2 birthdays, 1 great time!

Happy birthday to my sisters Lauren (nov. 13th) and Katelyn (nov. 14th) !

You girls always make it a great time!

2 months!

Remember this fabric I posted a while ago? Well a blanket has been made! Not by me though. Thanks to Grandma Brink, it is finished. I would have gotten around to it by next year...maybe! Such a procrastinator, I know.

And, Kensie is 2 months now! Crazy. Here she is sporting her new blanket, and big chair...

What Kensie can do these days...

~smile :)

~sleep at night!! (8-9 hours)

~wiggle

~more alert during the day

~sleep with her mouth open (mommy trait)

~loves to stare people down with furled eyebrows (her daddy's no doubt)

~twitch while falling asleep (also a daddy trait)

~enjoys lights of any kind

~favorite place to poop - in her bouncey seat. every time. not even kidding.

'tis the season!

I know. I'm already so excited for Christmas. Pathetic right? I usually get the Christmas jitters around Thanksgiving, but this year I was ready before Halloween! It might have something to do with having a new addition to the family. Makes it so much more fun!

Anyway, I've been browsing my favorite catalogues to find some Christmas inspiration. I want ev.er.y.thing out of Ballard Designs, Pottery Barn, and Williams & Sonoma....but so darn expensive. Soooooo.....I'm totally copying this tree button garland I saw out of Ballard's.

Here's how I pulled off the same look for MUCH cheaper...

Vintage buttons from Hobby Lobby.

$2.50 for one container.

Purchased two of them.

Found some raffia laying around the house, to use to string the buttons together...

what I've finished so far!

Ballard Designs charges $30 for three strands. Mine cost $5! And I'm biased, but mine's got personality. I love the random shaped sizes, and shiny gold ones spaced between them. And it matches my other homemade ornaments. Can't wait to see how it looks on the tree!

A truly inspiring story...

Our pastor is wrapping up a 5 week series on the story of Hadassah (Esther), the inspiring woman from ancient times who risked her life to stand up for herself, her people, and most importantly her God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God who uses normal, everyday people to save nations. Esther was no different than you or I. Just a teenage girl trying to make the best of her daily routine...albeit mundane at times. But she loved the Lord, and was willing to let Him use her in any way possible.

Now, if you are like me, you will understand my struggle with the Old Testament. I have read and heard the stories countless times. And they very often seem like just that. Stories. It's hard to imagine these goofy sounding names as REAL people. People who took on unknown futures, unknown risks like Esther, and lived out what it means to follow God. But, I have gained a new appreciation for the story of Esther through this movie. One Night with the King (2006). FANTASTIC. It perfectly mirrors the Bible chronologically. And I LOVE the way Esther is portrayed. Now, don't get me wrong. Movies can very often be misleading, and alter what the scriptures say. But for me...I am a visual person. And this helps make it real for me. And wow. Truly inspiring.

1 month

I can't believe 4 weeks have flown by....well sorta. The first week of bringing Kensie home from the hospital felt like for-e-ver. Between recovery, and the night feedings every three hours, I was definitely at my wits end at times. But then time began to fly, and here it is one month later already!

Above: 4 days old

Below: 1 month old

Things I LOVE so far....

~ snuggling as a family

~ picking out a cute outfit for Kensie every day

~ watching her sleep

~ staring at each and every feature on her precious face

~ the addicting baby smell that lingers after bath time

~ bows


Things I DON'T LOVE so far...

~ backaches...thought they would go away after being pregnant. Wrong. So much strain from holding, feeding, bathing and rocking a baby all day. And not to mention toting around a car seat.

~ NOT sleeping. I really get annoyed between the 1am and 4am feedings....killer.

~ hearing her scream until almost breathless

~ not enough alone time with the hubby. It's been really hard to connect for more than 10 minutes at a time

~ not being able to enjoy a meal without interruption

~ in-between maternity clothes and normal clothes. Annoying.

Sweetness

Meltdown

Did I see it coming?...not really. Was I warned? Yes. Everyone has told me that a new mother can be very emotional and overwhelmed the first week after delivery. 'But, not me' I thought.

I had been cruising on adrenaline all week. Everything new and exciting. A sweet new baby to ga ga over, and an excuse to use the phrase 'family time' on a daily basis. Well, Saturday night came. Greg had a hard week at work just coming off Labor Day, and seemed like he was in the office for most of it. He did what he could....kept up on the laundry, changed Kensie's diaper for midnight feedings, and helped clean up after dinners. But, I wanted more. I wanted him there a lot more. So, needless to say....things started pouring out of my mouth at dinner Saturday night, and they didn't stop. Soon, "liquid hormones" (as I like to call them) were streaming down my face, and I just couldn't control myself. I excused myself from the table and proceeded to the bedroom where I cried for about a half hour. I didn't know if I was more mad at Greg, or at how I was letting myself get so worked up about it...but either way, I said a lot of things I still regret. My dear husband could not have handled it better. He didn't say a word. He kept my dinner warm in the oven, came in the room to rub my back, and said I could take all the time I needed to recuperate. When I came back out, most of the house was picked up, and he was holding Kensie on his chest by the fireplace.

To end on a positive note, Sunday afternoon was GORGEOUS! Here are some pics from our walk to the park. And yes....some much needed 'family time'....

Details on D-day...

WARNING: Read only if interested in long and boring labor and delivery details.




Last Saturday night around 11:30pm I started having what felt like strong menstrual cramps (later found out they were contractions) every 15 minutes. They weren't strong enough to bother waking Greg, so I kept busy all night doing crafts and organizing things in the house. By 5:30am they were getting stronger and about 3-5 minutes apart. By 6:30 Greg was awake and timing them for me, as they got more painful. I kept thinking, 'if my water only broke then I would know when to go into the hospital. I just don't want to be sent home yet again'. But, the pains kept coming pretty consistent and I would have to stop to brace myself while pacing around the house. Finally Greg informed me I had 3 contractions in like 8 minutes. With little convincing we packed the car and drove to the hospital. Thankfully we live like 6 blocks away, and I literally had like 1 or 2 contractions in the car, so it was a quick ride (and I was so thankful for that!).


Once the nurse set us up in the room, the contractions quickly got more and more painful, and less and less apart. I was gripping the side rail of my bed while Greg gently rubbed my back. By 9:30 I was ready for my epidural. With a quick prick in the back, the contractions got less and less with each one. All the while, the graphs were printing out on a bedside table that showed the curves of each contraction. Greg kept saying, 'man, that was a HUGE one...did you feel that?'.....'ummm, nope.' I was numb from my sternum down. I actually felt better right then, than the whole nine months being pregnant. IT WAS AMAZING :). So....the afternoon was full of naps, and chatting with my mom, and watching baseball.



Then around 4:30 I was dilated to 10 and ready to push. With Greg on one side, a nurse on the other, and the delivery doctor in the middle....it was a whirlwind of breathing and pushing and focusing. I tried to treat it like the biggest athletic event of my life, and that's pretty much what it was. I closed my eyes and just focused on when the nurse and Greg told me to push. At this time I started feeling the contractions again, and the pelvis pain heightened tremendously. But, it helped me know when to push. I just cannot imagine the pain WITHOUT an epidural. Holy Cow. So, to wrap things up, 45 minutes later our big-beautiful-healthy girl arrived. :) When they placed her on my chest immediately afterwards is when I finally lost it. Tears and sobbing erupted. I think it was a combination of knowing I was finally done working so hard, and literally seeing the product of what God had created over the last nine months. So special. I will always remember that moment.




We both looked at her and looked at each other and just knew her name was Kensie. We had a couple other options on the list, but Kensie Michelle it was. It just had to be. The name originally started out as Mackensie, but we knew we would just call her Kensie, so why not name her that? And, Greg has always loved my middle name Michelle, so it seemed appropriate to mix it in the middle. With that, our little miracle was given life and a name. We are so grateful for how God has blessed us. What a beautiful creation she is!

She has only gotten cuter over the last 6 days. Here's one from yesterday...

Introducing...

Kensie Michelle Mulder

9-6-09

5:19pm

9 lbs 7 oz

22 inches

100% perfect

Story on labor and delivery coming soon...

Embarassing

Wednesday morning I woke up convinced that my water broke during the night. I could hardly wait to get to my doc appointment at 1pm. Thinking I would go straight to the hospital afterwards, my bags were packed and ready to go. But, like so many stories...it was a false alarm. I felt so embarrassed, like the pregnant lady who cries wolf. Who looks for any little sign of progress only to be disappointed in the end. On top of it, the doc said I was still at zero and only 50% effaced. Wow, I really thought this time was for real. My belly has been rock hard the last two days straight, and the radiating back pain combined with menstrual-like cramps continues on. And STILL nothing???? So, he asked how long after my due date I want to go..."ummmm, not too long" I said. Well, he only schedules inductions on Tuesdays, so its either the 8th or the 15th. I think our baby will be like 10 lbs by the 15th....so I opted for September 8. Who knows....maybe she will get the ever elusive birthdate 9-9-09 :)

In the meantime, I've been sewing up a storm. I've been up since 6:00 this morning sewing and redecorating the house. Here's one project I'm most proud of. A simple lamp shade makeover. And I can just slip off the cover to change the look if I want something different in the future! Thanks Better Homes and Gardens! Such great ideas you have. :)

BEFORE

AFTER

Last week. This week.

LAST WEEK...

bonfires. hobo pies. story telling. and monopoly with the cousins.

38 week picture documented. and a sewing project.

38 week pic

sewing projects: 2 roman shades in the nursery in need of a hem

BEFORE

(another project is currently in the works

using the leftover 2 panels I cut off the bottom of the shades)

AFTER

THIS WEEK...

Doctor visit on Wednesday. More sewing projects. Last minute house cleaning.

And I'm wondering which one of the following babes our little girlie will look like...

Mr. Gregory Peter

OR...

Miss Shannon Michelle

Undropped?

So, apparently a baby can drop and then decide to undrop? That's the latest. I went in yesterday for my check-up and I feel as though we are working backwards now....blast! No dilation, and yes, our little girl has floated back up toward my ribs. Fan-freakin'-tastic. The only nice thing was I dropped a couple pounds! (which I expected with my decrease in appetite lately, and it's quite normal the last few weeks of pregnancy). But hey, it's a mental boost anyway and I will gladly take it.....aside from the whopping 45 lbs. I've gained this whole pregnancy. Geesh.

I had a conversation with a teenager yesterday who asked if it "felt weird to have a baby inside of me". After talking for a while, I realized that I've forgotten what it feels like to NOT be pregnant. The kicks and punches throughout the day. The hundreds of bathroom trips. The convenient shelf to rest my hands on. The waddling. The profile I've grown accustomed to as I walk by a reflection of myself. It all just feels so normal now, it truly is hard to imagine not having this round belly. But, to be honest....I'm going to miss it. I know it sounds weird. But, I'll miss rubbing my tightly stretched skin with lotion every night. (only to be replaced by a flabby stomach with nothing to offer but flabbiness). I'll miss trying to guess which body part is poking out as she twists and turns in there. And, I'll miss all the conversations I've been able to strike up with perfect strangers who can't help but ask when I'm due. It really has been quite a journey. And it's only the beginning...

** Thanks for the comments on being induced in the last post. It has been great to hear all of your different experiences. We may end up having to go that route if she continues to be so stubborn! Stay tuned in...**

Nothing yet...

So, just to update on my last doc appointment....nothing new. I was pretty disappointed. I thought with as much pressure as I've been feeling down there, something would be different. Nope. Still no dilation, and only 50% effaced. So, I wait until Tuesday to see if anything new has happened.

In the meantime, I've heard quite a few stories about induction. Apparently (from what I've heard), being induced is the way to go. It's a scheduled date that you can plan for, you get your epidural at a time when your not in too much pain yet, and boom the baby is born! I try not to get sucked into these stories, but it does sound rather enticing. However, I can't help but wonder how good that is for your body or the baby. I mean, forcing your way into delivery? I can understand if the baby is too getting too large, or if you are way past due....but out of pure convenience, to say I want to be induced on this date because it sounds the coolest, or it works with my schedule the best, or frankly I am just uncomfortable. Where's the excitement, the anticipation, the spontaneity? I could go either way I think. What do you think??

Progress...I think?

I have definitely seen a change in the last week! As I get more and more uncomfortable, I've noticed the following:

~Achy and swollen feet 24/7. Getting out of bed in the morning is the worst. It feels like pins and needles on the pads of my puffy feet. I wear Greg's crocs inside the house daily to relieve some of the pressure, which does help a bit. Up until recently, I could keep up my 30 min walks around the neighborhood 2-3 times a week. This week, we cut it down to 20. And my pace feels about half as fast. But it still feels good to walk in general, so I'm gonna do it as long as I can!

~I think I hit the bathroom 5 times in the middle of the night last week!! I've been going about 3 regularly, but this sure tops it off! Quite bothersome really. But, it's practice for those midnight feedings right?

~ New pelvic pressure. At least once a day, my right leg completely gives out from something "pinching" the right side of my pelvis. She's gotta be bumpin' into a nerve down there or something, cuz it shoots a lightening bolt down my leg that sends me straight to the couch for recovery! It hasn't happened in public yet, but I don't see too many couches laying in the grocery aisle that I could lay on if needed, do you?

~Decreased appetite. For once. This whole pregnancy I feel like I could eat a COW. Until now. I haven't had a huge interest in stuffing my face like I used to. Maybe I'm distracted by the fact that we are going to meet our little missy in a matter of weeks! Or maybe I'm busy trying to organize the nursery!! Or maybe I'm busy thinking how Greg and I will be at this whole parenting thing!!! Oh wait....maybe I'm busy thinking how on earth am I going to push this watermelon out of a lemon sized hole!?!!!! ok.....*breath*. "People have been having babies for hundreds of years Shannon. You too, can do it".

~Crazy dreams! Nothing I can ever really remember. But, seriously weird and twisted. They aren't neccessarily related to having the baby or being pregnant either. Just wacked out dreams of ALL kinds.

I get to see the doc on Friday...hopefully supporting the progress I think I'm seeing. :)

"3 more weeks. 3 more weeks. 3 more weeks...."

She's dropped!

Good news from the doc yesterday! It looks like our little miss Mulder is heads down and is dropping into position! Yay! I had a feeling she had dropped some, just by comparing my profile pics. But, it's always nice to hear it from the doctor :) My cervix has thinned 50% with no dilation yet. I'm right at 36 weeks now, with nothing holding this baby back except maybe a few more weeks. Everything is looking great!

36 weeks

On another note....I had to take my wedding ring off yesterday :( . I woke up 2 days ago and my hands were puffy from a humid night's rest. My finger had a slight purple tint to it in the morning, yikes! I had to wait until evening again and a good rinse under cold water, but was finally able to wrench it off. I find myself fingering for that familiar accessory on my finger only to find it missing every time. Sad day...but only a few weeks left.

My goals this week are to pack the hospital bag, find a pediatrician, and get that car seat in the car properly....she'll be here before we know it!

Anniversaries, cousins, and baseball

Baseball is America's past-time you say? How about anniversaries?? We had so much fun at the local White Caps game last night celebrating 4 years together. Better yet, we joined Greg's cousin Beth and her husband Dan in celebrating THEIR 5 year anniversary! In fact, I remember attending their wedding very well. You see...after the reception, Greg drove me out to the beach that night and proposed among the dune grass....we were married almost exactly 1 year later. Sweet times indeed.

So here's to anniversaries, cousins, and baseball! Oh, and Greg did catch a foul ball for me too :) Then after I snapped a pic, he gave it to an adorable, bright blue-eyed, 6 year old girl instead...such a softy :)

34 weeks

Four and counting!

To my tall, dark and HANDSOME hunk of a husband Greg,

It's amazing we have been married for 4 years now! Some days it feel like just yesterday I was slipping into the gown of my dreams and then staring down that aisle only to see your beaming smile :).

Each year that has passed has brought on new challenges; life, and family, and our personal lives have tested us for sure. But, we have never stopped loving each other during those times. We have looked to God for counsel, and WOW has he been answering prayers left and right!

Thanks for being such a rock for me this past year, even when you didn't feel like it. You keep me so grounded! I really respect how you handle our finances, your commitment to AMST, your commitment to church and youth group, and your relationship with our Lord.

Now let's enjoy our last anniversary before a certain little munchkin comes knocking on our bedroom door in the middle of the night...maybe for the next 18+ years! ;)

All my love, Shay

honeymoon in Mexico...and Greg looking Mexican with that tan! :)