Introducing Reese!

 

Reese Elizabeth Nelson joined our family at 1:03 am on Friday, October 5. We are absolutely in love with her and I love being a family of four! She was 7 pounds 13 ounces and 19 3/4 inches long. She made her appearance VERY quickly and left me and Nolan in awe of how well a birth experience can go (Jace’s long, drawn out, dramatic story can be read here).

 

 

We had been expecting Reese at any time for a while—at my appointment the week before my doctor had told me she could come “any day now.” Wednesday the 3rd I had my regular check up only to be discouraged by the news that there wasn’t any progress from the week before. I had been having regular contractions and lots of aching and warning signs that labor was coming soon, so to have all that amount to no progress was quite the let down. Because my cervix was so soft, my doctor felt I would be a prime candidate for induction and we schedule it for Friday the 5th at 6 am. It was nice knowing we had a scheduled end. My doctor went ahead and still stripped my membranes (which proved to be ineffective the week before) and we hoped she might come on her own. I had steady, mild contractions for the rest of the day, but sleep that night put a stop to everything.

 

 

Thursday, our due date, brought even fewer contractions and by mid afternoon I figured we’d just have to wait until the next morning to meet our baby girl. My parents headed to Salem for the evening, so Jace, Nolan and I went out to First Burger for dinner to enjoy one last special time as our family of three. On our way there I had a stronger mild contraction, and then another one shortly after we got to the restaurant. When another one came I started timing them (6:30 pm). They were coming about 12 minutes apart. While distinct, it didn’t take anything more than a pause from talking to get me through the contraction.

 

 

We got home around 7:30 and the contractions were starting to get a little stronger but were inconsistently between 9 and 14 minutes apart. I was bracing myself for them to just go away. As they got a little stronger, all it took was laying on my side on the couch and breathing through them while Nolan rubbed my back. Jace had no idea what was going on and thought it was fun to help Daddy rub my back. My parents got to our house around 8, and at that point the only thing different was that the pain was getting stronger. By 9 we were confident this baby was coming at some point, so Nolan hopped in the shower thinking he had about a 9 minute window before the next one hit. Immediately, my contractions jumped to 2-3 minutes apart, and were lasting close to 2 minutes each. My mom and I decided I needed to go to the hospital and not wait for the hour stretch of consistent contractions. She started getting the last items we had left to pull together packed, and once Nolan got out of the shower we were moving quickly to get out of the house (all while trying to get through some very painful contractions in the process). We didn’t get a final “bump shot” since I was in too much pain and worried we might not make it to the hospital.

 

 

We delivered Jace in Corvallis which meant we had a 25 minute drive to the hospital. Delivering in Albany this time was wonderful because we only had a 7 minute drive! I was so thankful to be completely preregistered at the hospital because they were able to get us right up to the maternity floor right away (that is, after one contraction of me on all fours on the floor in the ER waiting room). We were in our room at 10.

 

 

The nurse checked me and I was just at 3 cm, which felt so discouraging! We were worried they might try to send us home and tell us we weren’t really in labor (what happened with Jace), but they reassured as that would not happen. And even if I wasn’t in labor, they would have admitted me since I’d be back in a few hours for the induction. At this point my contractions were one on top of the other with no more than a 30 second break in between. The doctor on call approved my epidural (music to my ears!), and then it was just a matter of waiting for the anesthesiologist to arrive. My epidural was fully working by 11:30 (LOVED it!), and a little after that my nurse checked me since it had been about 2 hours since she last had. I was so happy to hear I was at a 6! (My nurse later admitted that I was closer to a 7, but she didn’t want to get my hopes up.) We were told to settle in, get some rest and it would be a few hours before I might feel some pressure that would indicate Reese was getting ready to come out.

 

 

Less than 15 minutes later I felt a change and some pressure in my back. I debated calling my nurse, thinking it might not be enough pressure to warrant attention. I paged anyways, and when she went to check me she was shocked and said, “Your sack is coming out!” My water hadn’t broken yet, and the water sack was on its way out. My nurse hadn’t seen this happen before, so she called the other Labor and Delivery nurses, and they kicked things into gear saying this baby was on her way! The doctor was called at home to come in (he had been monitoring me from his computer at home) and our room was prepped for the delivery. When my nurse went to check how dilated I was my water broke and Reese’s head was right there. I was told to hold tight and not do anything that might be pushing. We needed to wait for the doctor!

 

 

The doctor got there soon after, checked me and said to go ahead and push as soon as I was ready. Nolan and I were shocked that it was already time. On the next contraction I started pushing, and with just 5 pushes on that contraction Reese was born! I got all teary and I’m pretty sure said something like, “That was amazing!” So different from the 2.5 hours of pushing followed by forceps with Jace! After unwrapping the cord from around Reese (it was wrapped 3 times around her), she was placed on my stomach skin to skin. She was screaming! And not mild newborn screams, but loud, adamant screams. She laid there for a while just screaming and I loved being able to take her in.

 

 

After a little while they took her to clean her up and then handed her back to me to nurse. She took right to it without any problems and I loved having this special time with her. After she ate Nolan had his turn at holding her and it was so precious for me to watch him rock and talk to her. He just rocked her for about an hour while I dozed off. They bathed Reese while we were still in the delivery room (waiting for my epidural to wear off), and while she loved having her hair washed she made it clear she did NOT appreciate the rest of the bathing process. Finally, at 4 am we were moved to our room. Everyone was amazed by how quickly she came. Our nurse hadn’t even had a chance to get my chart started since there really wasn’t a moment of down time between getting me into the room and Reese coming out.

 

 

Because she came so quickly, her little head was perfectly shaped and we couldn’t get over how beautiful she was. Her nose is very similar to Jace’s, but her eyes are different. We’re thinking she might have the same eyes as Nolan’s baby pictures, but it’s still hard to say at this point. Later in the morning my parents were able to bring Jace to meet her and he was instantly in love.

 

 

We enjoyed our visitors and our little girl slept through everything! She is quite the sleeper and very content until she decides something is not going how she’d like and she makes her opinion very known.

 

 

I love how much Jace loves her. Both times he visited he wanted to know exactly where “Sissy” was, and smiled so much as he’d look at all her features. Since we’ve been home (we came home early Saturday afternoon), he wants to know everything that’s happening with her, loves to look at her, and is so obvious about his love of her. At one point, he started playing with nick names for her saying, “Sissy. Sis. Reese. Reesey. Reesers. Jace and Reesers. Jacers and Reesers!” And since then, he’s either called her Sissy or Reesers.

 

 

I love our little family! Jace doesn’t have any jealousy over the attention we give Reese, but we’ve definitely seen him struggling from the fact that we were gone for two days and that I’m just not physically able to do the same things with him as I could before giving birth (all things that I’ll be able to do again, just not until I’ve healed). Nolan is taking two weeks off which I think is the best thing possible for Jace right now—he loves having so much time to play with Daddy!

 

 

Reese continues to sleep a lot—with only a few short spurts of alertness each day (although they are becoming longer each day). Our first night was rough as she only wanted to be screaming or eating until about 3 or 4 in the morning, but she slept after that. The second night was wonderful as she slept for 3 and 4 hour stretches with minimal fussing in between feedings. Last night we had a rough start, but she finally wore herself out and slept great between feedings!

 

 

At her weight check yesterday she’d dropped to 7 pounds 3 ounces, an 8% weight loss, so they’d really like to see her gain some weight. Thankfully, she’s becoming more cooperative when I wake her up to eat!

 

 

She has such an expressive face and we just crack up watching all the different looks she has. 

 

 

She loves being swaddled at night, but loves having freedom during the day.

 

 

Diaper changes are considered abuse in her mind, but being put in the car seat is soothing and puts her to sleep.

 

 

I am so captivated every time I watch Jace near her. Today she was sleeping in her bouncer and he sat next to her for about 10 minutes talking to and about her, touching her head, and just loving her.

 

 

We can’t wait to see more of her personality come out.

 

 

And in the mean time, I’m loving dressing her in all this pink!

39 Weeks and Definitely Counting Down

I had my weekly check up today and my Dr. told me that we should expect to meet Reese any day now. And since I’ve been feeling on the verge of labor all evening, I thought it would be a good idea to do a final update before I forget the details and have the story of Reese’s birth to share instead. No belly picture this time, but we’ll take one before we head to the hospital. Instead, here’s a little bit of our life lately before I get to the Q&A.

 

 

Enjoying a beautiful summer day in August while Grandma Steiner was here visiting. Jace had been playing in the yard and wanted to cuddle even though there isn’t much room for him anymore!

 

 

Both my babies.

 

 

My mom was a HUGE help in getting Reese’s nursery finished!

 

 

Jace “helping” Daddy hammer brackets onto the back of some art for Reese’s room.

 

 

My mom and I at my shower.

 

 

My sweet friends Jenea and Alexis and sister-in-law Rayanna threw me a wonderful shower!

 

 

Nelson ladies—my MIL Becky, me, Rayanna, Kate, Hailey and Jamie.

 

 

My mom returned a few weeks ago and is staying until Reese comes. She found a caterpillar on our front door the other day and Jace enjoyed looking at it from a safe distance.

 

39 Weeks Update

 

How far along? 39 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 21 lbs. (I’ve lost a few pounds over the past month)
Maternity clothes? Everything I wear except for a maxi skirt. I’ve been rotating between a maxi skirt I made and one I bought for whenever I leave the house. Otherwise I’m always in a pair of sweat pants.
Stretch marks? No. I don’t even have the purple bruise marks I got on my hips with Jace.
Sleep: I wake up every hour and a half to use the bathroom. But at least it isn’t hip pain that’s waking me up these days!
Best moment this week: Hearing from my doctor today that I’m almost at 2cm dilated and my cervix is very soft, so she could come at any time now!
Have you told family and friends: Of course. It’s pretty hard to miss these days.
Miss Anything? Bending over. Being able to have Jace sit in my lap. Not wondering at all times if I’m going to go into labor. A night without heartburn.
Movement: Her movements have been more subdued lately. She still has a few very busy (and typically painful for me) spurts in the evenings, but she likes to take long naps. Last week my doctor monitored me at my appointment to make sure everything was ok. They thought it would be a 30-40 minute session, but after a burst of energy when the test first started, Reese took a very long nap. Over an hour and several attempts to wake her up, she finally became somewhat active again and they were able to give her an A+. Our little lady likes her naps!
Food cravings: I’ve been wanting sweets a lot lately, but that may not be pregnancy related.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Overeating, especially with rich food. Reflux made me throw up last week.
Have you started to show yet: Very much so. And I’m feeling very uncomfortable and ready to be done these days!
Labor Signs: Tons of Braxton Hicks, some painful contractions off and on. Obviously progressing according to my dr. too.
Belly Button in or out?  Probably more flat than anything.
Wedding rings on or off? On. I take them off every night just I case I have swelling, but so far so good. I’m very thankful to not experience swelling in my feet, ankles and hands.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, but I have had a few more emotional swings lately.

My Favorite Two Year Old & 34 Weeks

 

I really can’t believe how quickly our Jace is growing up. We moved him up to a big boy bed on August 5 and he has seemed so much older ever since! He LOVES his bed! We feel like the transition went better than we could have even hoped for. For the first two weeks he only got out of bed if we gave him permission—meaning when he woke up in the morning or after a nap, he’d lay in bed talking and playing, and eventually start calling out asking if he could get up. He now gets himself out of bed, but not until he’s laid there for a while. We’ve settled into a really sweet routine of him joining me in bed in the mornings to watch a show or two. I love the special time with him knowing how much everything is going to change in a month and look forward to him being in the routine of hanging out upstairs for a while when he gets up.

 

 

The things he chooses to say crack us up and amaze us all at the same time. Some of my latest favorites are…

-After we went to get a coffee for me, he told me, “Mommy, I need coffee. I need to feel better.”

-When he’s really thirsty and drinks something, “Ah! That’s so good. I feel better.”

-Any time he eats or drinks something he really likes, “Ah, that’s so good.”

-We were in the waiting room at my doctor and another couple waiting asked him what his name was. He said, “I Jace.” Then he pointed at my belly and said, “That’s Reese.” It was so sweet to see his awareness of her, and I think he was proud too.

-Any time he doesn’t think he can do something or doesn’t want to do it he says, “I too big to _____.”

-When seeing his cousin Cami after church on Sunday, he ran up to her with his arms out for a hug and shouted, “Cami! I’m so happy to see you!”

 

 

And in baby news… We’re at 34 and a half weeks! 10 weeks ago I continued doing the little Q&A Update thing, and thought I’d do it again now.

 

How far along? 34 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: about 23 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Everything I wear except for two loose/drawstring shorts from Old Navy. Several of my tops are getting too short to cover my belly, my pants feel confining, and my short dresses are too short now since the belly holds them out too much. I really like wearing sweats these days!
Stretch marks? No. I don’t even have the purple bruise marks I got on my hips with Jace.
Sleep: I wake up 2-3 times a night to use the bathroom. Between those wake ups, I have to switch which side I’m laying on often because otherwise my hips start aching too much.
Best moment this week: Finishing all the decorations/projects for the nursery except one! I also had a very sweet baby shower for Reese thrown by my sister-in-law, Rayanna, and two of my friends. I felt very loved and blessed.
Have you told family and friends: Of course. It’s pretty hard to miss these days.
Miss Anything? Standing up easily from sitting anywhere—furniture or floor. Holding Jace in my lap. Laying on my stomach/back. Non-maternity capris. Sleeping through the night.
Movement: She’s predictably unpredictable. I can guarantee she’ll kick when I first wake up in the morning (she’s so nice to me, just like her brother was, and doesn’t kick during the night), and before I go to bed at night. But otherwise, it’s really hit and miss when she’ll feel like being active. She does respond well if I drink a lot of cold water quickly. She likes to stretch and push her feet into my ribs.
Food cravings: Nothing too specific. I do like the ideas of sweets a lot these days though!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Just having some nasty reflux off and on. Last week I had a bad night where the reflux woke me up several times during the night. Otherwise, I love the third trimester. I feel the best during this one.
Have you started to show yet: Very much so. I’m feeling quite large these days.
Gender prediction: I predicted girl and I was right!
Labor Signs: Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, but nothing serious.
Belly Button in or out?  Still in. It never came out during my pregnancy with Jace.
Wedding rings on or off? On. I take them off every night just I case I have swelling, but so far so good.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, but I have had a few more emotional swings lately.

Some Summer Recap

I can’t believe how quickly summer is flying by for us! Maybe it’s due in part to the fact that summer doesn’t really start around here until after the 4th of July.

 

 

We had a fun time celebrating our nation’s independence. We enjoyed a barbecue with friends in Salem and then our little family of three went to Bryant Park here in Albany to watch the city’s fireworks show. Jace LOVED the time with Mommy and Daddy. He got so excited when he realized we were laying on the blanket with him. I kept thinking what a special time it was and that I’d treasure it as one of our last few special times with him as an only child.

 

 

Jace’s creativity and sense of imagination have come out big time! It’s so funny to see the games he comes up with and hear the stories he tells.

 

 

Another summer memory that I know I’ll treasure will be our trip to California. It was so fun for the three of us to have all that time together and I felt like Jace’s vocabulary expanded so much each day. We started out our trip in Visalia staying at my Grandma and Grandpa Steiner’s. We also spent an afternoon/evening with the Cannons and Hansens. Jace, Cannon and Leah had so much fun together!

 

 

We also quickly noticed that our son is the instigator of bad behavior, but knows how to stop right before anyone notices. He was really good at bringing out the sillies in Cannon and Leah and then quickly stopping as their parents became aware of it.

 

 

It was also so fun to meet baby Jasper!

 

 

We loved the time at Grandma and Grandpa’s as well.

 

 

Then we headed over to Cambria for the rest of the week and Jace LOVED seeing the “Oooh-cean.” Sadly, it was his first time seeing the Pacific! 

 

 

It was so fun taking him to the same beach I grew up playing on (he wasn’t interested in touching the water).

 

 

Walking the same pier my parents walked us down.

 

 

And playing at the same park my dad spun us around and around on the tire swing at (although the play equipment has all been updated).

 

 

Jace liked the beach in Cambria a lot better than in San Simeon because we had his tennis shoes on so he didn’t have to be bothered by sand in his sandals or burning his feet.

 

 

You can’t really tell, but he was all about kicking the sand.

 

 

 

 

Our second day at the beach proved more exciting for him as Daddy built him a lake and made countless trips to the water and back to keep it filled for Jace’s boat.

 

 

We rinsed him off in the same utility sink as my parents did with us kids.

 

 

Nolan and I also enjoyed the daily trips to the park because it meant we actually had cell service and internet access!

 

 

Our good friends the Phillips were also on vacation in the area, so they came and spent a day with us. Jace LOVED having his best buddy Hannah around.

 

 

This picture is so typical of how these two can be together—Hannah adventuresome and out to have fun, and Jace more reserved/caution/fearful.

 

 

Nolan had brought his disc golf practice basket and he and Brett had fun playing on the beach while Jenea, the kids and I played around and took pictures. The kids loved playing with their daddies at the end though!

 

 

Our (visible) family of three.

 

 

Our last night in Cambria we took Jace to get some ice cream—which he thought was incredible that there was an “ice cream store.”

 

 

Then we took a windy walk along the boardwalk.

 

 

On our way home we stopped for an evening/night at Nolan’s sister and brother-in-law’s. Jace loved the park by Auntie Jenni and Uncle Alan’s house!

 

 

He also thought their little doggies were pretty special. For the last leg of the trip we stopped in Danville for breakfast at my aunt and uncle’s and were happy to be able to see my cousin and her husband as well.

 

 

Our little guy proved to be a great road trip kid and we were so glad to get away and have all that family time. Now we can’t wait for next year’s vacation!