Chase's BIRTH Day

After MUCH anticipation...the day of Chase's birth finally came!  He was born  on Wednesday, 10/23/13.  Sunday night into Monday, I actually thought labor was starting.  Aaron and I were up until about 2 in the morning timing contractions - they were coming 3-6 minutes apart, however they were not strong so I wasn't sure if I should go in or not.  Needless to say, they stopped and we ended up getting to sleep. 

 

I had an appointment Monday morning where they checked the fluid levels and such.  I was dilated to 4 at the appointment.  We went home from the appointment, and once again contractions started.  I was sure we were heading in that day, which was the afternoon of 10/21.  Blake's b-day is 10/22, which is something I always wanted to avoid, but I had come to "peace" with that if they shared a birthday, just ready to meet this baby!  It was really weird because they completely stopped again around 6 p.m.  Frustrating!

 

Nothing happened on Blake's birthday, which I am thankful for as we got to spend the day with him, some one on one time with both Aaron and I before the baby came (while Addy was at preschool).

 

I was scheduled for an induction on 10/23 so we headed in to report at 7 a.m.  After getting settled in, and getting me hooked up to IV's, some fluids and pennicillin in me, etc, we finally got things going around 11:00 a.m. with Pitocin.  I was still dilated to only 4. 

 

Around 1:00 I was between 4-5 cm.  They decided that I should get the epidural since I knew I would want one, then they would break my water.  My history with the other 2 is that as soon as my water is broken, the labor starts moving along...so I was all for that plan!

 

I got the epidural around 1:30 and at 2:20 my water was broken.  I was still in a lot of pain as my contractions got stronger because my epidural wasn't working on one side, so they came in and adjusted some things and then life was a bit better!! 

 

At 3:00 I was at 6 cm. and the doctor told me that protocol would say that she doesn't come back for another 2 hours to check again, but knowing my history, I was to call if I needed anything.  3:45 I told Aaron that I really felt like things were moving along but I didn't want to call anyone in too early - and at 3:55 I couldn't stand the pressure and such any longer so we called in the nurse.

 

At exactly 4:00 they announced that I was fully dilated and the baby was +2 so I could push.  However, I had to wait for the doctors to be ready...to hold off was the worst ever!

 

When I was finally able to push, it was only a few minutes and Chase Robert Anderson arrived at 4:08 p.m.!!!!

 

The name Chase has actually been on our list since we were pregnant with Addalyn.  If she had been a boy, it was between the names Blake and Chase...same with baby #2, in which we obviously went with Blake.  Chase still kept rising to the top this time around as well so we knew that would be the name if we were blessed with another boy.  It is PURE coincidence that our kids names go in the order of A, B, C -- we get that question a lot.  They just happen to be in that order :) 

 

Robert is after my grandpa Bob --- my mom's dad, who has definitlely been present these last few months as I see feathers EVERYWHERE - which as I've mentioned before, is something that he said he was send from heaven when he passed on.

First pics of Chase Robert Anderson!

They immediately put Chase to my chest and he was laying face down.  All of the doctors were around me, and I asked if anyone saw if it was a boy or girl.  They all said no --- so I quickly rolled him over to check and Aaron was able to share with the team of doctors and nurses that it was a boy.  Lots of cheers and smiles all around....it is So So So fun being surprised! :)

Our big boy!  9 lb, 11 oz (2 pounds larger at birth that his sister and brother!)

I was SHOCKED when I heard what Chase's weight was...my pregnancy was the same as both Addy and Blake, and I actually gained less weight this time around, so to see that he was 9 pounds, 11 ounces shocked me.  It shocked most of the care team as well!  I can't even begin to explain the way some of them reacted to the weight.

And throughout the stay - people that came in the room to check on either me or Chase, would always take a glance and him and say "he must be a big boy" and then read the information on his basinette and be shocked.  Sort've funny -- I don't feel like he is so big when I hold him or anything, but we did go right into size 1 diapers instead of newborns :)

Getting his feet stamped!

First pic with mom and dad

That evening we got to have visitors right away - my sister Angela who works at the clinic got off work at 5 and came right over before heading home.  Addy, Blake, and grandma Jean arrived around 6.  Addy was SUPER excited and very very curious of all of the items in the room, what they are used for....and she still wants to know how the baby comes out of my tummy.  So far the "doctors help mama" has worked...but she still asks "HOW do they help?"  We just avoid that answer for now :)

 Blake was a little more unsure of what to think.  Not necessarily about his new little brother, but he was not sure about mom being in the bed and such.  He didn't want to come near me or anything, but that was okay.  He would look at Chase and give him kisses and touch him, so that is what I was more concerned with than me :)

World's Best Bro!

Daddy and his 3 Babes

The hospital stay went well.  We had a good amount of visitors and an uneventful stay, which is always nice.  Here are some pics for the rest of our stay!

 



Visit on night #2 (she had to wear her "Amazing Big Sister" shirt again!)

Proud Bro!

Love this one of Aaron and Chase

The outfit that Aaron picked for Chase to go home in...and the puppy that Addy and Blake picked out.  Aaron has bought a new "go home" outfit for each birth and brought it to the hospital washed and ready to be worn home :)

Heading Home!

All in all, Mr. Chase was well worth the wait of 10 days overdue...and I was very happy that my boys get their own "day".  Their birthdays are just a day apart, but at least as they get older, we can try and make their day their own! 

We got home on Friday, 10/25.  Life so far has been good --- I will do another post with life at home :)

Chase Robert

Chase Robert Anderson arrived at 4:08 p.m. on Wednesday October 23rd. He is a big guy! 9 pounds 11 ounces and 22 1/4 inches long.

Everyone is doing great and we get to go home today!  More details on his arrival will come soon :-)

This Week's Excitement

Since I have been off this week, I have been spending lots of quality time with Addy and Blake.  Even though I am anxious for the baby to come, I must say I have really enjoyed having some time with just the 2 of them before the baby comes.

Of course I have time with them on the weekends, since Saturday Aaron is still working.  But it is different, since I am not trying to get house chores done and such with the limited time before the weekend ends or the nights when we have to do baths quickly or something --- it has made it that much more enjoyable!

We had some crazy things come up these past few months, one that made us have to leave our daycare sooner than expected which has added stress and made me just want to hold my babies close --- so it is feels so good to just be home with them for a bit.  Even if it means I used a week of vacation that could've been during used as part of my leave :)  Can't put a price on precious time with your little ones...

Here's a bunch  of pics from our week!


We played at the mall....



We had lunch there also and then picked out some winter hats for the upcoming season!

Since I didn't feel like heading home that day, we stopped at my parents house, and my sister's kiddos were there.  So, we made Halloween brownies with them (this is Drew with Blake and Addy)

The next day we went for a walk...and it was cold enough to put our new hats and mittens to use.  Thank goodness we had purchased those!



On our way home we went to the park by our house :)

I took a picture of our house (I'm not sure if I ever shared a pic from the outside of our house, so figured I'd share, LOL!)

Addy got an American Girl catalogue in the mail ----- THANKS to whatever list we got on for that!  She's looked through it by herself and made me do it with her a zillion times and wants THREE dolls :)  He He!

We cuddled on the couch together and took silly pics of ourselves!  Oh yeah, this day we also colored for almost the entire morning!



Today we headed back to the Pumpkin Patch/Orchard that we had gone too earlier this year

We did it with both of my sisters and their kids, and my mom too :)

Blake loves his grandma Bonnie!  She was the only one able to pull him :)  (TOTALLY fine by me!)



After the orchard we had pizzas at our house and then baked Halloween sugar cookies!  Here's the kiddos eating some of the goods!

It has been a great week at home.  I've never actually had a vacation where I am just hanging out, so I am treasuring this time in that way.  But, I am ready for this baby.  Full moon tomorrow night, slight storm in the area tonight/tomorrow ----- SOMETHING has to be in my favor soon!

 

I do have some contractions, ones at night that wake me up, but still not often enough to get me excited.  I soooo hope tonight is the night...or tomorrow!

My sis took a pic of the baby and me at the orchard.  How Tall This Fall??!!!  --- OVERDUE!

40 + .... AGAIN!

Well --- once again I am overdue!  I guess I figured it would happen, given my track record but I REALLY hoped I wouldn't be this time around.  I still am hoping to go in on my own sometime this week (tomorrow would be great!).  Totally out of my control so I will just hold tight!

I had an appointment yesterday and it was somewhat dissapointing.  I am only a little more than 1 cm. dilated.  GRR!  Mayo has always had a 10 day rule for being induced, but for Addy my doc scheduled the induction for 7 days, and I was to be induced for Blake on my 8th day over (but went in on my own the night before). 

My doc was going to schedule an induction for next Monday (8 days over), because we had discussed how I was hoping to avoid 10/22 which is next Tuesday since that is Blake's birthday...

However, when she called to get that on the books, the person taking the call wouldn't do it.  Apparently there is a new STATE law that won't let them schedule until 10 days over unless medically necessary, so I had to get on the books for 10/23.  Boo to that.  I just hope/pray that I go in on my own before!

In the meantime, I am done with work until the baby comes.  It was a hard decision since I was due on a Sunday.  I was due during the week with the other 2 so I worked through that Friday...but I really didn't want to be at work an entire other week, and it is easier to just be done with coverage and such with my job than to not know each day if I will be back or not.

So, I am home, spending some time with this crazy kid!

And this sweet girl that can't wait to be a big sister again!

Today the kids did go to daycare --- but they are done now until the baby comes.  I might send them the week after the baby comes (depending on when that is and how things are going) on Addy's school days to keep some consistency -- but it would only be for the one week.

While they were gone today I hand-mopped my floors, dusted the house (including the panel doors and base boards), cleaned our shower, and made a meal that I can freeze for later.  I officially don't know what else I could create on my to-do list!  I guess I have to figure out how to just relax...

But I have to admit I'm not very good at "just" relaxing!  Ask Aaron --- drives him crazy!  I hope that relaxing will help things along, since apparently keeping busy doesn't do me any good :) 

Me and my 3 babes...hopefully soon #3 will be on the outside with these 2 crazies! 40 weeks, 2 days pregnant for this mama!

Until next time...

...which I hope is an introduction to our 3rd little one!

The Shelf

I have gotten comments on how low I have been carrying for most of my pregnancy.  And, as the month of my due date has come, I get a lot of people telling me how much I have "dropped"!  It cracks me up though, because it seems to be the same people that tell me I've dropped, and I wonder how much more I can "drop" in their eyes!

While I may be carrying low and perhaps I have dropped...I'm more convinced that it is due to carrying my little man around vs. the way my body is naturally carrying my baby around.  Blake has a nice little shelf that he has gotten to sit on for the last few months.

Hopefully he is helping out the progress of getting that baby low and ready to be born...I guess we will see in the next week or so if I actually go before my due date for the first time! :)

Pictures are blurry because Blaker was moving and wiggling, but you get the idea :)

My sweet boy...oh how much I love those big hugs he gives me!!!

39 weeks and counting...and now I OFFICIALLY have my pre-baby To Do list complete.  Aaron will read this and think "yeah right, and then I come home tonight and she'll be cleaning or whatever and have another list of things to do on the counter"...which, he is probably right, LOL!

However, all the things that I had on my original list to do before the baby comes (such as wash the neutral baby clothes, get diapers, pack for the hospital stay, set out shirts for Blake and Addy's hospital visit, pedicure, etc...) --- well those have been checked off the list.  I'm sure I'll make lists until I don't have the chance to make them anymore...it's in my nature.

......Maybe I should put "carry Blake around" on the list...so that he can help speed up the process as he puts more pressure on my "shelf"!.....

Fall Family Fun Day

Today was a nice fall day here in MN.  We first went around looking for Halloween costumes.  Addy wanted to be Strawberry Shortcake before we even left the house...so that was easy :)  Blake on the other hand had no idea what he wanted to be and every idea you gave him, he got excited about and said he wanted to be that!

 

He started off saying he wanted to be a bug...but then he went all over the board, and we went to 4 stores looking for a costume for him.  We settled on a Turtle - it is actually a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, but I'm pretty sure to Blake --- it is just a turtle :) 

 

After that we went to an Apple Orchard/Pumpkin Patch near our home to take some fall pictures, get out of the house, and of course get ourselves some pumpkins for some outside fall decor!

HOW TALL THIS FALL?!!!

 

Almost 3 1/2 feet!

 

It's probably the fact that Mr. Blake needs a haircut that makes him look taller than 3 feet, LOL!  He's got such thick, wavy hair :) 






We purchased some mums at the orchard also.  Given that we moved into our house in the spring, I haven't had any flowers so I am excited for this little bit of color, even if it is just for a month or so!  (Addy being a goof!)



 The place that we went to (Northwoods Orchard) also has a few animals...chickens/roosters, rabbits, and goats. 

Feeding the goats!

 After we walked around for a bit, we went and grabbed a snack (apples w/ caramel and popcorn), then we purchased our items and bought tickets to go on a wagon ride!

Picking out our pumpkins!

What a goof! We tried to tell Addy that we didn't need this little pumpkin...but she said -- with a pout on her face --- "But mommy & daaaaaaddy, this pumpkin needs a good home because it doesn't have a family".

Where does she come up with this stuff??!!! Well, we ended up purchasing this tiny little pumpkin. We are suckers!

 WAGON RIDE TIME!

 

 

Enjoying the ride :)

 

All smiles...

More fun pics!

 

 

And...because who knows how much longer I'll be pregnant...

38 weeks on the dot...2 more weeks and counting!

I really go back and forth on if this is a boy or a girl.  I have cankles like I did when I was pregnant with Addy --- and to me I feel bigger than I did with Blake...more like I felt when I was pregnant with Addalyn.  However, there are definite things that make me think boy as well -- one being the fact that EVERYONE tells me that is what I am having...I am so glad we will know soon!

 

As of tonight, I am also packed for the hospital stay with the exception of last minute things...this week at work I have a just a few meetings and final details to take care of...and then I'll feel comfortable walking away at the end of the week if I don't go back for 3 months!  I know my track record says I'll be working for 3 more weeks...but here's to wishful thinking!

 

I'm really uncomfortable most days...but try to keep telling myself to enjoy this --- it may be the last few weeks of me ever being pregnant so I am trying to go with the flow as much as possible!

 

 

***

 

 

Thanks everyone who has kept my cousin Zack in your thoughts and prayers.  The love has been felt, that's for sure!