Month One... and oohhh what a month it's been

  My sweet angel is 1 month old today!! Wow, the first month has flown by. Granted we have had a few bumps along the way to make it a bit of a blur. Olivia is doing great, she is a very sweet baby and is growing like a weed. At her 2 week check up she weighed 7lbs 14oz!!! Usually babies are just back up to their birth weight at 2 weeks so I guess my baby is an overachiever:) hehe. I haven't weighed her recently but she is definitely growing. I'm guessing she is a typical baby... she sleeps (usually) eats, poops and cries. She loves to take her time with her bottles though.... this child savors her food. It can take up to 45 minutes to feed her and every once in a while she wants more an hour later.. little piggy. I was stressing out about the time it took her to eat because I was just sure something was wrong.... we've tried different bottles and different nipples.... but nothing makes a difference. I decided to get over it and let her enjoy eating... she doesn't spit up at all so maybe it's good she takes her time huh. While I call her a sweet angel... she does have her times when I wonder where she went.... this girl also has a set of lungs which she usually likes to show us in the evenings. My friend Emily saved my life though and let me borrow her Moby Wrap. This piece of cloth is from heaven.... it is just a long cloth that wraps around me and holds her right up against me.... AND my arms are free. As soon as I put her in it she is asleep and I can eat.. do dishes... sleep... whatever I need to do:) Thanks Emily!!!!!! People keep asking me if we have settled into a routine yet? Ummm.... nope... apparently I am not capable of that.... sometimes I can manage to have her in bed by 8pm.... sometimes 11pm... I'm working on it... but as we already know.... Olivia can be a bit stubborn. (not sure where that came from... haha). Here are a few pics of the baby girl!!

she's thinking "would they just figure out what i want!"

Spring dress... she loves the nice weather!!



   Now... for the bumps in the road. The second day Ben went back to work (Olivia was almost 2 weeks old) he was washing a plane after work, fell and dislocated his shoulder!! I was sitting at home waiting patiently for him to come home.... I had been alone all day with the baby... was tired, hurting and ready for some company. Ben calls and says "I need to go to the ER" ummm, what?? Yup... so I was stuck at home and still not allowed to drive. My sister had to come stay with Olivia and Eric had to drive me to the ER to get Ben.  Make a long story short... Ben went to the ortho... had an MRI.... and had to have surgery on his shoulder on St Patrick's Day!!! He is now in this huge sling... and learning to do things one handed. Poor guy needs alot of help!! He should be in the sling for six weeks and then has to go to physical therapy. It is killing him that he cant help me with the baby the way he wants to. But he's trying... here are a few pics of him:)

just got home from surgery

he figured out how to feed the baby... someone else just has to burp her:)



  Needless to say... it's been a little stressful but we have a wonderful family who has been very helpful... thank God!!! Our goal for the second month is for both Ben and I to stay out of the OR:)

Olivia is Finally Here

     Ten days ago my world completely changed....for the better. All I can say is WOW!! What a whirlwind it has been....I am completely blessed by God!! Miss Olivia was stubborn until the bitter end of my pregnancy... she was due on February 17th... and there were no signs of her making an appearance on her own, so we had to evict her:) This landlord was finished and ready to meet her! In a nutshell here is how she made her entrance..... Ben and I went into the hospital at 6pm Sunday February 20th for a cervidil induction. That means I had to get some medicine to get my body ready for labor. Around midnight I started having contractions that were pretty uncomfortable... but for some reason I would not take any pain medicine.... (soooo should have taken some) Therefore, I did not sleep at all Sunday night. At 6am Monday morning they started my pitocin which is a drug to make me contract more.... once the doctor broke my water I felt what REAL pain was (I don't do pain well) so I got my epidural pretty quickly after that!! Here is a picture of Ben and I after my epidural.... I have never seen a smile so big on Ben!!



 Olivia had a room full of anxious family waiting on her.... and she must have known it because she STILL had stage fright. After 12 hours of pitocin and still no sleep I had stopped dilating and I needed to have a c-section. At first I was upset but then got over it quickly because I was so exhausted and ready to meet her. Apparently there were lots of stubborn babies that night because I was third in line for my c-section.... I told Ben it was like waiting on the runway:) Finally at 9:16pm February 21, 2011..... Olivia Grace Hetzler made her appearance!!!!!!

    She weighed in at 7lbs 1oz and was 19 3/4inches long!! My precious angel we have waited so long for was finally here.... I cried when I saw her and Ben was in awe. I was pretty impressed with how well he did in the OR... I thought he would've passed out... but he did great!! The surgery itself was not bad.... I was a little anxious but things went well... cant ask for more than that!! Here is our first family portrait:)

  I need to say a special thank you to everyone who took great care of Olivia and me: Jill, Sarah, Dr Mayo, Jeff and finally Amy who took all the delivery pictures.... thank you guys so much for ALL you did!!! We were in excellent hands the whole time!!!

 We came home on Thursday the 24th and began our adventure as parents without the help of hospital staff.... it has been a learning experience. My patients always say to me "you will have it easy with your kids because you know what to do." UUMMMM... nope.... I'm pretty clueless with what to do with a baby after they go home. Ben and I are learning new stuff everyday... I just want the best for my sweet girl so I have been worrying over everything!! Is she getting enough? Is she sleeping enough? What does that sound mean? It has been an adventure and Olivia has been patient with us:) She seems pretty happy... she is doing wonderful with the exception of some gas pains... but that is NOTHING compared to what it could be. We started giving her some gas drops yesterday and she seems more comfortable.



   Ben has been off with us and has to go back to work tomorrow... he has taken such good care of us!!! He is a wonderful husband and daddy, I could not ask for more!!!!! I am a little nervous about him going back because I am still slow moving and hormonal but my friends assure me this is normal. I think daddy is trying to rest up on his last day off.... he is pretty worn out from taking care of us. (He may kill me for this picture.... but that's what is nice about me doing the blog.... I get to post the pics... hehehehe)



   I thank God each day for my little family.... I am so in love!!! 



 

Counting the Days:)

   So I was rereading my last post and at one point I said I was fine going to my due date but let's see how I feel in a few weeks. Well.... I'm 38 weeks and I'm ready:) Olivia, however, is nice and cozy and I don't think she has any intention of coming out to all the wintry weather we have been getting!! As Aunt Chris put it yesterday... why should she... she's warm, well fed and gets to play all day.... and it's too cold out here. I am still feeling fine... just ready to meet her. Although I have been feeling fine... I have been VERY emotional this week.... pretty sure I have cried every day so far this week... but that's hormones for ya I guess. I went today and got a pedicure so my feet will be nice and pretty when I do deliver... because that is really important huh. It was so nice to sit there and get a short leg massage... I fell asleep for a few minutes. I now have some pretty pink tootsies.

  I'm also soooo ready for spring!! I am sooo very thankful we don't live in a city that gets tons of snow most of the year. I think the snow is pretty, however, I don't like driving in it and I prefer the warmer weather.... this past Saturday it actually got up to 72 degrees!! I took advantage of the warm weather and read a book on the patio (got some tan lines too) and took Jax and Lilly to the dog park. They got some MUCH needed exercise and fresh air. However, my friend Emily's mom thought Lilly looked a little tired so she insisted we put Lilly in Graham's (my friend's child) stroller. I think we may have to exchange our stroller for a double stroller now because Lilly actually stayed in it and let us push her!! Rotten dog.

Lilly Living in Style



Jax lives to get dirty:) He enjoyed the fresh air!





 So that's pretty much it for this week.... hopefully the next post will be pictures of Olivia!! All in due time though... God is trying to teach me patience:)

Four Weeks to Go!!

    I can not believe I am 36 weeks.... time is flying by!! In four weeks (or less) Olivia will be here. The way my luck runs though I will go all the way to my due date.... as long as she's healthy I am ok with waiting for her. Lets just see if I feel that way in another few weeks though:) I think the dogs have finally figured out that something different is happening... they have both been sniffing my belly lately,  Lilly just stares at me, and both are very curious about everything we put in the nursery. Speaking of the nursery... we are all set!! Thanks to the awesome people I work with we now have everything (at least that I know of) and I received all the "big" items: carseat, swing and highchair.... along with alot of cute monogrammed outfits. Ben and I put the carseat bases in our cars today... the highchair is together ( a little early for that I know, but Ben was excited), the bassinet is ready and waiting and Olivia's clothes are packed for the hospital... although mine are not. There are several of us at work and at church that are all due within a month of each other: 2 of them had their babies this week.... and I keep thinking, "wow, it is really time and it's really going to happen!" I'm just waiting for my turn in a few more weeks!

                         My Swing!!!

Shower guests:)



Kristy 21 weeks, Emily 38 weeks, Mary 34 weeks and Me 35 weeks!

Work Pregos



P.S.  Ben is putting the swing together now! Can't wait to see it:)



Happy New Year!! It's 2011.... Olivia will be here soon!

    Happy New Year everyone.... yes 6 days into it.... I can still say it right? I cant believe how fast the holidays went by and here we are back to "normal." Ben and I had a great Christmas and a very low key New Year. Ben and I got spoiled at Christmas and we celebrated New Years by having Sonic on the couch and were in bed by 10pm... big partiers huh.

Jax always loves presents too

   As of today I am now 34 weeks along.... 6 weeks or less to go! I cant believe it, time is flying by. I am starting to freak out a little bit.... the kids in my house always go home after a day or so.... Olivia is going to stay... there's no sending her home with my sister like I do with my nieces and nephew:) Don't get me wrong... I'm very excited... I think I'm still getting used to the fact that I'm actually having a baby..hehe. We have the nursery ready and waiting, just need to do some organization after my baby shower next weekend! Olivia spends her days doing flips, sticking her butt in my ribs and dancing on my bladder.... but I have loved every bit of it so far. I can sit all day and watch my belly move. I have been feeling pretty good... although work is wearing me down....I crash at the end of those 12 hour days!

So for now... I am going to keep trekking on and waiting for February!!

Finishing Touches



34 weeks Pregnant!!

This One's for you Whitney:) hehe

    So I was told by a friend of mine at work that Im not very good at keeping my blog up to date so here we go:) I am 30 weeks today!!! I cant believe in 10 weeks or less Olivia will be here.... sometimes I still cant believe I am pregnant... even though she is doing somersaults all day long. Very sureal. I had my glucola test a few weeks ago... which tests for gestational diabetes.... my sugar was a little too high so I had to take another test a week later. The first test wasnt so bad... drink a sugar drink and get a blood sugar. Then the office called and said I need to do a three hour test. Here is the only good part... I got to carb load for 3 days before the test!! I loved that:) Then I had to drink another sugar drink and have my blood sugar checked every hour a few hours. That drink made me feel so bad.... I just wanted to lay down on the floor of the waiting room... and puke. However.... I maintained my composure and stayed in my chair..... and thankfully after 2 hours my sugar was ok... and I am not gestational diabetic! Thank God because I have been craving chocolate sooo much and Im so glad I CAN eat it... it really is the little things that make me happy. So ANYWAYS.... we have been working on Olivia's room... her furniture is up and in it's place... and I love it. I was really worried since I bought it online without seeing it... but it looks great. I also had my first baby shower and recieved alot of goodies for Olivia; she is racking up! A good friend of mine, April, came in from Knoxville and surprised me.... and of course my emotional self cried when I saw her... however... not as much as she did when I told her I was pregnant. (she had tears of joy among other things) I hope she reads this and giggles... she will know why. Other than that Ben and I have been getting ready for Christmas and waiting patiently for February!! I actually have all my shopping done.... and I usually dont even start until now so I am way ahead of the game!! I think that is about all the blabbing I have for now... off to bed for me!

                         The crib and bedding

Baby Shower 29 weeks

Ben and I at Collierville Sqauare

30 weeks

We had Ben's mom take several pics of us for our Christmas card... this is just one of several:)

  So the plan for the next few weeks is to relax and enjoy the holidays..... although I work Christmas Eve and Ben works Christmas Day.... but atleast we have jobs... I am very thankful for that!! Merry Christmas ya'll!!!

Moving Right Along

  Well.... the last month has flown by... along with my pregnancy, which is a good thing!! So far Im still feeling great.... I dont have a ton of energy... but I never did before either:) I love my naps! We cleaned out the "junk room" and Ben and his mom painted the nursery. They got it done in about and hour and a half!! I was sooo surprised at how quickly they finished.... now that I know they can paint that fast I will never paint again. If I had done the painting... I would still be going:) Next on the list is getting the carpets cleaned which is being done right now... then Ben must figure out how to put baby furniture together.... that should be interesting. Olivia is busy doing flips all day which I think is the absolute coolest feeling in the world!! I saw my belly move for the first time this week too.... now I sit and stare at it. Also, Ben got to feel her move for the first time the other night..... he was thrilled!! He jumped away at first and then kept his hand on my belly so he could feel her do her gymnastics:) We registered a few weeks ago too... very overwhelming.... there is just soooo much stuff!! I kept thinking... we are never going to get all this stuff... but I have come to realize most of the stuff is out of convenience and 100 years ago.. things like bouncy seats and swings and play mats and gyms and diaper genies didnt exist... and people actually survived... somehow. God will give us what we need... so Im trying not to worry. So, coming up in the next weeks: I have my glucola test (hope Im not a gestational diabetic because I value my daily dose of chocolate)... my first shower that my mom, sis and mother in law are giving me.... and more work on the nursery!! Very exciting... here are a few pics of some progress we've made!
                                                                     
                                                                        Halloween!!

                                          Charlie Brown and the great pumpkin patch

                                   Jax helped me clean out Olivia's closet:)

        The bedding and a beautiful picture my friend Bethany painted to match!!

                           26 weeks 3 days pregnant in Olivia's painted room