Birth Story Part Uno (That means one)...

Well, I'm guessing you could tell from the 4 week blogging hiatus that we had our baby.  Judah Gordon Stewardson was born at 7:00pm November 2, 2010.  Despite all the friends that tried to encourage me that they always over estimate weight in the ultra-sounds, he actually exceeded our expectations at a whopping 12lbs 1oz.  Yes, he is an over-achiever. I'm just now finally getting on to the computer, babies keep you busy apparently.  And we love it.  We're really enjoying him, he's such a sweet baby.  It's amazing how fast the little squirt is growing though... Anyway, I will share the birth story with you, but I'm going to do it in parts because we have three activities in our house right now: Sleeping, Feeding, and Entertaining a cute baby.  If I blog, I have to cut into one of these activities.  Who needs sleep right?

Monday (November 1) night we went out on a date to Bravo's in West Des Moines.  We had eggplant pasta, because that's supposed to induce labor then went for a walk.  *Disclaimer:  I have no idea if the eggplant induced labor, I just thought it was an interesting coincidence... Please don't hold me responsible for mass eggplant gluttony.* I was having kind of mild contractions, but nothing to write home about.  We went to bed as usual, not knowing this would be our last night as a family of 2.5.  I just ruined the plot, sorry...  Just pretend you don't know what happens.  Around 3:00 in the morning I woke up with cramps in my back and a little bit in my stomach.  I was a little too uncomfortable to sleep, so I woke Joshua up and we decided to watch movies.  We started timing and the cramping was about 7 minutes apart.  They started getting a little more intense, so we got a little more excited.  Maybe this was it...

Around 6:00am I got to the point of not being able to watch anything because I need to focus during contractions.  They weren't excruciatingly painful, but they were uncomfortable enough I couldn't laugh through them.  They were about 4 minutes apart at this time. I was getting excited thinking this would go quick (oh naivety...) since they were coming so close together quickly.  We called both of our parents because we were pretty sure this was labor.  They were just a tiny bit excited for us.  By 9:00am the contractions were about 2.5 minutes apart, so we decided to head to the hospital, but not before we had a quick photo op:

Wow, looking back I guess I was HUGE a little big...

 Right before going to the hospital.

And as a teaser here's the end product: :) 

Isn't he adorable?  I could look at him forever...

By the way, to answer questions.  Yes, we're using cloth diapers.  I will write another post in detail, but it's going well.  You definitely have to change them more often than disposable diapers, but they actually are a lot better on Judah's bottom.  Oh, and they make him look like he has a huge bottom, it makes me laugh. :)

Baby Room

So, I'm trying to finish up little mister's room.  I don't know if that will ever happen, knowing me, but I'm working on it.  Here is a sneak peak of one of the nursery-decor-items (if you say it like that, it sounds fancy, I take what I can get...) I made:

It matches the baby quilt that we got from pottery barn. It was super easy and fun to do, bonus!

It kind of feels like it's missing  something, so I'm waiting to do my modge-podge magic on it until I figure out what that is.  Any ideas you crafty people out there?  I was thinking like a cute saying or Bible verse would be fun.

Today is the due date that the doctors gave me and Wednesday is the due date that I tell everyone because that is what the ultrasound came up with.  I don't know why, but it bugs me that they don't fix their date unless it's over 5 days off.  Wrong is wrong, right?  I may be a bit...  well, we'll call it: detail oriented.  Anyway, it's crazy that we're here, at the due date.  It's getting so close until we can meet this little man, I'm SO excited to hold him.  Seriously.  I may never let him go.  That would be awkward special at his high school graduation...  

We still don't know his name.  It's between two, so I'm just going with his hair color.  Don't ask what I'll do if he doesn't have hair.  That would throw off my system, we can't be having that.  I'd just have to wait until he gets it...  Hopefully he's not a late bloomer.  I don't think my mom would talk to me anymore if I held off telling her the name any longer, and that would be unfortunate, I kind of like her.

I'm now going to force myself to happily do something productive.  Meh.  Hopefully soon I'll be able write to introduce you to the newest Stewardson man.  I've started freaking out less about when he comes, God has it.  He always has provided and He can see the big picture.  I'm trusting in that and in his timing.  Plus, as long as he's 11 pounds right now, might as well hold out for a record or something, right?  Right... 

Happy Monday!

Happy National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day!!!

Did you even know there was a National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day?  I didn't.  I now feel complete, someone created a holiday just for me.  *sigh*  Why don't we get the day off, we OBVIOUSLY have a lot we should be doing on an important day like today, like eating pumpkin cheesecake.  Lawmakers, I tell you...

Anyway...  How cool would it be if I had our baby today?  I could always make him pumpkin cheesecake for his birthday, I'm sure I'd he'd love it!  Although, it would probably become an even better holiday than thanksgiving, that might be packing too much punch into fall.  Poor Christmas would feel over-shadowed...

Can anyone tell I may be super tired to the point of rambling today?  Yeah, sorry about that...  I feel like I got hit by a truck today, and I thought I slept well last night (and this morning...).

To redeem myself, I'll leave you with this funny picture of what happens to my smiling husband when I forget that my iPhone has a crazy bright flash, teehee:

Oops, poor guy...  

I think I'll go try and walk some more to see how much this baby wants pumpkin cheesecake...  Yup, I'm resorting to bribery...

Kendall

Keep on Truckin'

Yes, I'm still pregnant.  No, I'm not in labor or even close.  No, I'm not a mind reader, that's just been the question of choice this week.  Thought I'd alleviate your curiosity up front. :)

It's weird, for some reason I didn't think I would make it to my due date.  Now, it's looking very possible that we will.  (Don't ask how I get these notions into my head...)  So, I've had to do some thought readjusting.  I guess I was just hoping to go earlier, because it seemed like it would make it less risky for little mister.  But, God knows what timing is best, and he has a good reason for whatever day he chooses to bring our son into the world.  So, I'm trying to focus on just enjoying the last few weeks of being pregnant.  It still blows my mind that our lives will never be the same once I go into labor.

Some great things about being pregnant:

• Random people come up and talk to you.
• It's funny to watch other people touch your tummy and get excited when he moves.
• People are nicer to you when you look like the broad side of a barn. 
• I love feeling the little life inside of me wiggling, it makes me smile.
• I know that in a couple weeks I will lose a ton of weight in a matter of hours, beat that weight watchers! :)
• People accidentally ask me awkward questions, it cracks me up!
• I get to go to the doctor without having to pay a co-pay.
• I can pretend I'm not pregnant when people say things...
• My wonderful husband scoured our bathtub for me so I didn't inhale the chemicals *sigh*
• I waddle.
• I have a great excuse to go to garage sales.
• I get to hang out with just me and Joshua a lot, I like him,

While I do love being pregnant, I'm starting to get to the less comfortable stage of pregnancy. It's nice to have a timeline of maximum 3 weeks.  I'll be excited to get to sleep without waking up every so often to rotisserie myself.  Plus, I really think I've cried more in the last 2 weeks than I have during our entire marriage.  I'm very blessed to have married a very sweet man. :) 

While I'm hanging in my pregnant limbo, I finished another baby craft for the baby room that I'm pretty excited about:

I found white wooden letters at Hobby lobby on sale that I liked.  I glued paper on the front and then mod-podged over it.  Super cute!

I can't turn the picture upright, sorry. I hope you get the idea... 

It's a really easy craft if you're looking for something.  Just a couple bits of advice from experience.  Use a tiny bit of glue and apply evenly with a paint brush.  I used tacky glue.  Then, let the glue dry for a few hours before coating with mod podge, or it will bubble. 

Can't believe only 7 days until due date!  Have a good week!

Kendall

Here comes the son...

Hello friends!

I have had the craziest week. ever.  We had like five million appointments with all sorts of people. I may have been a bit emotional through it all, but we finally have some good news on the whole "midwives broke up with us" saga.  It is really hard not knowing if anyone will be there to deliver your baby, and it's really hard having to get to know a whole new set of people.  Especially when you're this humongous:

I told Joshua that I don't feel like I look THAT big.  His oh-so-sensitive reply?  "You do."

But it's okay, because one morning I woke up and came out to these beauties arranged so cutely in my yellow teapot.  He's so good: 

So, we went to West Des Moines OB-GYN today.  God really prepared the way for us.  We really liked the doctor we saw, Dr. Roose.  She was up on her facts and helpful.  She totally agreed that it makes since to try this naturally.  She also had her exam room accent wall painted orange, my favorite color.  Is that a sign or what?  The only down-side is that we will not probably win the prize for biggest baby delivered there.  Dr. Roose delivered a 15.something pounder vaginally (can I say that on here?  Oh well...).  We considered leaving to go to a different practice to stand a chance for biggest baby, but beggers can't be choosers, right?  In all seriousness, God really has been faithful and provided for us.  So, thank you for your prayers, we appreciate them more than you know!

So, I haven't blogged in a while, so I owe you some pretty good news.  It's only fair.  So, here it is the official, won't be seen on Facebook press release:

She checked me and said that I was dilated to at least a 2, some people would even say a 3.  Say what!  I haven't even been feeling braxton hicks.  Hopefully that will be the way labor goes, right?  I'll just magically dilate to a 10.  Yeah, don't pop my bubble yet, fun killers...  So, that's crazy.  That means that my body is getting ready for him, we're really excited.  I know I could sit this way for a while, but there's still something special about know that I'm getting ready to meet this little person.  It makes it seem real.  Plus, a lot of risks decrease if I go a bit early, won't complain about that!  

In light of that piece of news I'm officially re-opening the baby poll!  I love prizes, so there will be prizes given for those closest, and they will be FANTASTIC.  Or, at least, I'll think so.  And you wouldn't want to cross a pregnant woman.  Okay, Joshua says he wouldn't do it if he didn't know the prize (party pooper :), so it will probably be some kind of restaurant gift card or the like...  So, let me know what you think his weight, length, and time of arrival will be.  

A couple helpful stats:  Joshua was 10lbs8oz and 3 weeks overdue, I was 10lbs2oz and induced at 1.5 weeks overdue.  Baby S measured 9lbs8oz at the 37 week ultrasound and currently (as of today) looks like this:

There you have it folks, all the data.  

Can't wait to see what you think!

Kendall

Jonah Day

Okay friends.  I'm in need of some prayer.  As the due date is approaching, I'm kind of getting nervous.  We had to have a consultation with a doctor yesterday due to big mister's size.  He was not a very encouraging person, and it was just a scary experience for me.  There are risks with having a bigger baby, but there are risks in having any baby.   It kind of felt like he was just rubbing it in.  Ahhh!  Needless to say, I was a little frazzled.

Then today our midwives called to tell us that they can't see us anymore (yes, like a breakup...) due to above mentioned doctor's recommendation.  Who, I might add, has never even seen me.  It's just discouraging and kind of scary, because we really liked the midwives and that's who we've been seeing this whole time.

I know God is in control, and that he has something better for us.  But, I really would love some prayer support for the safety of this baby that God has given us and for the process of labor.

I don't normally use my blog for stuff like this, but just needed some encouragement today.

Thank you, I don't take your prayers lightly,

Kendall

O

For those of you who just read the title of this blog, you have actually just learned something very personal about me.  Yup, you have officially seen a life-size replica of my bladder.  How's that for up close and personal?  We had our midwife appointment, and she confirmed that he was actually pretty low.  I was at first pumped about the droppage, but now I'm gaining some perspective.  Since the "little" mister has decided to nose dive into my bladder, I have jumped from a wonderful 2 trips per night to "powder my nose" to now at least 4 trips per night. Last night it was like 8-10.  Really?  That means both Joshua and I are a pretty wonderfully tired couple.  But, really, I love pregnancy.  I just love it more groggily. :)

This lack of sleep makes things much more exciting, however. I swear if I was on the phone with someone this morning they would have asked, "are you running a marathon?"  And I would lamely have to answer, "No, I'm brushing my hair..."  Yeah, I'm pretty spunky right now.  Watch out world!  My whole belly is tired too.  How can your belly be tired?  I think he moves ALL night, so my tummy is exhausted in the morning.  I definitely think there will be some perks to getting to carry him instead of wearing him.

What other "symptoms" am I having?  Well, I want to take home every cute kid I see.  It's ridiculous.  (Disclaimer: For those of you very literal people, I promise I will restrain myself, you will not have to bail me out of jail, so just appreciate the fact that I just think kids are SO cute and want to see my own sometime soon.)  Sorry for the disclaimer, I find people are more literal when you're pregnant.  For example:  I say, "I can't wait to meet him."  I mean "I'm super excited for when he comes, I'm bursting with excitement."  People hear, "I can NOT wait, I am going to go to the hospital, hook myself up to pitocin, and start to push RIGHT NOW."  They then shake their heads with maternally experienced pity while responding with all kinds of warnings about patience and general baby safety and timing.  So, I'm finding the need to explain myself more. :)

In other news, the baby room is almost done, woohoo!  I will put pictures up when I'm done.  The rest of my house is actually organized also, thank heavens!  Now I just have to re-decorate it and I'm good to go.

Okay, I'm off to go spend a fabulous weekend with my super attractive husband. Yay me! :)

(This is a picture from our trip to Newfoundland.  It was gorgeous there, but not as enjoyable to look at as the red head beside me. :)