Finals week

Well she's only been around for about a month and we're are MADLY in love with this little one. I really can't look at her with out choking up a bit. There's a saying that you love

your kids so much, you want to eat them....well I really just want to squeeze, kiss and hug this little thing until she's all gobbled up!! It's been so nice to have some visitors this week. We couldn't have picked a worse due date...right during Chase's finals!! He feels so torn because he just wants to be home with this little baby and has to study ALL the time. First year law students have a ridiculously hard schedule and I feel so bad for him right now.

Em came with Ruby three days after Sadie was born and it was heavenly to have her there. Chase felt like he could leave to study and I had company to keep me sane. I love my sisters. I wish we could all live next door to each other. My friends (the Jefferies) work for Jet Blue so they gave her some buddy passes to fly here. It was so nice of them!

Dad came a couple days later and then Mom right after that. They were so good at getting me up and walking around. We went to the zoo, Ikea, and toured San Diego a bit. I was pretty sore for about two weeks and I think it was good for them to have me walk it off. It was also mother's day that following Sunday so we got to celebrate with Mom.

I wanted to go to church even though I as pretty much still waddling at that point. It was my first Mother's Day and I really wanted to be sung to by all the primary kids. I was ridiculously emotional and it probably wasn't a good idea, but I got my flowers anyway and was later told by the other moms at the ward that usually when you have a baby, you stay home for a couple of weeks, if not a month. I'll have to remember that the next time around.

When everyone was getting ready to leave I was really sad and begged Em to stay a little longer. My mom asked me if I was scared to be alone with the baby and I wasn't ashamed to say "yes." I don't know what I'm doing!!! I hope I will be a good mother. Everything is so wonderful and foreign at the same time. My life has turned completely in a different direction. I guess I just want Em to be there as my "training wheels" for a while. It was so fun to have them here and I am so grateful they traveled so far to help.

Now that finals are over Chase and I can really sit down and enjoy this new precious gift we have been given. I plan to enjoy every minute of it.

She's home!

I have finally come out of my cave. It's been a hectic week and wonderful at the same time. Sadie ended up coming right in the middle of finals at USD. Chase studied in the hospital room and then took off to the library once my parents and Em arrived. As long as someone was there I didn't worry if he left for a while. I'm still scared to be alone with a new baby.

We still can't believe they let us take her home with us. With him studying all night at the hospital I was on Sadie duty most of the time. By the time we were ready to go home they sent a social worker to my room after a breakdown in one of the Baby at Home classes. I was crying because I was so tired I couldn't keep my eyes open and I was so sore I couldn't get out of my chair. Back in my room (after some serious feet shuffling) I had finally fallen asleep and Chase told her I wasn't depressed, just tired and if anyone else woke me up I would probably lose it! Why do people keep coming in my room!!

Chase and I were talking about the fact that usually it takes a while to meet and come to love a person. In contrast, it's amazing how with a baby it takes less than a second to instantaneously fall in love with this new little person in your life. My heart is literally bursting!! I love this little girl so much!! She is such a little sweetheart and very well tempered (nothing like her mother) and is absolutely adorable. I wish all everyone could see her! Well I need to go feed her again so toodles for now.

She's here!

This post has been a long time coming. I've had very little time to even sleep let along write, read, or do anything for myself:-) Chase and I welcomed our little Sadie Elizabeth 12 days ago on May 8th, 2:30 p.m. She is a chunky little thing. She weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. and was 22 inches long! She's absolutely perfect! In fact, I can't look at her without weeping. I really feel as if I have a heavenly being in my presence.

It all started on Monday morning around 2 a.m. when I started to feel some contractions. At first I wasn't sure because we had a false alarm in April. After about an hour I finally woke up Chase and we started timing the contractions until about 5 a.m. when they were five minutes apart and hurting me like crazy. In fact they hurt so bad I almost vomited from the pain. I started to get really scared and cried in bed while Chase rubbed my back. I love him! We decided this was the real thing and headed to the hospital. When we got there I was dilated to a 5 and they strapped me up to a monitor to see if Sadie's heartbeat was regular and healthy. I still remember squeezing Chase's hand during each contraction. It was an awful feeling of pain. The nurse finally told us that these were real contractions and that we were on our way to have a baby!

This immediately made me emotional and I got a little teary knowing that I was about to meet my very first daughter, Sadie Elizabeth Cannon. They took me up to the delivery room and got me all ready. First they put an IV in my veins so I wouldn't dehydrate and then the doctor came in to give me the WONDERFUL epidural. He was such a great doctor (way better than my OB). I was really scared for the needle but his English accent helped distract me. All of a sudden the pain went away and I was totally relaxed. Those women that go natural are CRAZY!! Epidurals and the BEST!!

Chase studied for his final while I tried to read my book. Chase eventually couldn't focus and read my book to me. My water broke and I was dilated to a ten before I knew it. My OB (Dr. Stanco ...name fits the person for sure) was at her clinic with other patients. She told the nurses to have me start pushing, thinking it would take me a while to get Sadie out. She was wrong. I pushed for about and hour and her head appeared w/ no doctor, just the nurse who was actually wonderful (I wish she could have delivered the baby). Dr. Stanco finally came after making me wait 45 minutes (while Sadie just hung out, ripe and ready) and 15 minutes later we had a little Sadie!!

Chase watched the whole thing as her head and then shoulders appeared. He was very brave. I thought he would faint seeing all the blood but he did very well. He even cut the umbilical cord. I loved Chase before, but after going through this with him I literally love him a million times more! He was so great. He just kept kissing my forehead as we both wept and watched our little lady give her first itty bitty cry. She was actually quite calm afterwards and hardly even cried. Chase said she gave a huge frown and screamed when she came out. Cute!

I still can't believe we have a baby! Even now that it's been some time, I still have a hard time believing that she is mine and I get to keep her forever! The first week was good and bad. Sadie ate like a little piggy but nursing her was VERY painful. I didn't know she had a tongue tie so I battled through the pain because I was told by everyone it would get better. Well it didn't. Every time I would begin feeding her my body would shake with pain. I was completely raw!! When Sadie started spitting up my blood I knew we had a problem. I wanted to nurse her for a year and was determined but it hurt so bad!

Finally a week later her pediatrician (saint of all saints) discovered her tongue tie and sent us to an ENT to get it clipped. Chase had finals through this whole saga and was totally stressed out. Luckily my family was here so my Dad came with me to her appointment. I couldn't bare to go alone. I couldn't handle seeing Sadie in any form of pain so I went into the hallway while Grandpa stayed with her. I prayed the whole time in the hallway that God would comfort her. Through tears and an emotional breakdown I was absolutely overwhelmed with love for my little girl. Mama bear kicked in and I felt horrible that someone was causing her pain. It turns out Sadie was much braver than her Mom and barely cried. So after pumping for a month (hand pump...too poor for the good electric one) I finally healed and Sadie no longer bites down when she eats. I guess I can nurse her for her first year after all. Only the best for my little Sadie Lady!

Sadie Elizabeth Cannon!!

Sadie Elizabeth Cannon has arrived.....
May 8 2006 at 2:30 PM San Diego time...
8 pounds 1 ounce, 22 inches..... extremely beautiful....
More pics to follow.....

BORED!!

Well I don't know about this whole pregnancy thing.  I am SO sick of waiting for Sadie to come out.  My doctor offered to induce her on Tuesday because I am dilated to almost a 4!!  However, I said I wanted to wait for her to come on her own.  (Mom's orders..she's always right. My doctor will be out of town this weekend so I might be delivering with some people I don't know very well.  She offered to induce me because she'll be out of town for my due date. My thoughts are that because she's a High Risk Pregnancy Specialist and I'm low risk, she's taking a vacation because she doesn't have to worry about me.   I don't like her anymore. Actually, I never really liked her.  She was ALL business and wasn't nice to me during the gender ultrasound and told me to stop being so excited about the sex and to focus more on the health of the baby.  She also hurts me during cervical exams. Sometimes I think these  unmarried and sad women doctors have a serious chip on their shoulders.  Geez!  If you're so worried about the health of my baby, why are you going out of town during her due date.  LAME!

I took all of the advise from friends and bought a pack and play.  I think it will be good in case I feel like having her nearby  in our bedroom.  I still haven't made up my mind.  Anywho, I am guessing that I will be at church on Sunday. I have a strange feeling Sadie will be taking her time. I hope this isn't the case. Waiting for a baby to come is so boring. I have done just about everything I can think of to occupy my mind. It doesn't help that my last day of work was a couple of weeks ago. Oh well. She'll be worth the wait:-)

Holy Freaking Canolli

I'm about to have a baby and I'm laughing at what a whale I am.  I've never been this big...ever!!  I think I've gained 55 pounds!  Holy moly!!  I know we're poor but do you think I could afford a shirt that covers my belly for Pete's sake?!!  What on earth was I thinking with the above ensemble?  These maternity khakis are absolutely hideous!  They used to be ridiculously comfortable until my belly got so huge they are now constantly being pushed down and I look like I'm going for the "pregnant gangsta look" (it's hot...don't deny it:-).  I am sooooo ready for this baby to come out!!

The ONLY reason I am posting these pictures is because they're absolutely and wretchedly HILARIOUS!!  Pregnant women just look funny and that's all there is to it.  Your welcome!