Quinn's first week.

It's been a whirlwind of a first week! Beau last day home was monday, since Quinn had an early doctors appointment. We had to take her in to see if she gained any weight. And she had, a whole 2 oz. :) Our tiny little thing! Luckily she hasnt lost her cheeks though! I would cry if she did! They are so squishy and perfect!

The rest of this week my sweet mom has come over to wrangle Blake for me! I am SOO thankful for her! I never realized how hard it is to care for a 2 year old when you can't lift them! So she pretty much saved my butt!

 A few things about Quinn at 1 week.

She weighs 6 lbs 14 oz. and is still 19.5 in.

She eats every 3 hours usually, sometimes she snacks during the day, and at night she will usually go 4-5 hours.

She sleeps pretty great at night. Like I said, if I dont wake her up, she will sleep 4-5 hours at a time. The past few nights it takes her a little while to go back to sleep though.

She loves to be swaddled really tight.

She loves her binky, but only the hospital one.

She can switch back and forth from bottle to nursing without a problem.

She likes her head elevated to sleep.

She poops a lot. like 10-12 times a day.

She doesnt mind getting dressed.

She hates her carseat.

She is super strong, and if you lay her on her chest she just wants to hold her head up.

She is really alert and stays awake for long periods of time.

 

 

looking back.

I never finished the last post of my pregnancy, so I wanted to get a few things down so I don't forget.

this picture was the day before she was born. Funny how much your life can change in 24 hours.

About this pregnancy:

-My morning sickness lasted from 6-15 weeks.

-My biggest cravings were peanut butter, french toast, waffles, mexican food, sweets, burgers, eggs (sunny side up) cuties oranges, chocolate milk, and probably more, I just cant remember.

- I gained 30 lbs.

- I didn't throw up once. Although some days I felt like it.

- I was so tired. I wanted to go to bed at 8:00 every night.

- I carried her higher than Blake. I could fit into my regular jeans clear up to 34 weeks and I was back in them a week after she was born. I also didn't get as big. Thankfully. :)

- I was very emotional. I cried a lot.

- I nested like a crazy person. washing windows, organizing closets, scrubbing blinds, you name it.

- My wedding ring stopped fitting around 35ish weeks.

- No new stretch marks, but I have yet to get rid of the ones from Blake.

- I had insane heartburn every single day.

 

I can honestly still say that I love being pregnant, and I will always be jealous of girls who are! the jury is still out on weather we will have another, after my csection experience I'm a little scared, but never say never. ;) Every once in awhile, out of habit, I will put my hand where my big belly was and remember that there's nothing in there anymore, it makes me a tiny bit sad, but holding her totally makes up for it! I am constantly grateful for the opportunity I have to carry these sweet spirits and be their mom.

Quinn Olivia Stratton.

Our sweet Miss Quinn.

It is absolutely amazing how fast your heart can fill up in places you never even knew it was empty.

I am so in love with this amazing little lady, she has completed our family (for now) and I couldn't imagine life without her already.

Even if getting her here wasn't the most pleasant experience...

 

Tuesday night the hospital called and told us to be there at 5:00 am. Whoa. Early.

So I took a long shower, double checked our bags and went to bed (semi) early (the joys of scheduling your birth!) I ended up hardly sleeping at all. No exaturation. I think I maybe slept an hour and a half total. Mixture of excitement, nerves... you name it.

Anyways for 3:30 rolls around and I decide just to get up and get ready, Beau followed not long after and we left at 4:25 when sandy got to the house to watch Blake.

The drive took forever by the way... not as long as if I would of been screaming with contractions, but it felt like 2 hours before we got to the hospital.

Once we got there we called to have them let us in (again... it was early.) and went upstairs.

We got put into a room and they hooked me up to an IV (not my favorite) and had me sign a crapload of paperwork (which, can I say, is not easy when you are laying in a hospital bed with a fresh IV in your arm)  Dr. Evans, the anesthesiologist, came in and talked to me about my spinal block and my morphine allergy, then Dr. Ott came in to see if I was ready, and we were set! My mom got there just before I went into surgery, around 6:30 and I was in the operating room at 7:00 sharp!

I wasnt quite sure what to expect, since Blake's c-section was such a whirlwind. But they had me sit up for my spinal just the same as I did for an epidural... the only difference was Beau couldn't be in the room until the curtain was up, so I had to hold onto the nurse while I got it, which sucked. They told me spinals hurt less because the tube is smaller.. they lied. It hurt like crazy. Little did I know, that was a cake walk compared to what I was in for.

They got me layed down on the bed and she stared to sterilize me, and I told the doctor that I could still feel the left side of my stomach above my belly button, but when I told him, I reached town and touched that area... which is a no-no. so they had to do it all over again. I was still worried about the left side, but figured they knew what they were doing.

Finally Beau got to come into the room and they started to cut! I could feel pressure at first, and then I started to feel burning up in my stomach, so I told (more like whined) the doctor and he gave me a little more pain medication. I remember the pain getting a lot worse, although I couldn't tell you much more, I just kept saying "OW!! OW!! OW!!" Over and over and trying not to cry. I heard them say that her head was out, and then after what seemed like 5 minutes they pulled the rest of her out. And I heard the most beautiful sound in the world! She had the sweetest little cry!
Oh gosh... I instantly fell in love.
I just remember closing my eyes and letting the tears leak out, I was so happy.

They brought her over and let me see her for a few seconds before they took her over to clean her. I felt a lot more pain and there were a lot more (a lot LOUDER) "OW OW OW!!!!"s before they brought her back. I do remember them saying she weighted 7lbs 5 oz and thinking that was so small! I got to hold her for as long as I want, she was so perfect, I couldn't get over her tiny features. Finally I let Beau take her back and I was left to endure seriously the worst pain I'd ever felt in my life. It was a cross between a forest fire below my ribs and a knife stabbing me over and over. Honestly I probably sounded like the biggest baby, but all I could say (or yell) was "OOWW!!" the doctor gave me more meds, but it didn't touch it, so I dealt with it until they closed me up. After that they took me back to labor and delivery into the same room I was in, where Beau had the baby, and my mom was waiting. the pain was still pretty bad, and I had to have Beau come hold my hand a few times, the doctor even asked me if I took narcotics at home because he had given me twice what's normal for a csection and it wasn't helping. Finally, whatever he gave me started to work, and I could pay attention to what was going on, although I could hardly keep my eyes open I was so exhausted. The nurse gave her a bath and checked all her stats, and about that time Sandy brought Blake in and he got to meet her! after an hour or so we were taken down to the room and they let us get settled in. they wanted me up and walking at 4:00, and I had that down by 2:00, they wanted to 'unhook me' from all that lovely hospital stuff that night, and I got that out way early too. I had pretty much passed all the csection requirements by that afternoon! So needless to say, my recovery went amazing compared to the surgery!

The first night was rough. We sent Quinn to the nursery around 11:00 so we could get some rest, and she got quite the reputation! ;) All the nurses said she just wanted to be held! She would only cry if someone put her down. Diva status. That's my girl ;) At 2 the nurse brought her in to feed and I had her stay to help me get her to latch on, and she ended up just screaming for an hour while I tried to feed her. Finally I told the nurse I was okay with her getting a bottle, but only once. We figured that she must of been REALLY gassy because I had eaten a whole ton of broccoli with lunch, which is a pretty common no-no food while breastfeeding.
Beau spent the second night at home with Blake, I wasn't too fond of the idea at first, but it ended up working out really well, and we both got a great night's sleep! All I have to say is thank goodness for Facetime!! Quinn was amazing at nursing and slept so good inbetween! Totally opposite of the night before!

 Friday morning Dr. Ott came in very first thing and removed my bandages. I was a tad surprised when he said there were no staples to remove! Only inner stitches that will dissolve. He kept apologizing for hurting me, and I kept saying 'Nope, I'm totally fine..." and he said "One thing I've learned about you, is that you have an amazingly high tolerance for pain!" I had to laugh, because normally I am a wimp! After that Dr. Graff came and discharged Quinn and we were off!

 

Quinn has been the perfect baby! I could not have asked for an easier little one in my wildest dreams! She eats like a dream, sleeps amazingly well, and when she is awake, she is SO calm and alert! She is so beautiful, she has the tiniest features and is so squishy and soft! She ended up losing a lot of weight (she was down to 6 lbs 12 oz when we left the hospital) so a few of her rolls are gone, but she kept those chubby cheeks, and they are so perfect for kissing!
I had a little mini-shoot with her the other day while Blake was playing with his cousins at Grandma's. She was totally awake the entire time, so the only way I could get her to keep her hands out of her face was to swaddle her, which pretty much limits my creativity with posing, but I'm just glad I got them done!

Beau has been fantastic! I can't even describe how wonderful he has been, helping with whatever I need, taking care of Blake, and holding the little miss every single chance he gets. He is absolutely smitten, you can see it in his eyes. I get a little emotional watching him hold her, just like I did with Blake. There is something so indescribable about watching your husband hold the sweet baby that you brought into the world. I grow to love and appreciate him more and more each day.

Blake loves her too! He will only hold her once in a while, but he LOVES to kiss her and touch her head! He is so so gentle with her and worried when she cries. He loves to say "Beebee, whe aw yewww?" (Baby, where are you") He is adjusting really well! Every so often he wants our attention, but I cant blame him! He is such an awesome big brother!

 A few Frequently asked questions answered...
-Yes. I LOVE dressing her up! I love picking out her outfits in the mornings!
-I olny change her bow once a day. I made like a hundred, and literally 3 fit her tiny head! so I've had to make a new one every day.
-She looks more like me from what we can tell. She definitely got my nose (so did Blake) and my cheeks.
-She sleeps fantasitc! I literally have to wake her up to get her to eat! If I didnt I think she could go at least 6-7 hours.
-I am nursing. I can't say that it's easy, althought I really do love our alone time! I told myself I'd make it to 2 weeks and then see how I feel. I'm afraid it will start become impossible, but for now it's going very very well! I'm trying to pump once a day, and I can usually get 3 feedings worth in an hour.
A few more pictures just for luck ;)

 I have a ton more pictures, but it's taken me 3 days to write this post, so I just need to get it up!

 



Great start to the day and 37 weeks.

I woke up early today. well, early for me. 7:00 rolled around and I seemed to think it was a good idea to get up. I can't complain too much because Blake usually sleeps until 9:00 (yeah, I know) so I had 2 hours to myself to kill. I went through my morning routine... Check my phone, eat cereal, call Beau. When I was talking to Beau, he asked if I'd heard Blake wake up at 6:00ish? I said no, but I am pretty dead to the world at that time, so I didnt even give it a second thought. 8:30 rolled around and I heard Blake cry. So I went to get him, and immediately I knew something was wrong.
Poor kid had tossed his cookies all over the bed, what seemed like a few hours prior.
 It was not pretty.
And he was not happy.
 After I got him in the bath and called Beau I stripped his bed and got it all in the washer. Which brings us to now. He's still in the bath, and I am debating on how our day will go. currently, I have an ultrasound scheduled for 2:30, and Sandy offered to watch him (because he flips when I have to sit on the table).. he is acting normal and happy, I have yet to check his temp because he's in a warm bath, but from what I can tell, he feels fine? But if he is really sick, I'd hate to drag him to St. George.
Being a mom is hard.
I hate decisions like this, and I hate that he cant tell me how he is feeling.
Heaven help me when I have 2 kids.

Pregnancy update. To be honest, I'm a little tired of answering questions about it. "when are you due?" "how are you feeling?" "are you ready!?" "who do you think she will look like?" I know people mean well, but answering the same questions over and over gets old. Like I said, I have an ultrasound/check-up today to make my final decision on a c-section vs. a VBAC. Last week Dr. Chalmers swayed me a little toward the VBAC, but once we find out how big she is, we can make a more educated decision. As of now, I still feel better about a c-section, but we'll see. My surgery date is the 20th. And to be honest, I think if I dont go into natural labor before that, no matter what I decide today, I'll still have her that day.
^^^^That was all from yesterday... onto today.
Blake ended up with a fever of 102 last night. No fun. But after some Advil and some daddy time, he perked right up and seems to be doing a lot better today!

My doctor's appointment went really well! I had an ultrasound, which sadly Beau had to miss :( But my Mom came, so it was fun! She has lots of hair from what we could see! And super chubby cheeks!! Right now she weighs 6lbs 15 oz. So I'm guessing she will be slightly above 8 lbs when she is born. We'll see if I'm close!

The picture is an extreme close up of her face, the right side to be exact. the white curve in the center is her cheek!

They called and scheduled my c-section for the 20th, which is super exciting! We decided to plan on a c-section, and if I spontaneously go into labor before that, we will see if I try for a VBAC. Dr. Ott did say that the shape of my spine will make it harder to have a natural labor, and that the baby is most likely going to just bounce off of the bottom. Not the news I wanted, but he said that doesnt make it impossible.I got checked (so fun-- but fyi I'm at a 2) and then he stripped my membranes and sent me on my way.
Beau gave me a blessing last night. I just have to say how extremely grateful I am to have a husband who use worthy to hold and use the preisthood in our home. He blessed me with emotional and physical patience in these last 2 weeks, and with the ability to read the signs my body gives and with the strength to ask for help and advice. It was exactly what I needed, and although I still dont know how things will end up, I have a very peaceful feeling about everything.
A few things to remember about being 37 weeks:
-I sleep like crap. Most nights I'm up 1-3 hours just because I cant turn off my brain.
-I have massive heatburn.
-I crave peanut butter like nobodies business. My favorites are nutter bars, apples and pb, and straight from the jar on a spoon.
-I also crave Mexican food (Paula's), beef, and chocolate milk.
-On the positive side, as uncomfortable as I am, I dont feel TOO big or stretched. Although I am in full 'waddle' mode, and I cant bend over to pick something up to save my life.
-I am very emotional. I dont cry or anything, I just get really sentimental about our time with just the 3 of us. And I miss Beau like crazy when he is at work. I spend a lot of time trying to make Blake cuddle with me (which never works)
-I've gained about 25 lbs. Not bad. With Blake I think I gained over 30.
I feel safe enough to say that we are officially baby ready! Clothes- check (double, no wait, triple check)... her closet is insane. Last week I had Beau install another closet rod and I got all the clothes hung up, and it ripped it out of the wall. Toiletries- check. It's funny how my preferences have changed since having my first... with Blake I wanted the Johnson wash/lotion because I loved the smell. This time I know better and I got Aveeno wash and Cetaphil lotion. Diapers- check (for now) I have boxes of NB and size 1, but I'll probably get a few more this week. Big items- check. Technically we didnt need anything, but I have an amazing sister in law that gave us her swing, ours was fine, but it went through batteries like crazy, this one plugs into the wall and is a lot cuter! We do have to get a rocking chair this weekend. A last minute decision made by me :) Other than that, we have a lot still from Blake, the bumbo, high chair, bathtub, bouncer, things like that.

Iphone pictures...

1. picture we went to dad the other day

2. he was trying to tell me something ;)

3. Valentines dinner at the Pizza Noodle in Zion

4. Date night, pizza and a movie.

5. 36 week belly.

6. Another Doctors appointment.

7. A peek at Blakes bedspread.

8. Valentine's lunch.

9. My Valentines gift

1. One week of milk.

2. Playdough.

3. Sunday Cinnamon rolls.

4. Snow Day.

5. These boys melt my heart.

6. Tantrum.

7. Etsy Order.

8. Feeding the ducks.

9. Proof that my pre-pregnancy jeans still fit!

1. Family date at Krave.

2. Matching baby books.

3. Finally got around to burning all our home videos.

4. Dad's valentine.

5. Giving sister a hug.

6. Loving the sun.

7. Peanut butter.

8. Date night at Paula's.

9. A pile of dirt on my ottoman. Lovely.

 

Blake is getting so big. (broken record alert) He is saying an insane amount of words (for him) and his personality is really coming out! He is obsessed with watching Scrat from Ice Age on our phones. He loves the bath, cars, fish, and being outside.
 A few weeks back we went out and attempted to get a few pictures of him. I was not so successful. They will work for now though. I just knew it would be awhile before I felt up to taking new pictures, so I had to get them done while I could!

And one more...

feeding the ducks.

 

Beau had a great birthday, by the way! (almost 2 months ago!) It was on a friday, so he only had to work for a bit, and then we drove up to Kanab for lunch! I know I know, long drive just for lunch. But it was worth it!

 I guess that's it for now! Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get the ambition to blog again before she comes. But don't count on it.