun at all….  But she was really good that first night, I just held her and sang to her and let her daddy sleep….  (poor daddy on the rolly couch :/  )

The next morning, Sarah came up and brought us Chick Fil A.  The nurses had contradicting ideas on when my IV could come out.  The night nurse told me I did so good going by myself to the bathroom the first time, I would be fine to go the next two times on my own and to let them know when I went the 3rd time.  The morning nurse said I still had to do two "voids" so there i was, chugging water so I could get that dang IV out.  Out it came, but my hand is still brusied from the several attempts they made.  Showering was awkward, I was a little disoriented so I sat down on the bench the whole time… (talk about strange!)  Sarah went to school and my mom and Mrs. Linda came by.   Gina came by also, and so did Ashley, between her finals   CJ and Lance came by around noon but I was OUT.  I think Glen and Mary came by next, and then my Aunt Laurie, Kailie, Sarah and my mom came by.  Rick and Steph came by in the evening.  That night Greg let me sleep and he stayed up with Macy.  At this point, I started using my "star wars" contraption as Greg called it.  It is really an SNS (supplemental nutrition system- google it!)  Breastfeeding was SO PAINFUL.  I will spare you the nasty details.  But it was nasty.  Macy did not like latching on at all…  plus, the way she sucks is SO WEIRD. 

Friday morning, I was ready to GET HOME.  They had to do a hearing test (she passed) and they had to do the discharge instructions.  They seriously must deal with some dumb people, but I understand why they have to be so through.  My mom helped us get packed up, and off we were, me in the backseat and Greg driving….  driving very carefully I might add.

We got home and I went straight to bed.  Greg’s mom had cleaned up the house a bit and got us some groceries.  I slept until my parents got there with Carrabbas….. yummmmmm.  Dad went back home, but Mom stayed.  She got to witness first hand the nightmare it was to breastfeed Macy.  We just were not jiving.  The rest of the night, I gave up and started pumping and giving it to her in a bottle.  

Saturday… we got up, Greg went to breaskfast with his family and they came over (including Granny and Gene) to see the house and meet Macy.  Granny was sick so she couldn’t hold her, but Glen and Lisha got to hold her for the first time!

That afternoon I took a nap, was still pumping (ACCCKKKKK) and Matt and Lily came over with Trip.  He is 2 months old, and SO BIG compared to Macy! Sarah came over and we all went to Lance and Desiree’s to watch the SEC championship game.  Yes, we took our 4 day old to a party.  She was fantastic!  Sarah spent the night with us and ohmygosh.  It is like Heaven when she is here.  She is so great with Macy and she is a night person anyway….  I was still getting up every few hours to pump, but it was so much easier to get up and be able to laugh with someone.  I guess I should talk about the pain.  The only things that hurt were my hand from the IV (only when I pressed it/knocked it on something) my youknowwhats from pumping, and my stiches when I sat a certain way.  Annoying things include having to fill up the squirt bottle with warm water everytime I had to pee, remembering to take my ibuprofen, remembering to eat and to drink lots of water, and the LEAKING….  I was sleeping with tons of towels….  lots of fun….And I will be honest again…. I was crying.  A lot.  I know it was worrying Greg, because that is not like me.  But pregnancy hormones are no joke,and the pressure- and pin- from breastfeeding was a huge weight on me.  Add on to that, I don’t recognize this strange body in the mirror, and I can’t catch up on sleep.  He was so amazing though.  We were talking the other day about how I can’t imagine doing this with any other person I dated.  I just couldn’t have had children with anyone else.  He is so wonderful at taking care of me, and Macy, and the dogs.  Just everything. 

Sunday we just lazed around until the afternoon and my Uncle Walter, Aunt Bev and Annie came by.  Greg went to a Christmas party and boy, did I miss him.  I was texting him… please come home soon.  I was so emotional that he was GONE.  I missed him so much, and I felt like I needed him desperately, even though Sarah was there. 

Monday morning, we had to get up EARLY, Greg had a 7 AM meeting.  Somehow, we were only about 5 minutes late.  We are really good about getting out of the house on time!

This entire week I have been going to my parents, sleeping, and taking care of Macy when I am awake.  When I am asleep, either Mom, Julie, or Greg is taking care of her.  Two days Gina has come by to love on her for a few hours.  

Tuesday I made the decision to go completely to bottlefeeding.   I would love to have an in depth conversation about it in person, but there are to many details to try to write it all out.  It just wasn’t for Macy, or for me.  However, now I am dealing with engorgement (if you are a guy, DO NOT google that)  I am running a slight fever and I have some pretty bad headaches.  I have also slept a lot today.  Ibuprofen doesn’t help much, but for some reason cabbage leaves do.  I feel like Eve. 

It is almost 9 PM and I am wiped out.  I still don’t feel "caught up" on sleep.  I probably never will….   Sarah is here tonight, so we get to sleep…. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh she is such an angel.

I leave you with a picture of Macy.

If you have any questions about anything, leave them as comments!

So my last blog I had written RIGHT before my contractions started to get crazy…

Greg got home, I was running around the house (as best I could) finishing cleaning, packing, and getting something to eat.  

The contractions were SO HARD to keep track of.  I called the doctor’s office to see if I could have my appointment moved up or if I should just go to the hospital.   They wanted me to come in, because I didn’t sound like I was in real labor.  About 5 minutes into the car ride it started to REALLY hurt.  I was trying to work through my breathing, but it was pretty difficult.  By the time we got to the MOG exit Greg had called the doctors office again to tell them that we were going straight to the hospital.  I am going to be transparent with you- I must have a very low pain tolerance.  I was breathing, but not correctly because I was losing feeling in my hands.  I was also slamming my hand against the window or the car door (when I didn’t have a death grip on it)  I also had a death grip on Greg’s hand.  I haven’t asked him if that hurt yet.  Luckily he wasn’t panicking, I sure was. 

I realized I had to go to the bathroom SO BADLY, so we stopped at my parents house on the way to the hospital to drop off the dogs and for me to pee.  HAHA TMI (Sorry Dad- but I was in SUCH a hurry I walked in on him peeing…. no our bathroom doors don’t have locks)

Anyway….  I went and sat there for a while because I couldn’t get up.  My mom and Aunt Julie came in, gave me a pep talk and we were out the door.  But first… someone had the idea to take a picture.  YAY

And off we went, the short 5 minute drive to the hospital that felt like 5 hours.  Greg pulled up, went to get me a wheelchair and came back and said… there’s not one in the elevator!  (He hasn’t listening when the tour lady said you had to push a button on the wall to call for help.  I sat in the car and waited for about 15 mintues for them to find a wheelchair.  Somehow I must have had a break in pain because I took this picture of this lady and her ugly capri pants and cowboy boots….  eeeeeeeeeew

I digress…. Anyway, I also took a picture of the clock it said 2:25.  Literally, my contractions were never stopping, they would just start.. in 5 seconds be EXTREMELY painful and wear off slowly for about 25 seconds…. 5 seconds of relief and BAM-MAJOR pain.  

They wheeled me in,  I had my eyes closed, I was sooooo uncomfortable.  They took my to L&D room 4.  It was a huge room, and they peeled my clothes off and put me in a gown.  This is where ALL modesty goes out the window I guess.  They were trying to ask me questions but I think I was ignoring them, and ‘trying’ to breathe.  I think the first thing I said was EPIDURAL and they tried to start and IV.  Notice I said tried…..

One vein they went completely through, and about 3 collapsed.  They were going back and forth between both arms, different people trying to find a vein, finally I looked and Greg and said… Get someone who knows how to do this please…  and they did.  But between breathing, Greg answering questions, me saying "epidural, epidural, please now, epidural" instead of hout like I was supposed to it was chaos.  It took about 30 minutes before they got the IV in.  Immediately they must have known I was crazy so the head nurse said give her TWO SHOTS of fentenal.  (I spelled that wrong…. and I need to google it!)  It immediately ‘took the edge off.’  I could feel the contractions, but my eyes weren’t rolling back into my head.   It took a little while to finish all the admittance questions, but I had to get a full bag of fluid before the epidural anyway. 

The midwife- Pam- came in to check me.  I was 3.5- 4 cm dialated.  They said…. "I guess we won’t send you home " (not the time for humor)  This cute little man came in for the epidural (YES!) and started asking the same questions (grrrrrr) but I didn’t mind as much at this point.  I told him I didn’t want to see the needle, he said I wouldn’t.  Literally- it was painless.  I guess that was the fentenal.  I was so relaxed and relieved to get the epidural.  I think this was when we started calling parents and updating them.  Both sets of parents came up about 5:30 and visited for a while.  They went to dinner and Pam came in to check me, I was at 6 cm and when she broke my water I was at 7.  Time to wait a little more…. la di da…. no pain… nothing. This is a picture of me after the epidural

We started calling even more people, friends, grandparents etc.  We were just waiting around now to push.  About 7pm I was 10 but she wanted to let the pressure of the babies head move it down the birth canal instead of me pushing (fine with me!)  About 8:30 I felt the pressure and Pam suited up to catch the baby.  HAHA

Greg is making a movie from the pictures we took during the delivery.  It was awesome.  He had the camera set up behind my head so we were in focus and everything else was blurry in the background.  I pushed about 5 times and at one point her heart rate dropped a bit so they put me on oxygen between pushes.  Each contraction I would push 3 times for 10 seconds.  I kept asking if I was doing it right because I literally couldn’t tell.  Out it came at 9:06 PM.  Pam wanted Greg to tell me what the baby was….  He looked and said… "I don’t know you tell me!"  He didn’t know how swollen babies privates are they are born.   I said…. IT’S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Okay I am crying now looking at this picture, look at how happy Greg is……

 This was my GOOD JOB kiss:

More to come………….

I was having blogging issues over the weekend… I couldn’t get my page to load- so I started a Blogspot account.  It is a little fancier… and I am not quite ready to switch over yet.  But, if you can’t access the blog for a few days, try www.copponex.blogspot.com

We had a fun weekend.  Sarah came over last week to help finish up the porch.  They got a good bit painted, but it is still not completely done.  I am so proud of Greg and his dad, they did a great job.

Chelsie came over Friday night and that was so nice.  It is great to have company come over, so it’s not just Greg and I, waiting for me to go into labor!! haha  Chelsie said "I’m going to laugh you into labor!!"  Well… you can see how that turned out… but she definitely did make me laugh a lot.  You can not be in a bad mood around Sarah and Chelsie.  GAH I just love them to peices.

Saturday we woke up early (SATURDAY HAS A MORNING?!) and Greg made the girls a Waffle House breakfast.  We got ready for the day and made our offerings for the feast… baked Macaroni & Cheese and Corn Cassarole (both recipies doubled!)

Headed over to Mom & Dad’s and visited with the fam.  I ate WAY  WAY to much, I got very uncomfortable…  I went to lay down and everyone followed me!! hahahaha  The baby put on a show for everyone (Christian’s face was priceless when it kicked her)  We left there and went to the Copponex’s for dinner (more food?!)  The whole ride there, I was feeling "funny" about every ten minutes.  When I got to their house, I laid down and whatever it was stopped.  I was still pretty uncomfortable, and kinda out of it.  Went home, took a bath and hit the hay around 10.

Sunday… we didn’t wake up until 12!  Like… 12 noon.  I couldn’t believe it.  I slept so well, it was great.  We cleaned the house, and watched some football.  We were both getting so bored, so we went to Lowe’s and got our tree!  I will post pictures tonight.  It is so beautiful!  Greg is an excellent tree picker.  We also bought a cabinet for the babies room, so now… once he finished painting the other rocking chair the room is done… and there will be more pictures!!! HAHAHAHA

I am having a lot of Braxton hicks contractions.  Greg can’t keep his hands off my belly.  If I had a dime for everytime he said "When is it coming"  "How are you feeling" or "Where are you going" I would be a rich woman.  He is so excited he can hardly stand it.  I am going back and forth, with just getting it over with, and not feeling as big as a house, and with how BAD it will HURT.  And it hurts…  i just have no idea….

waahhhhhhhh

Friday was my shower at work.  I was a little worried the girls would go over board and boy did they ever.  Oh my gosh.  It was the cutest shower.  It was amazing… but my girls are amazing!  Carmeana…. I can’t believe you and Megan stayed so long Thursday night.  Ya’ll are crazy!  I definitely felt love that’s for sure….

I came into work with a note taped to my keyboard that said "RC- Don’t go in the conference room!- Megan"  I did get up to copy something and saw a huge plumeria cut out on the door with a green wreath draped on the door….  I thought…. oooh boy….

At 12 Greg got there and by 12:10 I was given the ok to come in!   I was "lei’d" and got a light up paci necklace… (Greg did too!   )  Everyone in the office had on lei’s!  They had swagged the ceiling with brown fabric and put up more plumeria’s on the walls.  The food tables had grass skirts and fun glasses….  It is so hard to remember and describe all the food, but it was all my "favorites!"  Chicken biscuits from chick-fil-a, pizza, salmon balls w/ rice, a veggie tray, grapes, chocolate chip cookies, carrot cake, cheese and crackers, quiches, buffalo chicken dip, snickers, gum, and a HUGE cake!  I cuoldn’t believe it- it looked like a wedding cake!!!!!!!! Oh- there was also a diaper cake on the table from my fellow "intake" people…   It was ADORABLE! Here is a picture:

The cake was a two tiered yellow cake with white frosting and white chocolate seashells on the sides.  OMG ya’ll, the cake was SO GOOD and SO CUTE!!!!!!

I ate way to much, and got way to many gifts.  My coworkers are so generous… I have to say I wasn’t surprised, because I love everyone I work with, I was just overwhelmed and so honored.  It was so hard not to cry.  I will try to get some pictures from Megan

For my coworkers who read this- YA’LL ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know I said earlier that my strep test was negative.  That was for my throat.  My other strep test, which they take before you have the baby was ALSO negative so I don’t have to have any antibotics in my IV.  YAY!

Small confession:  I was talking to my mom about her Carpel Tunnel surgery.  She is a VERY detail oriented person, who likes to described EVERYTHING in detail.  She was talking about her stiches etc… and I started feeling VERY queasy.  I am REALLY hoping now that I don’t have a C-section, because I have never had stiches before, but the mere thought of SOMEONE ELSE having stiches just makes me feel like I am going to faint.  Hmmm…. This should be interesting. 

Tomorrow is Steph’s shower! YAY!  I am so excited!  I can’t wait to get off work and go help Mary.  I can’t say to much yet, because a lot of it is surprises for Steph- and she is a regular reader!!
haha love ya Steph, but I ain’t given up details!  YET…. tomorrow I promise pictures and details.

Love ya’ll.

The moan monster is back…. Greg moaned all night…(I am assuming)  About 3 I had to get up and go in the other room.  He said he felt better this morning.  Please keep in mind he has been sick for a month.  Now my throat hurts SO BAD!  Luckily, I have no congestion or chest/coughing problems, but my throat is closed up and to quote my mom…"It feels like raw hamburger."  HAHA

I called to make an appointment this morning and she asked if I wanted to know the over-the-counter things I could take or if I wanted to come in for a swab to see if it is strep.  I was definitely coming in, but I wanted to see what her "advice" would be.  Gargle with salt water.  Gee thanks lady.  Seriously?

So I am going at 11:40.  Kaiser is now my second home… haha

If I don’t feel better tomorrow I am NOT coming to work.  Steph’s shower is Saturday and I WILL feel better by then!

You gotta be kidding me….

 Really there is no such thing anymore.  Not lying down, not half lying, not sitting, not standing… nothing. 

It’s not that bad until about 7 and I hit a wall.  Nothing is comfortable, and I am not tired, but I just want to go to sleep to end the day!!

 This is a lot of complaining, I apologize.

Today I went to Elle’s baby lunch and it was so good!  It was nice to visit and see Elizabeth and Elle.  Elizabeth is an amazing mom…. ahhhhh it looks like such a challenge.  A fun challenge.  I rode with Joelle who GRACIOUSLY gave me two playpens and a portable crib (like a bassinet)  I have the best friends

GA won today!  Wahoo!  Man Flordia kicked some tail too, I can’t wait to watch that game next weekend!  It will be on during my shower.  Haha I am sure we will be watching it!! hee hee…..

34 weeks down only 6 to go.  40 days.   960 hours.  57,600 seconds.  hmmmmmmmmmmmmm can you tell this is wearing on me?

This post will be mostly pictures, we had an AWESOME TIME!  These were from my camera, tomorrow I will try to post some my Aunt took!

Before the presents:

 Opening a floor jungle mat:

Probably listening to someone telling us how to bathe a baby:

Checking out the Bumbo:

 Desiree and Lance’s gift.. the "Munchkin" potty seat (appropriate!)

This is the fabric for the nursery, Mary made me some hanging storage:

Cute little duckie PJ’s from Sara Player:

Haha this one cracks me up…. Almost EVERY PICTURE I have a double chin!!  

I was SO EXCITED about the video monitor!!  It’s already up!! hee hee thanks Gigi and Didi!

I have the BEST Sis-in-law.  THANK YOU GENE! It is gorgeous!

Belly Watch 2008 or should I say whale watch?? hahahaha

I have no clue why we were looking a Greg but I love this picture, because Sarah and I give the same looks! HAHA